Slowly, deliberately, he positioned himself on his hands and knees and crawled forward. Two steps. Awkward, but determined.
“A… plane,” he whispered.
Alexander’s vision blurred.
Nonverbal, the reports said.
Does not speak.
And there was his son—opening a door.
He took a step forward—
The roar of an engine cut through the moment.
A sports car pulled into the driveway.
Elena went pale. Leo’s body locked instantly. His face emptied. The life vanished as if it had never been there.
“That’s her,” Elena whispered.
Alexander understood then. Fully.
This wasn’t illness.
It was fear.
He straightened, his expression cooling into something deliberate.
“Put your gloves back on,” he said quietly. “Act normal. From now on, you and I say nothing. No one can know what I saw.”
Charlotte approached with her flawless smile, heels sinking into the grass.
From a distance, she looked perfect.
Up close, Alexander saw the shadow behind it.
And for the first time, he didn’t look away.
Charlotte threw herself into her role with ease.
—Oh, love, what a surprise… today was terrible. Leo was impossible. I had to… you know.