Chapter 20

The late afternoon sky still held a pale glow when Thomas slipped behind the wheel of his car outside Vaughan’s grand estate. He eased the sedan into drive, the engine’s purr merging with the distant hum of traffic as he headed back toward BV. With each mile, his thoughts chased one another in restless loops: the meeting with Vaughan, the obligations waiting at home, the unease he carried like a secret weight in his chest. By the time he reached his driveway, the house was bathed in warm light. Curtains at the windows glowed softly, and Thomas knew immediately that Honey—his wife—was already inside. A familiar flutter of anticipation rose in his stomach as he guided the car into the gate and steered it into the garage. He glanced in the rearview mirror, smoothed his tie, then killed the engine and climbed out.

He closed the garage door behind him and hurried to the front door, the soles of his shoes clicking on the polished hardwood floors of the entryway. The house was silent