Sophia
The night air felt heavy against my skin as I stepped out of Max’s car, my hand unconsciously brushing over my belly.
My heart was still caught somewhere between the dull ache of missing Erick and the unease that Max’s presence stirred inside me.
It wasn’t the first time I’d felt that strange contradiction, comfort laced with suspicion.
My instincts, sharp from years of survival and betrayal, screamed that Max was not the man he pretended to be.
When I asked how he knew where I lived, his answer had come too easily, too smoothly: “Because it’s my duty to protect you.”
I wanted to laugh, bitter and sharp, but the fatigue in my bones stole even that. So I only shook my head and dismissed his words.
“I don’t need protection, Max. I’ve been doing fine on my own,” I muttered, t
