It was a sinner's suicide for anyone to work at Coopers Incorporation. It was no surprise that people aimed to stray far from the Devil known as Mr Elijah Cooper.
Cold, demanding, and rough, he ruled over everything with an iron grip and a calculati...
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Nora'sP.O.V
I wake up to a noise.
A faint, distant sound—enough to stir me from sleep. I blink against the darkness, rubbing my face. How long have I been out? Hours? The sky outside is still ink-black. My phone screen flickers as I scroll absently, but the unease lingers.
Something woke me.
I climb out of bed and step into the hallway, moving quietly. The faint clatter of dishes draws me downstairs.
Lila is cleaning the cabinets, her movements steady, methodical. Henley is at the stove, the rich scent of something warm filling the air.
If Henley is cooking greens, that means Elijah is home.
I exhale, shaking off the last bit of sleep. It feels… strange. Almost peaceful. But something about that noise won’t leave me.
I head to Nina’s room. Just to check. Just to be sure.
The moment I step inside, I know something is wrong.
The bed is empty.
Panic rises in my throat. The bathroom door stands open. No one.
I turn on my heel, my pulse quickening as I stride back downstairs. Lila. She would know.
“Hey,” I say, trying to keep my voice even. “Where’s Nina?”
Lila doesn’t even look up. “She’s out with Fredrik. Nothing to worry about.”
Relief washes over me. For a moment, my thoughts had gone to worse places. I thought she—
No. It’s fine. She’s with Fredrik.
Still, it stings. She doesn’t tell me things anymore. We used to be inseparable, and now I barely know what’s going on in her head. Maybe once she starts school again, she’ll feel normal. Have friends. Have a life.
After Mom died, everything in her just… shut down. She wouldn’t speak. Wouldn’t go to school. Said she wanted to drop out.
I fought for her. I didn’t let her give up. And now, tomorrow, she’s finally going back.
That has to mean something, right?
I shake the thought away and glance at Lila. “Need help?”
