ISAAC’S POV 

The night was thick with laughter, and the sweetness of roasted meat lingered in the air. It was past midnight, and the parents had already gone upstairs to the rooftop, while we stayed in the garden. It was going to be a long night, and every nerve inside me already felt alive.  

I’d just finished helping Aunt Yvonne with the dishes and headed toward the garden where the real fun was. But at the entrance, I froze.  

A voice I knew too well slid through me like dipping ...