The letter sat between them like a dagger, its presence undeniable, the words from Moira’s father ringing in her ears like a warning. But it was Matthew’s silence that unnerved her the most. The man she thought she knew—the man who promised to burn the world down for her—was now sitting across from her, his face too still, too controlled, as he carefully folded the letter and set it down on the coffee table.

Moira’s chest tightened, her breath shallow, but her voice came out steady, ...