The day felt heavier than usual. The sun shone brightly, but Zoey felt a darkness pressing on her chest, one that had nothing to do with the weather. After the coffee shop meeting with Drake, her mind had been spinning with questions and warnings, each one heavier than the last. Daniel was planning something, and she didn’t know exactly what, but she could sense the danger lurking beneath his polished exterior.

Zoey had spent the morning carefully preparing the house, keeping the children engaged and unaware. Vivian and Avila were unusually quiet, the tension in the air perhaps sensing her own anxiety. Every glance they cast her way seemed to...