Just a pressure in her chest she couldn’t shake.
Morning light spilled through the curtains, soft and deceptive. Her house looked the same. Felt the same. Quiet. Still. But the calm didn’t reach her.
She sat up slowly, rubbing her face, the events of the night before settling back into place like weight.
Izzy.
Jenna.
The email.
The lilies.
And Inez.
The call replayed in fragments—Inez’s voice grounding her, reminding her who she’d been before the world started taking pieces. Before men like Izzy learned how to exploit her loyalty.
Becca swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood.
Today, she decided, was for action.
No spiraling. No hiding.
She showered, dressed, pulled her hair back tight. By the time she grabbed her keys, she felt almost steady again.
Almost.
She didn’t notice the unfamiliar car parked two houses down.
Didn’t notice the way it pulled away once she left.
Shift: The World Moves Without Her
By the time Becca reached the shop, two things were already different.
The first was subtle—her real estate agent had emailed again.
The tone had changed. Less confident. More… cautious.
The second was impossible to ignore.
Her booking app lagged.
Appointments missing.
Othersrebooked.
Her stomach dropped.
This wasn’t coincidence.
Someone was touching her life again.
Elsewhere...
Silas watched data scroll across his screen, jaw tight.
He’d anticipated this.
