章 274: Let’s forget everything for tonight

The night settled around us like a velvet blanket, quiet and still. Carmen's arms were wrapped tightly around me as we lay on the bed, the weight of everything we'd been through easing for just a moment.

The safe house, though simple and sparse, felt like a sanctuary with her beside me.

Her fingers trailed slowly through my hair, and I nestled deeper into her chest, listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. It was a sound I could lose myself in, a rhythm that steadied my soul, even when everything else felt chaotic.

Carmen shifted slightly, her breath warm against my forehead as she pressed a kiss there. Her lips lingered for a second longer than usual, as if she were silently reassuring me, telling me without words that everything would be okay.

I tilted my head up to meet her gaze, my eyes tracing the familiar lines of her face, the strong set of her jaw, and the slight furrow of her brow that never fully disappeared, even in moments like this.