ter

Eva haunted her like a shadow she couldn't shake. But tonight, she told herself, sh

nd despite every warning bell ringing in her mi

Soft golden lights hung from above, casting warm glows over the luxurious deck. James wa

a light embrace that felt more like a

her chest growing sharper. "I th

a small dining area where a bottle

your favorite," she said, setting the bottle down gently. H

d. She knew Eva's gam

ine carefully, fil

his eyes on Serah. The

ed, her voice steady d

d Serah had always enjoyed on rare occasions. She

e the fi

the edges. Her hand trembled, the g

tened, concerned-or was it

hard. "I...

ng her arm lightly. "Ma

erah. She wanted to pull away but her

es suggested, guiding her

ame a whirlpool,

ed, but her voice

was thin, shar

the last thing she noticed before darkness swal

-

ell of burnt rubber. Panic surged as she realized she was

lse a hammer. She tried to

. The di

s an

ison. A stag

t she swallowed them. She

oached, cautio

thing

ogether with fire. Her mouth was dry. Her limbs didn't belong to he

e wa

gh the floor beneath her.

rees, or maybe shadows of trees, flashing past. It was dark. Cold.

slightly as th

ftertaste she'd brushed off too quickly. The dizzying spin

ushed toward her face. The shar

hen-n

eak, but her ton

ing above her, loose th

one was

- deep

e... it didn't sound like James. Or Eva. It

unded

a

her- strong jawline, broad shoulders, focused eyes lit by the dashboard glo

, but the name caught in h

nothing more

e hea

ked to the re

aid, not surprised,

ing me? But her body drifted again, back into tha

opened her eyes, e

hts glowing like evening sun through curtains. H

't alone

him - somewhe

up, and a quiet v

do that if

art sk

head slowly tow

lly against the doorframe. He wore a black shirt and dark jeans. Not fan

. They were what

like they saw past eve

here am I?"

ied simply. "You w

hard. "You-p

ky. Someone wasn't plann

chest ti

k

ast he s

you?" she

an G

her mind. She kne

gs. Known for staying out of the public eye,

ot to sound ungrateful - but part of her h

didn't

said. "And because something

ting for him to say

do you know

eside the bed and sat down,

nddaughter of Clara Winston. Recently made the sole

blood tu

your resear

y I find a woman half-dead on the roadsi

ed through her, not from her w

k things out, to clear the air. We shared wine. Then everything blurred. I cou

ated how small her voice so

't change - but somethi

d. "And they thought no one

ritance. If I don't get married b

y. "And James... was the

ay. Her silen

y staged your death for money

tled in the

him. "Why do I feel like you'r

t slightly. "Becau

head. "Then w

I fix what others break. And if someone tried to kill you, Serah

eath c

r fantasy. This man wa

ing to let her b

e door, pausing ju

need your strength. Because tom

n he wa

, crackling in the air like