*Runze's POV*
The house is finally quiet.
The photographer left an hour ago. Grandmother retired to her wing after making it clear I am not allowed to walk up the stairs alone. Mrs. Wen disappeared to the kitchen because she was convinced hospital food had left me pale, and she needed to make more food to get my strength back. Even the new maids have dispersed, leaving the estate peaceful.
Only Bael and I remain.
Bael closes the bedroom door, turning the handle slowly until the latch clicks without a sound. The sudden quiet settles over us immediately. For the first time since the accident, there are no doctors, no nurses checking vitals, and no security guards standing at a distance.
Just the two of us.
I stand near the edge of the room, tracing the cool, smooth edges of the white jade seal Grandmother gave me down in the dining hall. The stone catches the afternoon light, the carved characters of my name—*Runze*—pressing into my palm.
