Chapter 33 Buildin' Trust

• Seaside Bay sat quiet under the pale yellow glow of the streetlamps. Through the fogged-up glass window, the ocean looked like a sheet of black silk, glinting faintly. Every so often, a wave broke against the dock with a dull thud. The air was thick with salt, coffee, and the smoky scent of grilled meat fresh from the kitchen.
• The three men across from Matthew hadn’t said a word. The silence was heavy. Only the faint clink of a spoon from another table broke through, swallowed again by the whisper of the sea.
• Victor leaned back, arms crossed, eyes locked on Matthew like he was trying to peel back the layers of whatever the hell had just come out of the man’s mouth. “You talk like someone who’s lost everything,” he murmured, voice caught between pity and suspicion. “But I’ve never seen a man that wrecked still sit that straight.”