Alina

The drive back to Sterling Manor felt unreal, like we were carrying treasure instead of a car seat buckled in the back. The city lights blurred past us, but the world inside the car was small and perfect: Alina’s hand in mine, Hope’s tiny monitor humming from the carrier between us, Ares’s breath coming in shallow grateful laughs, and the slow, steady wind of someone finally exhaling after a long run.

When the black iron gates of the estate opened, it felt as if the house itself ...