(Michelle Lui's POV)
I felt it before it happened.
That… tug.
Like someone pulling a thread that wasn't meant to be touched.
Not painful.
Not romantic.
Not dramatic.
Just there.
Persistent.
Strange.
Familiar in a way I didn't understand — and didn't want to examine.
Steven.
I wasn't stupid.
I wasn't oblivious.
I knew something was shifting inside him.
Something that shouldn't be shifting.
Not for me.
Not now.
Not when he had Lara.
But knowing didn't stop the feeling.
Kate and I were in the shared living area of our suite, sitting on the floor with face masks on, planning the last three days of our trip — museum day, lazy winter-market day, then final shopping before heading home.
It should've been peaceful.
It should've been a normal girls' night.
But I kept staring at the door.
Waiting.
Without meaning to.
Without wanting to.
Kate noticed.
"Hey." She flicked my forehead lightly. "Your soul just left your body and flew into the hallway."
