The scent of coffee hung in the air when she heard the soft knock.
Natalia froze mid-step.
For a moment, everything inside her stilled—her breath, her thoughts, her heartbeat. She already knew. The kind of silence that followed wasn't the casual quiet of morning but something heavier, something waiting. It told her who was standing behind that door before she even touched the knob.
When she opened it, her breath caught.
Adam Ravenstrong stood there.
Tall. Imposing. Dressed in black with a button undone at the collar, sleeves rolled to his forearms. Every inch of him looked polished and powerful—but his eyes... his eyes were tired. Restless. Like sleep hadn't touched him in days.
She gripped the door tighter, pulse quickening with emotions she wished she'd already buried.
"What are you doing here?" Natalia asked, her voice barely steady, betraying the tremor she tried to suppress.
