ALESSIO’S POV
The city looks different after you nearly lose something you did not know how deeply you needed.
I watched Seraphina sleep from the chair by the window, the early light barely touching her face. She had fallen asleep fast, exhaustion claiming her the moment safety settled into her bones. One hand rested on the pillow, fingers relaxed, unaware of how close they had come to being forced somewhere else.
That thought tightened something in my chest.
I do not believe in luck. I believe in preparation, leverage, consequence. What happened last night was not chance. It was a message.
And messages must be answered.
Quietly I stood, jacket already in my hands, movements controlled. I did not wake her. She deserved peace, at least for a few hours. I paused only once, brushing my
