Hearing my name shattered the fragile barrier holding my composure intact. Years of grief ignited into something raw and jagged. I remained silent.

“If she heard us, we move now,” Evan said coldly.

Adrian hesitated. “I will handle it.”

They disappeared into the night, one reluctant, one resolute. I remained hidden until the harbor emptied, my body trembling uncontrollably. By the time I returned to my hotel, a single truth pulsed with terrifying clarity.

Adrian Smith had not merely abandoned his former life. He was prepared to destroy anything that threatened his new one. And he now knew I existed within that threat.