"I swear, Tom is going to be the death of me." Bill exhales sharply, running a hand through his already-messy jet black hair. "Every time I turn around, he's stirring up more trouble, pushing the wrong people, playing with fire like he’s invincible. And guess who has to clean up the mess?" His dark eyes flicker with exhaustion, a storm brewing beneath the surface. "I can’t keep doing this. One day, he’s going to push too far, and I don’t know if even I can save him then."

He was so troubled that he didn’t even notice you walking into the room.