Hailey

The house felt like it was breathing around me, every floorboard and vent carrying a secret I wasn't sure I wanted to hear. Evans had stayed in the living room to coordinate with the security teams, his face a mask of worry, but I couldn't stay there. I needed to see Nancy. I needed to understand why my world had suddenly turned into a storm of noise that didn't come from people's mouths.

I walked down the quiet hallway toward the sunroom Lena had converted into a recovery suite. The air felt heavy, vibrating with a low hum that made the hair on my arms stand up. Every time...