One late evening, after a long day building the treehouse, Adrian sat alone on the porch steps of his house, staring into the fading twilight. The cheerful laughter and warmth he shared with Elena felt miles away from the cold reality waiting behind his front door.
Inside, the house was silent except for the low murmur of voices coming from the dimly lit living room. Adrian's heart tightened as he recognized the familiar tones-his parents and elder siblings, speaking in hushed but intense whispers.
He pressed his ear against the door, unwilling to hear but unable to look away.
"We can't let anyone find out what we did," his father said, voice low and gravelly. "The police are sniffing around, but no one suspects our family. We keep it that way."
His eldest brother's voice was colder. "If anyone gets too close, we deal with them. No loose ends."
Adrian swallowed hard, the weight of their words sinking deep into his chest. This was the secret he carried alone-the truth about his family's dark past that no one at school, not even Elena, could ever imagine.
He wiped a hand across his face, trying to
push the fear and shame aside. Adrian wanted to be different, to build a life filled with kindness and hope. But the shadow of his family's crimes loomed over him, a constant reminder of the world he wished to escape.