But something didn’t sit right. When Mia arrives unannounced, she finds the door unlocked, the house eerily pristine, and a strange smell in the air. Mia is about to stumble upon a devastating secret.

The city was just waking up as I drove through its empty streets.

Early morning light painted everything in soft hues, but I couldn’t shake this gnawing feeling in my gut. Something was wrong. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white.

Mom’s voice echoed in my head as my memory replayed all those hurried phone calls and weird excuses.