Act I The egg hit the floor first. It landed sunny-side up against the sterile white tile, yellow center trembling beneath the fluorescent lights. The two slices of bread followed, skidding apart like…

Act I The coffee cups hit the marble first. Two white paper cups rolled across the polished floor, leaving a brown trail between luxury storefronts and spotless glass walls. People nearby glanced over,…

Act I Jax was laughing before the first splash hit the tank. The bright pink liquid rolled over the black motorcycle in thick, ugly waves, swallowing the shine, crawling across the chrome, dripping…

Act I The first thing Beatrice did when she saw Arthur at the gates was laugh. Not a nervous laugh. Not a surprised one. It was sharp, polished, and cruel, the kind of…

Act I The laughter rolled across the restaurant before the waitress could even lower the tablet. It was not loud by accident. It was the kind of laugh meant to travel, to bounce…

Act I The barking shattered the quiet street before anyone understood why. It was the kind of late afternoon that made the neighborhood look almost too perfect. Golden sunlight stretched across trimmed lawns….

Act I The first shove was small enough for everyone to pretend it did not happen. Mia stumbled half a step across the concrete courtyard, her hands tightening around the straps of her…

Act I The chandelier trembled when Madame Eleanor screamed. “Enough! Stop!” Her voice sliced through the grand hallway, sharp enough to make the servants freeze behind half-closed doors. Sunlight poured through the arched…

Act I The old man did not look up when the first laugh landed. He sat alone in the corner booth of Rosie’s Diner, one hand resting beside a plate of spaghetti and…