Nora

"She's always a step ahead," I muttered, more to myself than to Liam. "I thought we were close, but she's playing games with us."

Liam approached, a steadying presence as he put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, we'll figure this out, Nora. We always do."

I sighed, dropping into a chair. "I'm tired, Liam. Tired of chasing shadows and feeling like I'm always one step behind. She called just to rub it in, to remind us how clueless we are."

Liam pulled up a chair beside me, his expression a mix of empathy and determination. "We need to regroup, Nora. Take a breather. We're not giving up, but...