Victoria found herself slipping into a quiet routine, days blending together with a rhythm she could almost predict. The house felt emptier without Ethan around during school hours, but there was a certain calm to it. Still, a heaviness lingered in her chest, a sense that something was missing—something beyond the layers of suspicion and doubt that had crept in.

It was midweek when Sophie reached out again, her voice light and teasing through the phone. “Alright, Vicky, I’m calling in a favor. We’re going to the gallery this weekend. You’re coming, and you’re going to leave your worries at home. Deal?”

Victoria hesitated, her mind buzzing with thoughts of...