Markus scoffed, setting his glass down with a loud clink. “Home?” He let out a humorless laugh. “That place hasn’t felt like home in a long time. Everyone is wearing a facade, a mask of empathy.” The woman beside him smirked, her fingers trailing lightly down Markus’s arm. “Oh, let the man have some fun,” she purred, her voice smooth and coaxing. “He deserves a break, doesn’t he?”

Lars’s jaw tightened, but he kept his expression neutral. “Your health and your ...