Mikhail’s phone buzzed softly against the console, signalling the message had been sent.

He stared at the screen, his mind a whirlwind of disbelief and confusion.

The words he’d typed to Antonia felt like they belonged to someone else, not him.

“We need to talk. Urgent. Be home.”

He set the phone aside, its dull glow fading as the screen went dark, much like the thoughts clouding his head.

The game room would be where she waited for him.

It was fitting, in a bitter way.

A place where they had shared countless childhood laughs, now to become the stage for an unthinkable confrontation.

Mikhail leaned back in his chair,...