Chapter 36

(Author's POV).

Mike suddenly stood up from the small café table, his gaze narrowing as it locked onto a figure across the street. His body tensed, and Emily, sensing the shift in his demeanor, immediately grabbed his hand.

"Mike," she said softly, her thumb rubbing the back of his hand in an attempt to soothe him. "What's wrong?"

Mike didn’t respond right away, his eyes still fixated on the person watching him from a distance.

He had that familiar look, the one he got when something wasn’t right. Emily’s heart raced. She knew that Mike had noticed someone—someone who shouldn’t have been there.

"Someone is watching us, I need to go after him," Mike said suddenly, his voice low, as if the mere thought of someone spying on them filled him with unease.

Emily tightened her grip on his hand, pulling him back before he could take a step.

"Wait, Mike," she urged. "It’s not a big deal. Let them watch. We don’t need to make this into something bigger than it is."

Mike turned his gaze to her