bChapter /bb204 /b

    Something felt off to Jordan today. There was a gnawing unease he couldn’t shake. His instincts screamed that something was wrong, though he couldn’t pinpoint what. He tried calling Ste, needing the reassurance of her voice, but she didn’t answer.

    That same dread from before crept back in, tightening his chest. He quickly dialed N instead.

    “Mr. Erwin,” N answered, “are you looking for Ms. Hayes? She just stepped out, but–oh, wait, she’s back. I’ll hand her the phone.”

    The moment Ste’s voice came through, Jordan exhaled in relief.

    Later that evening, at home, Ste studied him with a curious frown. “You seem… off today. Everything okay?i” /i

    “You noticed?”

    She nodded.

    “I don’t know what it is,” he admitted, rubbing his temple. “This weird feeling like something’s about to happen. Even now, with you right here, I can’t shake it.”

    “You’re overthinking things,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Nothing’s going on.”

    Logically, he knew she was right. But his gut refused to settle. ‘Stop this,’ he told himself. ‘Worrying won’t change anything, except maybe make things worse.‘

    Forcing himself to rx, he joined Ste for dinner.

    Ste’s period hade for just two days, but it was progress. After everything her body had endured, even small signs of recovery mattered. Survival had once been her only goal; now, she dared to hope for more.

    Evenings like these helped. With Jordan beside her on the couch, she absorbed snippets of the world she’d missed over the past three years. News, trends, anything to rebuild her footing.

    They watched mindlessly, her head resting against his shoulder, his arm draped around her. Contentment hummed through her.

    Sometimes, she’d nce around their home, soaking in the quiet certainty. ‘This is mine. This is safe.‘ She imagined it years from now. Children’sughter rang through these rooms, two or three little shadows dashing about.

    Unlike Fiona and Andrew, she’d never y favorites. No child of hers would know the sting of conditional love.

    The thought lingered as warmth lulled her under. She didn’t even realize she’d fallen asleep in Jordan’s arms.

    When Mary stepped into the living room, she frowned at the sight of Ste curled up on the couch. The nights were chilly, and she worried the girl would catch a cold.

    Tiptoeing closer, she whispered to Jordan, “Should I move her to her room?”

    Jordan shook his head slightly. “She might wake up if we try.”

    “Then let me at least get a nket. Though, Mr. Erwin, you’ll be—b” /b

    “Don’t worry about me,” he murmured, his gaze softening as he looked at Ste. “Let her sleep here.”

    Mary nodded, warmth flickering in her chest. Ste was so deeply asleep that she didn’t even stir when bMary /bdraped the nket river h With a quiet sigh, Mary retreated, leaving the two alone.

    The living room fell silent. Jordan had long since turned off the TV, unwilling to disturb Ste’s rest.

    His eyes lingered on her face, his fingers twitching as if yearning to brush a stray lock of hair from her forehead. But he held bback/bb, /bbnot /bdaring to risk waking her.

    Hours slipped by unnoticed until his phone buzzed violently in his pocket. He snatched it up, silencing the vibration instantly. A quick nce confirmed Ste was still asleep. Swallowing hard, he checked the screen.

    [Jordan, are you ever going to tell her what you did? Do you really think she’ll stay this happy once she finds outb?/bb) /b

    A cold prickle crawled up his neck. His head snapped up, scanning the shadows. ‘Who the hell-?‘ But the room was empty.

    Another buzz. [Stop looking. You won’t see me. But I see you.]

    His thumb hovered over the keyboard. [Who is this?] But sending a reply felt like stepping into a trap. He deleted the draft, jaw tightening

    Then his gaze dropped to Ste, peaceful in sleep, and his expression darkened. ‘Would she… ever forgive me?‘

    Ste woke with a start at past 1 a.m., disoriented. The unfamiliar ceiling sent a jolt of panic through her until she recognized the living room. ‘Right. I dozed off during the movie.‘

    Her dder protested, and she carefully sat up, only to freeze when she spotted Jordan sprawled on the opposite couch, his jacket crumpled under his head. Memory flooded back.

    “Jordan,” she whispered, nudging his shoulder. “Go to bed. You’ll freeze out here.”

    He groaned awake, blinking at her. “Why’re you up?”

    Woom after. You should, too.”

    “Bathroom run,” she admitted, standing. “I’ll head back to my

    Jordan rubbed his face. “Yeah. Good night, Ste.”

    “Night,” she echoed.

    The next morning, Ste woke up early. Since she still had time before breakfast and the doctor hadn’t arrived yet, she decided to continue her investigation into Anna’s mysterious backer.

    She booted up herptop in her room, picking up where she’d left off.

    But before she could make progress, another email appeared in her inboxb: /bb[/bAre you sure you want to know who’s behind Anna? Do you really have the stomach for it?]

    The message sent a chill down her spine. Whoever this was, they knew exactly what she was doing. She couldn’t resist replying: (Who are you? How do you know about this? What do you want?]

    No response came. Ste tried tracing the sender, but the trail went cold almost immediately.

    Just then, a knock at the door startled her. She quickly shut herptop and answered.

    A

    Jordan stood outside, his brow slightly furrowed. “You didn’t answer. I thought you were still asleepb. /b

    “I was just-” she began, but before she could finish, the traditional medicine doctor arrived, looking flustered

    “My apologies,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Traffic was a nightmare today. I’mter than usual.”

    Ste checked the time. He wasn’t wrong. “It’s fine. I’m not in a rush to get to the office today. I appreciate youing at allb, /bhonestly

    The doctor waved her off with his usual cheerful demeanor. “It’s my job. Mr. Erwin pays me well, Rain or shine, I’ll be here.”

    Ste had always admired his unshakable optimism. During her acupuncture sessions, he often shared insights that left her seeing things in a new light. She’d heard that practitioners of traditional medicine were extraordinaryb, /band now she understood why.

    After the session, she got ready for work. But Jordan’s unease had only grown.

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