"It's okay, I'm not dead, am I?" Mira laughed softly. Her voice carried warmth, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of something she didn’t say.
She was always so generous, yet Elias couldn’t shake the weight pressing on his heart. He pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice trembling. "Mira, I swear—this will be the last time. From now on, your safety will always come first. Always."
Mira nodded, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Alright, I believe you, Captain Sullivan."
Later that night, as the steady rhythm of Elias' snores filled the bedroom, Mira lay awake. Her gaze lingered on the soft glow of his phone screen, where she had caught a glimpse of the message he sent to Vera before drifting off to sleep.
Mira is leaving on a business trip tomorrow. After the wedding, I’ll make sure we check off every item on your bucket list. She’ll be back in about 20 days. Let’s not contact each other until then.
Her chest tightened, and the ache spread through her as if winter’s chill had seeped into her bones.