The sun had fully risen over the estate, but inside the suite, Carson and Reese lingered in a fragile cocoon of warmth, touch, and whispered confessions. Though they had survived Vault Zero, destroyed the chains of the past, and ignited a desire that refused to be ignored, the echoes of what had come before lingered—subtle, insistent, impossible to ignore.

Reese pressed her cheek against Carson’s chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “Do you ever think that maybe the shadows ...