Chapter 11

Grace had been restless all day. Noelle’s breakdown earlier lingered in her mind. It was an unsettling image she couldn’t shake. Her normally composed friend had been completely undone. She could still hear her sobbing which sounded raw and heartbreaking. Something wasn’t right, and Grace’s gut instincts refused to let it go.

And so as night fell and the city settled into its usual routine, Grace found herself parked a few meters down from Adrian and Noelle’s house. She sat in her car with her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly and a silenced engine. The warm-colored lights of the house’s windows stood in complete contrast to the cold unease building in her chest. Her phone buzzed occasionally with texts and notifications, but she ignored them all wanting to keep her focus locked on the house.

The minutes dragged into hours and Grace realized one thing.

Adrian hasn’t come home.

Grace’s eyes darted toward every passing car with her pulse quickening each