The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and bacon sizzling in the pan woke Damian from his deep sleep. A low growl escaped his throat as he turned in bed, his arm searching for the warmth that should have been beside him. But the bed was empty, cold, and Eliza's absence hit him like a stab in the chest.
He opened his eyes slowly. The grayish light of dawn filtered through the heavy curtains, casting elongated shadows on the walls. His gaze lost itself on the ceiling for a few seconds, trying to process that emptiness. It was then when a sharp sound, something breaking in the distance, made him sit up abruptly. His senses, always alert, ignited like an uncontrollable fire. Something was wrong.
He got up quickly, barely taking the time to put on pants before leaving the room. The smell of food was still there, but now it was mixed with something else: tension, anger... and a trace of fear he couldn't ignore. When he reached the kitchen, the scene he found stopped him in his tracks.
