Chapter 31
Author POV
The front door creaked, a small, mournful sound, as Val stepped inside. The afternoon sunlight, now a soft, fading gold, slanted through the arched windows, painting long, luminous stripes across the polished marble floor. In his arms, Hazel was a dead weight, her body limp and pale against his dark clothes, a stark contrast to the vibrant world outside.
Anna's voice, a bright and unguarded melody, drifted from the living room, a jarring note of cheerfulness. "Sister, you're one of the honored candidates that auditioned! Tomorrow you're asked to be on set where the final results will be called—"
Her words faltered and died in her throat. The moment she saw Val's sharp profile and the way Hazel's head rested against his chest, the entire house seemed to exhale a different kind of air—no longer warm and friendly, but heavy, charged, and thick with unspoken tension.
