Chapter 10 - SHARING THE COLD REALITY
As they sat by the small campfire eating the roasted fish, the walls Elena had built around her heart began to crumble under the weight of their isolation. She apologized—softly, grudgingly—for hating him all this time without knowing the full story. Luca looked across the flickering flames, the harsh lines of his face softening in the amber light. He told her that in his world, enemies were expected, but he had never wanted her fear; he had only ever demanded her competence. For the first time in three years, they laughed together—a quiet, hesitant sound that startled the jungle birds overhead.
