(asher pov)
The apartment was quiet when I returned that evening, the city lights below casting a soft, golden glow through the floor-to-ceiling windows. She was asleep in the living room, curled under the light throw she insisted on keeping despite my protests. The subtle rise and fall of her chest, the soft curve of her lips in a gentle, almost imperceptible smile, made my chest tighten. I had never expected a simple glance at her in sleep to unsettle me, yet here I was, standing at the threshold, watching, protecting, wanting and restraining all at once.
Breakfast untouched, the note slightly crumpled on the counter—it was as if she had read it and left it behind. My jaw tightened. The video from this morning still pressed at the edges of my mind, a silent threat that someone had intr
