Chapter 22

The morning light slipped faintly through the half-drawn curtains, painting the room in a quiet gray. The sound of running water hummed from the bathroom where Adrian was. Vivian was already awake, sitting upright on the bed, her back resting against the headboard. She scrolled absently through her phone, her face calm but her mind restless.

Then suddenly, ping! A message flashed across Adrian’s phone screen where it lay on the dresser.

Vivian froze. Her eyes darted toward the bathroom door, still shut, steam escaping from its edges. Adrian wasn’t coming out yet. Slowly, almost unwillingly, her gaze fell back to the phone. Her chest tightened.

She bit her lip, her fingers twitching.

“No… don’t,” she muttered under her breath, but curiosity gnawed at her.

Sliding off the bed, her bare feet whispered against the rug as she crept toward the dresser. Her eyes flicked again toward the bathroom. The water still ran.

She reached the phone, hesitating, he