The night air clung to Bella like a second skin, sticky with anxiety and fear. The streets were quiet, almost eerily so, as she and Ethan walked briskly toward the safety of their secluded apartment. Every shadow seemed to twist into some lurking threat, every distant sound a signal that someone was watching. Her stomach churned, and she hugged her coat tighter around her, trying to convince herself that Damien had truly secured her from the world.
But deep down, Bella knew she wasn’t safe—not really. Adrian Kane’s name echoed in her mind, the smirk, the whisper, the chilling promise that she would be his if Damien didn’t come. And what if Damien didn’t come in time? The thought alone made her knees weaken.
Ethan walked a step ahead, tense, muscles coiled like a panther. “Don’t worry, Be
