ROMAN'S POV

Just after getting home from Lauren’s place, I loosened my tie with a sharp tug, the tension in my chest refusing to let up. I shrugged off my jacket and tossed it onto the couch, but my mind was still trapped in the car, haunted by what I had uncovered only minutes ago.

The ride back had been nothing more than a blur. The city lights, the movement of traffic, even the voices of people passing along the sidewalks, all of it felt distant, like I was submerged in water. Because ...