Chapter 17: Protective Instincts
(Daniel's POV)
I watched Freya from across the restaurant table. Her face was calm, but her eyes told a different story. The strain, the quiet exhaustion—they were glaringly obvious to me. Even now, her natural beauty couldn’t be hidden by the minimal makeup. I couldn’t help but notice how the sunlight from the window highlighted the softness of her features.
But beneath that elegance, there was something else—pain she was trying to hide. She always did that. Always kept it inside.
“You’ve barely touched your food,” I finally said, breaking the silence. I gestured lightly to her plate. “You should eat, Freya. You need your strength.”
She gave me a small smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m not very hungry,” she said softly. Her voice was tire
