Nico froze, leaning back so fast his chair scraped loudly against the tiled floor. The easy warmth vanished from his face in an instant, replaced by wide‑eyed alarm.“Wait… Ava, stop. Look at me properly.” He leaned forward again, voice low and urgent, each word coming out clear and tight. “Are you absolutely certain about what you heard? Think hard, could it have been something else? Someone moving furniture? The wind? Anything?”Ava sat perfectly still, back straight. She watched the panic rise in him and didn’t soften it. Her fingers rested flat against the linen cloth, pressing down just enough to feel the texture. She nodded once, slow and sure.“I’m sure. I stayed awake for hours after. I heard the footsteps go past my door. I heard the door to your room unlock. I heard everything that happened inside. That’s why I couldn’t sleep, I was sitting there, listening, wondering how you could be doing all that while I was just down the hall.”Nico let out a long, shaky breath and ran b
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