No couch, no table, not even a lamp. Just a thin mattress on the floor and a folded blanket beside it, as if someone had tried to hold onto a last shred of dignity.
Emily stepped in quietly, moving as though even the slightest sound might break the fragile silence of the house.
“Mom?” she called softly.
Her voice echoed, weak and uncertain. Outside, rain tapped against the cracked window like restless fingers.
Marcus paused near the doorway, taking everything in.
He had seen destruction before—homes ruined by violence or bad deals—but this felt different.
This wasn’t chaos.
This was what happened when greed found its way into a place it never should have touched.
Emily walked over to the mattress.
A woman lay there, barely covered. Her skin was pale, lips dry, breathing shallow—as if every breath cost her something.
“Mom,” Emily whispered again, kneeling beside her.
The woman stirred slightly, eyelids fluttering before slowly opening.
For a moment, she looked lost.
Then she saw Marcus behind her daughter—and fear immediately filled her eyes.
“Emily…” she rasped. “What is he doing here?”