The night pressed down on Mila like a weight she couldn’t escape. The moment she stepped inside her apartment, silence clawed at her. It wasn’t soothing silence—it was the kind that made the walls close in, mocking her for daring to hope that maybe things could be different. She closed the door slowly and rested her forehead against the wood. Her palms were clammy, trembling against the surface.

Liam’s voice still lingered in her chest: Because I see you.

The words should have been a ...