Chapter 146

Kelly POV

The strong autumn air brushed against my skin as I stood outside Aiden’s school, watching the last of the children scatter toward waiting parents, their laughter fading into the distance. The meeting with his teacher had gone well, nothing alarming, nothing urgent, but I still felt drained in a way that had nothing to do with that single conversation.

Everything has felt like it's stacking on top of everything else lately. The company, the pressure, the constant need to stay ahead of whatever the next crisis would be. It was starting to feel like I was holding too many things together with not enough strength left to do it properly.

I was already moving toward my car when I heard it.

“Kelly.”

My steps stopped immediately.

For a moment, I didn