dra stood in the middle of the living room, still frozen in the same position she had been in when the door had clicked shut behin

like this. None of it was

dangerous, that it left her gasping for breath. The love she had believed in, the trust she had so carefully built, had been shattered in an instant. Noah had revealed himself to be someone she didn't recognize, some

trayals, part of her still ached for him. For the man sh

ing him after everything? Cou

. She glanced at the screen, but it was a numbe

ndr

man's voice, one that made her stomach twist. She didn't know it, but somehow, it

her voice hoarse from the e

slight edge of amusement in his tone. "But I think

sank in. Noah's brother? She hadn't even known Noah had a br

tinged with suspicion, her hand gripping

ah's told you, but you're tangled in something much bigger than you realize. And if you d

er that she couldn't ignore. She wanted to hang up, to refuse to engage with whatever game he wa

instincts telling her that this was not

it, but you haven't even scratched the surface. What you don't understand, Kendra, is that Noah is no

he had suspected that Noah's life wasn't what it seemed, but hearing it from his brother-the voice of someone who w

she whispered, her voic

g for you, Kendra. They're not going to stop until they get what t

e fought to keep her voice steady. "A

ah's told you. What you've seen. And they'll stop at nothing to ensure you nev

hat had he gotten himself into? And more importantly

asked, her voice trembling despit

of the line before the man spoke again.

But if you stay close to Noah, if you continue to be a part of his life, you're putting

cating weight of the situation threatening to overtake her. She wanted to hang up, to s

Kendra asked, h

there. I'll explain everything. And you need to h

e the warning, to pretend that none of this was happening. But another part of her-one she couldn't silence-knew that she couldn

ss, but she knew that she had to go. She had to face w

t let fear control her. She had to make a choice-whether to keep fighting for her own safety, or to fall dee

y, now tainted with the knowledge of what she had uncovered-Kendra made her decisio

ed her coat and left, st