Chapter 1: Exposed by the Firelight
The fire crackled low in the hearth, its dying embers casting a lazy, golden haze across the room. The scent of cinnamon lingered from Rachel’s mulled wine, mingling with the sharp bite of whiskey from Ryan’s glass. He shifted on the velvet sofa, his fingers tapping against his thigh in nervous rhythm, his breath shallow. The grandfather clock in the corner ticked too slow, each chime a countdown to something inevitable.
Chelsey lounged in the armchair across from him, one leg slung over the armrest, her fingers lazily stroking the glass of bourbon in her hand.