Strangers We Know

The slow unmasking of truths kept me guessing, but I'm curious if this was planned from the start or developed during writing.

The way loyalties shifted made me question how well I can really know someone. Did any character's reveal surprise others as much as it did me?

It felt like the story was just as much about the characters' internal struggles as the mystery itself. Was that a conscious choice to deepen the story's impact?