is arm around her shoulders, the warmth of his presence both a comfort and a reminder of the tension in the air. It

nee. Lulu glanced up at him several times, trying to read his expression, but he seemed distant, his focus scattered. He had always been a little eni

coldness she could feel between them. For the first time, she realized she had never really asked about his past about who he was before he became the billionai

ed, her voice softer than she intended. The word

nd then quickly shifted away. The brief contact sent

ch the tension in his voice. "But there's no need to dwell on things t

she was standing on the edge of a cliff, peering down into an abyss. She wanted to press him further, t

t?" she asked, her voic

ing through his eyes. For a moment, Lulu thought he might snap at

You're all that m

ent a shiver down her spine. There was a coldness in his

ed to claw at her. She glanced at the clock nearly midnight. She hadn't realized how m

" he said, his voice clipped

t, her mind racing. Something had changed. She could feel it in the air, in the subtle shifts in his behavior. It wasn't just a pa

e door startled her. She frowned, looking toward the entrance. It was late too late for an

kening. As she approached the door, the hairs on the bac

ole, but the hallway was emp

andom person knocking on the wrong door. But just as she was about to turn a

embling as she unfolded it. The note was sho

have no idea what

g through her veins. Her mind raced. Who would leave such a cryptic not

room door opening. The heavy footsteps of Mafred's shoes echoed down the hallway

tone casual but his eyes flicke

he weight of the words in her hands, a warning she couldn't ignore. But sh

e confusion and fear that had risen i

eper in her stomach. Whatever this was, it wasn't just a

ew it had everythin

was just the beginning of something far darker and she was standing right in the middle of it. With Mafred still hiding something, t