By the time they reached the mansion, the sun was already high, casting long shadows across the driveway. Everything looked the same as always—the gates, the walls, the quiet elegance of the place—but it didn't feel the same anymore. Aiden noticed it the moment the car slowed to a stop. Once you stepped into that world, even for a few hours, it followed you back. It sat in your chest, in your thoughts, in the way your body stayed tense even when you were supposed to be safe.
Noah turned off the engine but didn't move right away. His hands rested on the steering wheel, fingers still, his gaze unfocused like he was already somewhere else in his head. Aiden watched him for a second before unbuckling his seatbelt.
"We tell them everything," Aiden said.
Noah nodded once. "Yeah."
Neither of them argued about that. There was no point in hiding anything from Matthew, not now. Not when things had escalated this far.
