The rain fell in a slow, steady rhythm, a gentle percussion on the nipa roof that filled the silence in the cabin. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and the soft, golden glow of the lantern. Julian’s hand, warm and solid, rested against Leona’s cheek, a simple touch that had somehow ignited a powerful current between them. The hostility, the mistrust, the sharp words—all of it felt a world away. All that existed was the space between them, a space filled with a new, unspoken language of vulnerability.Leona leaned into his palm, her own hands rising to his chest. His heart beat a steady, strong rhythm beneath her fingers. She had spent a lifetime building walls to protect herself and this place, but tonight, under the gentle drumming of the rain, they were crumbling, one by one. The man she had seen as an enemy, a symbol of everything she hated, was now just Julian, a man with a heavy burden and a gentle touch, and she had never felt more seen.Julian leaned down, his eyes
Last Updated : 2025-09-05 Read more