Chapter 286. She Needs Help

He hands the driver a crumpled bill and steps out, the cool evening air washing over him. It's a relief after the stuffy confines of the cab. The building looms above him, familiar and comforting. It's been too long since he was last here, too long since he felt the safety of his own home.

The walk to the front door feels like an eternity. When the doors finally open with a tired ding, he steps into his mansion and heads for his room. The door opens with a click, and he steps inside, greeted by the stillness and quiet he just realizes he missed.

He heads straight for the bathroom, peeling off his clothes and stepping into the shower. The hot water pours over him, washing away the grime of the day, but it does little to cleanse the turmoil in his mind. His thoughts are still racing, jumping from one possibility to the next. The pieces are starting to fit together, but there's still so much he doesn't know. So much he needs to understand.

After a