The secured apartment remained wrapped in silence even during daylight.Not peaceful silence.The kind that lived between people who once loved each other too openly and now no longer knew how to exist in the same room without hurting.
Rain clouds still hung low over Velmora, covering the city in cold gray shadows while armed guards patrolled every floor of the building. Inside the apartment, however, the atmosphere felt far heavier than the danger outside.
Rafael stood near the dining table, one hand pressed against the edge while staring down at the security reports spread before him.
His expression looked exhausted.Not physically but emotionally.
The past few days had destroyed him slowly.Aria barely spoke to him now. When she did, her voice sounded distant like she was afraid getting too close to him again would break her completely.And maybe it would.
A soft knock echoed through the apartment door.Immediately Rafael's posture sharpened.One of the guards entered first.
