The soup was hot, a fragrant, comforting presence in the quiet morning. Amara carried the bowl carefully down the long, silent hall, her movements slow and deliberate. Steam curled from the rim, a ghost of warmth in the cool, air-conditioned air, and the scent of thyme and chicken filled the space. Her steps were cautious—not just to avoid spilling, but to steady herself against the emotional tremors that still rattled her from the night before.She hadn’t slept. Not a single minute. She had spent the night as a sentinel, guarding a door, guarding a man, guarding a secret she didn't fully understand. She had yelled at him, a fierce, raw outpouring of fear and frustration. She had broken down in her mother's arms, a torrent of tears that had been held back for years. And now? Now she was walking toward his room, a simple bowl of soup in her hands, to feed the man who had almost died—and who still, infuriatingly, made her heart race every time he looked at her.She reached his room. The
Last Updated : 2025-09-01 Read more