Xavier’s POV

When fear runs out of places to hide, truth is the next thing to burn.

The cabin sat in silence when we pulled up.

The kind of silence that feels staged too still, too deliberate.

The kind that dares you to believe everything’s fine.

Celeste was the one who spotted the light first.

“Someone’s still inside,” she whispered, her hand hovering near the doorframe.

Daphne turned sharply, eyes hollow but sharp. “I pray it’s my son.”

Her words trembled, but her body ...