ROMAN
I didn’t give myself time to think twice about it.
If I did, I might hesitate.
And hesitation was the one thing I couldn’t afford right now.
I walked back into the house.
The moment I saw that Helen had stepped out and was heading toward her room, I was already moving. I tried not to rush—because that would draw attention—but I wasn’t slow either.
There was a purpose to my steps, something steady pushing me forward even as my mind tried to catch up with what I was about to do.
By the time she got inside and the door closed, I was already there.
I raised my hand and knocked.
There was a brief pause before the door opened.
Helen stood there, clearly not expecting to see me. The surprise was subtle, but it was there—in the slight narrowing of her eyes, in the way her posture s
