Denise didn’t move for a second.
Not because she didn’t understand Liam’s words—
but because something inside them felt like it had already been decided long before he said it.
Below, the courtyard remained unnervingly still.
Even the wind seemed hesitant now.
The forest creature was watching them both like a patient experiment reaching its final phase.
Denise finally spoke, voice low. “You can’t say things like that to me.”
Liam didn’t answer immediately.
His arm was still around her waist, steadying her—but there was tension in him now.
Like holding her was the only thing keeping him anchored.
“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded,” he said.
Denise gave a short, humorless breath. “That’s exactly how it sounded.”
A pause.
Liam’s eyes flickered for a moment toward the courtyard
