Christian POV
The second I stepped into the penthouse, something was different. Not wrong, just... off.
The silence wasn’t as sharp. There was a faint hum. Something warm.
I already knew Nana was sick. She’d sent a message earlier, apologizing for not being able to prepare dinner. Said the girl would handle it.
I hadn’t thought twice about it.
Not until the scent hit me the moment I walked in.
Something rich. Spiced. It reminded me of childhood — a memory I didn’t ask for and didn’t welcome. My jaw ticked.
I moved through the marble hallway, the echo of my shoes the only sound until I rounded the corner—
And stopped dead.
There she was.
Bent slightly at the waist, arm stretched to reach something high on the shelf. Her small frame balanced on the tips of her toes, one hand flat a
