Antonio stood still, like he was lost in darkness. He felt the old weight press against his chest. The same weight he'd carried for years, the kind that hollowed his ribs and every breath into a reminder.

He had learned long ago that silence was safer than truth. If he stayed calm, if he stayed unreadable, then maybe the cracks in his world wouldn't show. Maybe Zade wouldn't know what it feels like to be shattered.

Even when Zade kept pushing earlier, he couldn't dare to speak. But every accusation was a reminder of the promises he had failed to keep. To protect their mother, to shield his brother.

Antonio’s...