Nadia’s POV

The cold morning light filtered through the kitchen window, casting long shadows across the floor where Jasper and I stood, the note from Mom clutched in my hand.

We were lost in our concern as Aiden entered the kitchen. His arrival was quiet, almost tentative, and he paused, noticing the tension in our stance. Sensing something was amiss, he approached with a frown, his expression unreadable. “What’s happened?” he asked, his voice ...