Ava's heart pounded so violently she thought it might tear through her ribs. The name on the letter burned into her mind.
Dorian Hale.
Noah had flinched at it. Flinched.
Jasper stepped forward, his voice low and edged with suspicion. "Noah, what aren't you telling us?"
Noah remained silent, his jaw clenched so tightly she thought he might crack.
Ava's hands trembled as she tightened her grip on the letter. "You said he was dead."
"He is dead," Noah said, his voice strained.
Jasper scoffed. "Then explain this."
Noah dragged a hand down his face, looking at the ground as if searching for the right words.
"I—I don't know how that letter exists," he admitted, but his voice lacked conviction.
Lies.
Ava could hear them. Feel them.
She stepped forward, closing the space between them. "You knew him, didn't you?"
Noah inhaled sharply.
That was answer enough.
Ava's stomach twisted. "And you knew this letter would change everything."
Noah's gaze snapped up to meet hers. His expression was raw, torn between frustration and something deeper—something almost like fear.
"Ava, I need you to trust me."
She let out a hollow laugh. "Trust you?" She shook the letter in her hand. "You've been keeping this from me, from us. And now you want my trust?"
Jasper's voice was firm. "Start talking, Noah."
A heavy silence settled between them. Then—
Noah exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Dorian Hale was my friend." His voice was barely above a whisper.
Ava stilled.
Jasper tensed. "Friend?"
Noah nodded. "We were close. But he got involved in something he shouldn't have." His throat bobbed. "And it got him killed."
Ava's fingers curled around the paper. "What was he involved in?"
Noah hesitated.
Too long.
Jasper took a step forward. "Noah."
Noah's lips parted, but before he could answer, a sound sliced through the night—
A car engine.
Headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating them in harsh, blinding light.
Ava's breath caught.
Jasper's hand went to his pocket—ready.
Noah tensed. "Stay behind me."
The car door swung open.
And a figure stepped out.
Tall. Confident. Eyes sharp as steel.
And unfamiliar.
A stranger.
Yet somehow, as the man's gaze locked onto Noah—
Ava could swear he knew exactly who they were.