Dn didn''t acknowledge him, his attention locked on ra''s face.


    Charles felt like as long as he got his big brother''s approval, everything else would fall into ce. So, he slipped out of the room, headed down the hallway, and called Griffin.


    "Hey, big bro, I want to stay in Palm Bay for a while. I''m not nning toe over to your ce anytime soon."


    Griffin was still at the banquet. Even though he''d already decided to team up with the Fergusons and the Warrens, other families kept trying to win him over, so he still had to y the social game. And Norman hadn''t even shown up yet-pletely unreliable.


    Now Charles was calling with this, and Griffin had to take a deep breath. One after another, they all managed to keep him on edge.


    "Big bro, Dn''s already said yes. Honestly, the guy''s so into my sister it''s almost funny. As long as she lets me stick around as her brother, I could probably turn Palm Bay upside down and Dn wouldn''t care."


    Griffin paused. His little brother might be a bit clueless, but he always knew when someone meant well or not. Maybe it was just his innocence he could always sense what was real.


    If he was saying this, then Dn must have dropped all his guard around him.


    Maybe it was time to seriously rethink that whole engagement with the North American Fergusons.


    "Mitch."


    "Huh? Something else, big bro? I''m kind of sleepy."


    "Be good to your sister. I might need her help one day."


    That line made Charles ufortable for a second, but the feeling disappeared almost instantly.


    "Alright."


    He hung up, nning to head back to the master bedroom, but barely made it to the door before a man in ck blocked his path.


    Charles stepped back, eyeing the guy up and down.


    This guy was bizarre-not a patch of skin showing, not even his fingers.


    Charles reached out, aiming to tug off the man''s mask, but the guy dodged and brushed his hand away, quick and smooth.


    Charles''s eyes lit up. "You know, you''re all pretty interesting. You''re not scared of me, and you still y along. All nice people-though, honestly, nobody beats my sister."


    The man in ck: "..."


    Who was ying with him?


    Inside the master bedroom.


    Dn sat at the edge of the bed, unmoving, eyes never leaving ra. He didn''t know when she might wake up.


    The doctor had left a while ago, pausing at the door just to say, "Sir, you need to take care of yourself, too. Those people are watching your leg now-I don''t think you''ll be able to hide it much longer."


    "Mm."


    Dn barely seemed to register it.


    Now it was just him and ra. A few hours ago, he''d been sure he''d never see her again in this life.


    ra was always like this-just


    when he was ready to give up, she''d give him hope. And just when he let himself hope, she''d cut him down again.  ?wnovel


    Hope and heartbreak, over and over. Somehow, he was still here.


    He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, then got up to shower.


    When he came back, he stood at her bedside, just watching.


    She still had her eyes closed,shes trembling—she didn''t look like she was sleeping well.


    Dn gently lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom.


    The tub was already full, warm steam drifting in the air and fogging up the mirrors.


    As soon as she touched the water,


    she


    ét


    wly opened her eyes, turning


    to nce at him, eyes


    at him, eyes half-shut like


    she was lost in thought.


    Dn froze up, his whole body tense.


    But a secondter, she just rxed against him again, drifting right back to sleep


    in his arms.


    His muscles finally loosened, but even in those few seconds, a cold sweat had broken out down his back.


    He couldn''t help but hold her even tighter, like he was afraid this might be thest time he ever got to.