The rest of the week went by in a blur of half-packed suitcases, hushed phone calls with Paige, and a restless energy that I couldn’t quite shake. Even in the quiet sanctuary of the gate house, the upcoming trip to Georgia felt like a looming mountain I wasn't sure I was ready to climb.
By the time Friday morning rolled around, my stomach was a tangled mess of knots. As we sat in the back of the darkened SUV, the familiar skyline of the city began to give way to the industrial outskirts leading toward the private airfield. I had tried to talk Liam out of the security detail several times over the last forty-eight hours—I wanted to just be normal for once—but he hadn't budged.
"We aren't taking any chances, Sarah," he had told me firmly. "Jason is in a hospital bed, but the Vanderbilt rea
