Chapter 56

NOAH We finally arrived at Olivia’s apartment, and Hannah flashed me a bright smile. As a child, she didn’t seem to notice the tension from earlier with the elderly women or question me and her mother’s unusual behavior. Olivia smiled affectionately at her daughter, her finger lightly tapping Hannah’s nose. “Come down quickly,” she said softly, her voice full of warmth and love. I put Hannah down and followed Olivia up the stairs to the entrance of her duplex apartment. As I walked, I couldn’t help but notice how cozy and inviting the place felt, even from the outside. Olivia opened the door and stepped inside, casually sliding off her shoes and placing them in the well-organized shoe cabinet near the entrance. Hannah, ever the obedient child, followed suit, slipping into her own cozy pair of indoor slippers. I stepped inside and removed my shoes, but as my eyes landed on the well-worn men’s slippers and the neatly placed leather shoes beside them, a wave of unease hit me. My calm expr