Ava stood frozen, the sound of Elias's car fading into the night. The weight of his words clung to her, heavy and suffocating.
Dorian Hale.
The name was foreign to her, but the way Noah had stiffened, the way his jaw had locked—it wasn't just a name to him. It was a memory.
And that scared her.
Jasper was the first to speak. "I don't like him."
Ava barely heard him. Her fingers tightened around the letter, pulse hammering. She turned to Noah, searching his face. "Who was Dorian Hale?"
Noah didn't answer right away. His eyes flickered, calculating. Deciding.
That was all the confirmation she needed.
Ava inhaled sharply. "You do know."
Jasper stepped closer. "And judging by that look, it's not just 'know of him,' is it?"
Noah exhaled, shoulders taut. "It's not that simple."
Jasper let out a bitter laugh. "It never is, huh?"
Ava forced herself to breathe. "Then make it simple, Noah."
Noah's eyes met hers. For a second, she thought he would finally tell her. That maybe, this time, he wouldn't hold back.
But instead, he said, "I need you to trust me."
Ava's stomach twisted.
That wasn't an answer.
Jasper scoffed, muttering something under his breath. Ava barely registered it. All she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat, pounding against her ribs.
Her fingers trembled as she unfolded the letter. The paper was thin, fragile beneath her touch. The handwriting was unfamiliar. Sharp. Precise.
Her vision blurred as she read.
There are things you don't know. Things he won't tell you. You're running out of time, Ava.
Her throat tightened. The words felt like a noose.
Jasper peered over her shoulder, his brow furrowing. "That's it?"
Ava's grip on the letter tightened. "It's a warning."
Jasper shook his head. "It's cryptic bullshit."
Noah didn't speak.
Ava turned to him, heart slamming against her ribs. "Noah. Tell me the truth."
He didn't look away. But he didn't answer, either.
And that?
That was worse than a lie.
Because for the first time, she realized—
Noah wasn't just hiding something.
He was protecting something.
Or someone.