Mia woke the next morning to the soft hum of the air conditioning and the distant sound of traffic outside. For a fleeting moment, it felt like she was in a different life—a simpler one, where she didn’t have to worry about Adrian’s wrath or the decisions that had led her here.
But the warmth beside her was real.
Liam.
She turned slowly, careful not to disturb him, and found him still asleep, his face softened in the stillness of the morning light. His dark hair was a mess, and his lips were slightly parted. For a second, it was hard to believe this was the same man who had once been her everything, the one she had lost.
But here he was.
Liam.
She inhaled deeply, her chest tightening. What was she doing?
Last night had felt like a moment of clarity—a release of all the emotions she
