Miles's voice cracked with disbelief.
"My grandfather…?"
Nolan watched him closely. The shock on Miles's face was not the expression of a man hiding secrets. It was a man discovering that the past he never knew was larger than he imagined.
Miles pulled in a long breath, steady but strained. He looked as though old wounds were reopening in places he had never known he carried scars.
When he finally spoke again, his tone softened.
"Nolan, I can see you are not just angry. You are hurting. And I understand the pain of losing someone you love…"
His voice carried a quiet ache.
"I lost my father when I was five. Murdered. I lost my family for seventeen years. I do not know where my grandfather is… I do not even know if he is alive."
Nolan lowered his head.
Miles leaned slightly closer.
"So please, tell me everything. What are you trying to kill me for?"
Nolan's breath trembled, but slowly, the pills steadied him. His fingers stopped shaking.
