CHAPTER 26

"What exactly are we doing here, Alvin?" Patricia's voice cut through the thick silence, her curiosity tinged with the underlying tension that seemed to simmer between them. She watched as Alvin slowly took a sip from his glass, his movements unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world. The living room of the old house they were in exuded an air of forgotten grandeur—dust-covered furniture, dim lighting, and the faint scent of aged wood creating an almost nostalgic atmosphere. The walls, adorned with old paintings and photographs, seemed to whisper stories of the past, stories that now felt eerily close to Patricia's own.

Alvin leaned back into the worn leather of the antique chair, his expression contemplative. "I've been purchasing some land out here," he finally said, his voice low and deliberate. "I’m thinking about starting a new business."

Patricia, sitting across from him on an old yet elegantly carved wooden sofa, tilted her head slightly, studying him. "A new business?"