“What the hell are you doing here?" Alick rasped, his voice thick with anger.

Forrest, unfazed, examined his hand with feigned curiosity. “Soft, wouldn't you say?"

"Go to hell!" Alick roared, his frustration boiling over.

The unspoken agreement — his room, a sanctuary accessible only to Annis — shattered.

He never expected that Forrest would enter.