~ Lucian’s POV

Her head rested against my shoulder, her steady breathing soft and rhythmic. The stillness of the moment was like a fragile glass, one wrong move threatening to shatter it into countless, irreparable pieces. But even with her so close, I couldn’t banish the gnawing guilt that clawed at me from within.

I tilted my head down, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her hair, inhaling the faint floral scent that seemed to cling to her like a second skin. She shifted slightly, and ...