Adrian didn’t mean to go back that far.
It wasn’t the kind of memory he reached for—not anymore. But something about the morning, the precision of it, the way Olivia moved like every second had to be controlled, pulled at something buried deeper than he liked to admit.
He had seen her like this before.
Not here. Not now, but close enough to feel the same.
Olivia’s hand shot up the instant the alarm began its urgent drone. The insistent buzz tore through the pre-dawn hush like a splintered chord, and she slapped the button before the second note could sound. Her heart hammered in her chest as she lay still for a moment, tracing the soft contour of the white ceiling with wide eyes. In that pause, the day’s weight settled around her—but somehow, rather than crushing her, it felt solid, fa
