Chapter 10 Vacation

• Elira woke to the weight of Lucien’s body pressed close beside her, the steady rhythm of his breathing grounding her like an anchor in a sea of chaos. Yesterday’s nightmare still clung to her skin, but here, in this quiet moment, something fragile stirred — a flicker of something like safety.
• Lucien didn’t say a word. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, unreadable, but when they finally met hers, there was a softness there she hadn’t expected.
• “I don’t know if I’m ready,” she whispered.