Chapter 163

SEBASTIAN

Morning comes without permission.

It seeps in through the cracks of the night, pale and intrusive, as if the sky itself has decided that whatever I’m carrying no longer deserves darkness to hide in. I don’t sleep. I don’t even lie to myself about trying.

I sit on the edge of my bed long before dawn, elbows resting on my knees, hands clasped together like that might keep something from slipping through my fingers. The house is silent. Too silent. The kind of silence that makes thoughts louder, sharper, and impossible to outrun.

By the time the first weak light creeps across the floor, I’ve already made my decision.

There’s no drama in it. No rage. No spiraling indecision.

Just clarity.

Loren’s house is exactly what I expect it to be… set back from the road, tall iron gates framing a pristine driveway, hedges trimmed within an inch of their lives. Everything about the place screams control. Tasteful. Expensive. Designed to impress pe