The cold wind bit at my skin as I stared at Robert, standing in front of the building with that same smirk, that same cold, calculating look that had always unsettled me.
I didn’t know how long we stood there, but the moment felt like it was stretching into eternity, the weight of everything pressing in on me. Behind him, the building loomed, indifferent, a reminder that this was more than just a confrontation—it was a battle. A battle that would shape everything we had fought for.
I could feel Alexander beside me, his presence solid and unwavering, the calm in the storm. I needed to remind myself that we weren’t alone in this fight. Together, we could face anything. We always had.
But Robert’s presence, his very existence, was a reminder of how far we had come and how easily it could all slip away. The world we’d built, the partnership we had nurtured—it could all be shattered by one move, one misstep.
“Leila,” Robert finally spoke, his voice smooth, almost mocking. “I didn’t expect
