ra grabbed herpanion''s hand once more, guiding her through the estate''s now-darkened paths. Earlier, the ce was alive with lights, but now shadows had taken over. Thankfully, the way out was still fresh in her mind.


    As they neared the estate''s entrance, a thought nagged at ra. Why hadn''t the enigmatic owner shown up? But there was no time to dwell on it; she had to get Z to the car.


    The path was dim, with only a distant porch light swaying gently in the night breeze. ra ced the bouquet of roses in the back seat, stepping back to close the door, nearly stumbling as she did.


    Nearby, a fresh tire track in the snow hinted at recent visitors. She steadied herself and opened the driver''s door. Z sat silently in the passenger seat, his head bowed, deep in thought.


    ra drove him back to his cozy townhouse. The soft glow from amp by the sofa was enough to reveal just his hand. She quietly tended to his wounds, blowing gently on his palm.


    "I can''t stay tonight. You need to get some rest, okay?" she said softly.


    "Okay,” he replied, his voice gentle, making ra''s heart ache with guilt. She still had to deliver the roses to Dn and couldn''t break her promise again.


    Taking a deep breath, she leaned in, cradling his face as she kissed him deeply. His lips, cool at first, warmed quickly against hers. His hand found her waist, pulling her closer, his breathing changing.


    If she didn''t leave now, she might never go. She pulled back, giving him a few more quick kisses. "I''ll bring you some treats tomorrow, and we can have dinner together on New Year''s Eve, alright?"


    "Alright," he said again, a soft smile touching his lips.


    ra smiled back, stood up, and headed out. In her car, she nced back at the dark townhouse, unease settling in her chest. It was already past one in the morning, and she had a long drive to Palm Bay ahead.


    By the time she reached Palm Bay, exhaustion had fully set in. The security guard at the gate seemed surprised to see her. "Ms. ra, you''re here thiste?"


    ra had thought she''d wait until morning to catch Dn, but was surprised the guard knew her. "I''m delivering flowers to Mr. Dn. Got caught up with something."


    "You can head in. The boss has been waiting for you all night."


    Dn was waiting? Did he really care about these roses that much? She hopped onto the estate''s golf cart, clutching the roses as they drove inside.


    Halfway through, the cart jolted to a stop as someone stumbled into its path. ra steadied herself, heart racing. The driver was rmed. "What''s she doing out here?"


    ra got off to check on the figure. Before she could react, a woman lunged at her, gripping her hands tightly. "ra!"


    The woman knew her name. ra was startled, trying to see through the tangled mess of hair obscuring the woman''s face.


    "It''s me! Don''t you remember?" the woman said, her voice frantic, clutching ra''s wrists with desperation.


    "ra, you''re alive! He lied to me! He lied!!" The woman''s grip was firm, but ra felt no threat. Her heart pounded as if she had just stumbled onto a hidden secret or a web of lies.


    "Who... who are you?" ra asked, eyes widening.


    The woman leaned in closer, desperation in her voice. "ra, the child... do you remember? You..."