Nina swallowed hard, her eyes lingering on Ethan's peaceful face for one last second to ensure he had truly surrendered to sleep. She tucked the edge of the blanket around his shoulder with gentle precision, then stood, her bones protesting after the exhausting day. Every muscle seemed to carry the weight of unspoken tension. The boy had wrapped himself around her heart in mere hours… a dangerous thing, she knew, yet she couldn't bring herself to regret it.
Lucas remained silent. He turned and walked down the dimly lit hallway, his heavy strides making no sound on the thick carpet, a ghost moving through his own home. Nina followed the broad line of his back, studying the set of his shoulders, trying to read what awaited her.
The silence between them felt charged, electric with unspoken words. They reached the end of the corridor where he pushed open a pair of heavy, dark walnut doors and stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter first.
