Michael Helwart’s voice lingered in the air like scattered glass. The words he’d spoken, a confession, a revelation hung between them, sharp and dangerous. It wasn’t just what he said; it was that he said it. He had breached an unspoken pact, the secret that Linsy had carried close to her heart, shared only with Michael.

At that moment, she felt rooted to the spot. Her heart stabbed at her ribs, a drumbeat of panic. She had trained herself to remain composed after all, ...