The front yard was quiet as Zoe and Barrett argued, their bodies now in the shadow of a tree, with Penelope's car parked nearby.

Penelope had just received a call from Zoe, but upon answering, there was no response, prompting him to come out immediately.

However, upon reaching the front yard, he didn't see Zoe's figure.

Speculating that she might be in the car, given that Zoe had come out to retrieve something from it, he didn't rush, descending the steps and heading towards the vehicle.

Barrett never expected to hear Penelope's voice here.

Various conjectures surfaced in his mind, quickly forming a larger, more certain inference: the person before...