Chapter 86

AVA

It had been days since we returned from that cursed vacation. The villa was supposed to be a retreat, a place to unwind and reconnect, but it had nearly been our end. I could still feel the icy water swallowing me, the terror of sinking deeper, my lungs screaming for air. Every night, I jolted awake, heart pounding, the drowning feeling pulling me back into that nightmare. And every night, Liam was there—his arms strong around me, his voice a soothing lull, whispering, “I’ve got you. You’re safe. We’re safe.”

I didn’t want to think about it anymore—about how Uncle John’s twisted plan had almost killed us. We were back, alive, and I needed to focus on that.

"Liam?" I called, standing by the window, watching the sun rise slowly over the city skyline. The golden light felt like a promise of something better, something more. "What do you think about going out today? Just… us."

He looked up from the bed where he had been buried in. His brow furrowed for a second, then softened