Kaelen's bedroom door closed behind us with a soft click that felt oddly final. My heart hammered against my ribs as he crossed to the far wall where an ornate painting hung—a landscape of mountains and forests under moonlight.
He glanced back at me, his jaw tight. "What I'm about to show you has never been seen by anyone else."
I nodded, maintaining my façade of curious amnesia while anxiety churned in my stomach. Kaelen pressed his hand against the painting's frame, and it swung forward, revealing a hidden safe built into the wall.
"You're showing me your secret hiding place?" I asked, feigning innocence while my mind raced.
"I'm showing you the evidence," he replied, his voice hard as he spun the dial with practiced movements. "The proof of what my wife did to me."
The safe door opened with a metallic click. Kaelen reached inside and pulled out a thick envelope, yellowed slightly with age. His fingers gripped it so tightly the knuckles turned white.
