The sunlight crept through the soft white curtains of Lia Sheren's villa, spilling warmth across the breakfast table that still smelled faintly of coffee and buttered toast. Ken had already gone to make some calls—his voice calm, his words sharp and deliberate. Even though he smiled at her before leaving the room, Lia knew he was furious inside. The quiet wrath of a man in love.
When the door clicked shut behind him, Lia sighed and leaned back in her chair, trying to steady her breathing. The world outside was calm, yet her heart still beat in anxious tremors. Every time she blinked, flashes of last night returned—shadows moving too fast, the glint of knives, the way Ken had shielded her with his body without hesitation.
She reached for her phone, her fingers trembling slightly. There was only one person she wanted to talk to right now.
"Mio…" she whispered as the call connected.
