Valentina’s POV
I woke up without warning, just a sudden, sharp tug in my chest as if something in me already knew I wasn’t alone.
And I wasn’t because he was already here this morning. Ryker.
Sitting at the far edge of the bed in the same chair where he’d watched me last night. Only this time, he wasn’t shrouded, he was in full view. The pale, cruel morning light fell across his face like a sheet of silver.
His eyes were cold. Empty in the way only a man used to death could manage.
I didn’t move and the silence stretched between us. His expression didn’t change, but I felt the shift in the air when he finally said, “Did you sleep well?”
I blinked, as if I hadn’t expected him to speak. My throat was dry, and it took a moment to find my voice.
“Yes,” I replied.
It was a lie. Of cour
