Anna’s breath came in shallow, uneven gulps as she stared at the man seated beside her.
The hospital lobby around her faded into a distant blur—nurses passing by, the faint hum of conversations, the sterile scent of antiseptic—it all disappeared under the weight of his presence.
The same man who had led her to Jaden. The same man who had orchestrated everything.
He sat there, too relaxed, too at ease, as if he belonged in this moment, as if he had been waiting for her.
That smirk—that wicked, knowing smirk—sent a wave of unease crawling down her spine.
“Are you surprised to see me, Anna?” His voice was smooth, laced with amusement, but beneath it, there was something sharper, something dangerous.
Anna swallowed, forcing her expression into something unreadable. She wouldn’t let him s
