The laptop sat behind her on the table, glowing quietly in the dark living room like a silent witness.
Tyler took a slow step forward.
His eyes flicked briefly toward the screen… just a glance… before returning to her face.
Not anger. Not confusion. Pure observation.
Jean forced her body to remain entirely still, keeping her expression neutral and carefully composed.
"I… got up," she said softly. "I thought I'd get some water."
Tyler studied her, letting the silence stretch as if weighing the lie without rushing to judgment.
"You got lost?" He asked quietly.
Jean nodded once. Steady. "Yes."
For a second, something unreadable flickered across his face… not disbelief, but something far sharper beneath the surface.
His dark hair was slightly disheveled, the sleeves of his black shirt rolled to his elbows, looking as though he had simply wandered downstairs in the middle of the night.
Then, he smiled faintly. Not warm. Not cold. Just knowing.
