Gideon’s POV

She got in.

That single action—quiet, simple—struck me harder than a battlefield blow. Evelyn, walking away from everything she knew… for me.

I closed the door and circled to the driver’s side, sliding behind the wheel. She sat beside me, her hands folded in her lap, trying to act calm. But I could feel it. The tremor In her heartbeat. The way her shoulders were drawn tight.

“I expected you to change your mind at ...