Chapter 9

Midnight came, and I was about to retire after working all day in the kitchen when my phone lit up on the nightstand. A number I didn’t know flashed across the screen.

My stomach twisted, and I hesitated, staring at the glow. My instincts screamed danger. Yet my hand reached out anyway, trembling. Just as I touched the phone, the door creaked open. I gasped and shoved the phone under the blanket. Leo stood at the threshold, tall but leaning slightly, as if even standing cost him strength. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and in the dim light, his face looked ghostly pale.

“Why are you still awake?” His voice was low, softer than usual.

I swallowed hard. “I… couldn’t sleep.” His eyes lingered on me for a long moment. Then he stepped inside, each movement slower than the last. For a second, I thought he might collapse.

I almost ran to him, but I froze. When he finally sat on the chair by the window, he closed his eyes, his breathing uneven.

Something was wrong. I knew it. B