Chapter 121

Miranda’s POV

I stood by the window, the soft glow of the fading afternoon light casting long shadows across the room. Desmond had just dropped me off after a long day of work, but instead of heading inside immediately, I found myself frozen, staring out the window. There was something uneasy in the air, something that gnawed at me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

Desmond was standing by his car, his phone pressed to his ear, his back to me as he spoke animatedly, but I could hear the faintest traces of his voice carrying through the breeze. He was talking to Brenda—the same woman he had sworn to me, time and time again, that he had severed all contact with. His words didn’t match his actions. He lied, and I felt the bitter taste of betrayal rise in my throat.

It was a sharp, cold feeling that settled in my gut, something deep and primal, the kind of instinct you can’t ignore. I had always trusted my instincts, but now it felt