Noah waits a beat. Two.
“Vitaly… what was that?” he finally asks.
I wipe my palms on my apron. They’re damp.
The envelope sits there.
Cream paper.
Red seal.
Oksana’s color.
Blood and warning.
I’ve seen envelopes like this before.
Instructions. Demands.
Things that can’t be refused.
The last one told me where to wire money I didn’t have.
The one before that had a photo.
Me. Walking to work.
She wants me to know I’m always being watched.
My hand shakes when I touch the envelope.
It’s heavy.
Too heavy.
“Trouble,” I whisper.
Even saying the word tastes like overcooked caramel.
Noah steps closer, voice quiet, steady. “You don’t have to open it alone.”
But I do.
That’s the problem.
Because whatever’s inside isn’t for both of us.
It’s for me.
A reminder.
And the moment I break the seal, I know my life just got smaller again.
Tighter.
More dangerous.
And Juliet…
