Chapter 21

Chapter 21. The hallway fell silent again after Damien left, but the silence did not bring a sense of security. Instead, it felt like a pause before something worse happened. Liora locked the door, turning the key twice, then pressed her back against the cold door. Her breath caught in her chest, heavy, as if her lungs had forgotten how to function normally. The envelope was still in her hand. White. Clean. Too calm for something that held a threat. Inside the room, Nolan called again, this time louder. "Mom?" "Mom?" Liora forced her legs to move. She entered the room, crouched beside the bed, and hugged Nolan without saying a word. The boy rested his head on her chest, as usual, as always. Safe, at least within that small circle. "Why, Mom?" Nolan asked innocently. "It's nothing," Liora replied quickly, too quickly. She stroked Nolan's back, holding back the trembling in her own hands. "Mom's just tired." Nolan nodded, accepting the answer without suspicion. Liora closed her eyes. ---