Chapter 186

• Lewis’s car rolled to a gentle stop in front of the Smith mansion.
• The late afternoon light spilled across the gleaming hood, but his eyes weren’t on the house—they were fixed on the small lollipop in his hand. He had been staring at it for the entire drive, as though it held secrets that only he could understand.
• Oliver, seated beside him in the passenger seat, glanced at his boss with discreet curiosity. In all the years he had worked for Lewis, he had rarely seen that stern face soften. Today, however, there was no trace of the usual cold steel in his expression—only a quiet warmth, almost unrecognizable.