جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

The sun had climbed higher by the time Kaelani finally left the house. The air was warm, the streets busy, the kind of ordinary noise that should’ve drowned out the thoughts still buzzing in her head. But Julian’s voice lingered—that low, careful tone from the morning call replaying like an itch she

Julian stood a few paces behind her, hands in his pockets, dressed in dark jeans and a charcoal shirt that clung to him just enough to betray the strength beneath. He looked almost casual—almost. There was always too much contained behind his stillness, like a storm in waiting. Her brow arched. “Ar

The next morning came too soon. The bakery was quiet—only the low hum of the ovens and the faint scent of sugar and yeast filling the air. Kaelani stood behind the counter, slipping a fresh tray of pastries into the heat, the soft glow from the oven brushing her skin. She’d been there since before

Julian woke with a sharp inhale, every muscle taut as his eyes adjusted to the dim light spilling through the blinds of his office. For a fleeting, fractured second, he could still feel her—the warmth of her body pressed against his, the scent of her hair, the fading echo of a song that didn’t belon

The door slammed hard enough to shake the walls. Julian’s head lifted slowly. Elara stood at the doorway, chest rising and falling, fury simmering just beneath her skin. The air in the room shifted—heavy with her scent: anger, fear, and the faint edge of desperation. “Who is she, Julian?” She dema