Kathrine had no idea how long she had been asleep when she slowly beca aware of warmth—of being caged within a strong, protective pair of arms. The steady rise and fall of a chest against her back, the solid presence behind her, made her stir.
Her lashes fluttered open.
For a mont, she was disoriented. Then she turned slightly, and her gaze landed on the face beside her.
Ethan.
The sight of him instantly pulled the mories of last night back into her mind—every whispered word, every unguarded touch, every fragile truth she had allowed herself to reveal. Yet unlike the storm of emotions she had felt then, there was a strange calm settling over her now.
She felt... safe.
Too safe.
Her eyes softened as she studied him. Even in sleep, Ethan looked composed—his brows relaxed, lips slightly parted, one arm instinctively tightened around her waist as if he sensed her stirring. It made her chest ache.
"Ethan... wake up," she whispered gently, though her heart rebelled against the words. "You need to leave."
She feared soone might walk in on them. Feared the consequences. Feared how quickly this fragile bubble could burst.
He didn’t stir.
Instead, he humd softly, his voice thick with sleep. "Hmm... five more minutes, babe."
He shifted closer, burying his face into the crook of her neck, his breath warm against her skin.
A smile curved on Kathrine’s lips despite herself.
Her fingers lifted of their own accord, threading through his hair, caressing him slowly. The intimacy of the mont made her chest tighten. She stayed still after that, letting herself soak in the comfort she hadn’t realized she’d been craving for so long.
She didn’t rush him again.
For a while, the world didn’t exist beyond the two of them.
It was Ethan who eventually broke the silence.
"When are you planning to visit Dr. Jason’s clinic?"
His voice was quieter now, more awake, as he pulled back slightly to look at her.
Kathrine froze.
Her hand stilled in his hair, her breath hitching ever so slightly.
She had brushed off his words last night—his promise that they would handle things together. She had convinced herself it was just sothing people said in the heat of emotions. But now that he brought it up again, so calmly, so naturally, she realized she wasn’t ready.
Not ready for him to see her like that.
Ethan noticed the hesitation instantly. His brows furrowed as he shifted to face her properly.
"You don’t want to co?" he asked softly.
Kathrine looked away, pushing herself upright, drawing the sheet around her like armor.
Ethan followed, sitting in front of her, his knees brushing hers.
"Kathrine," he said gently, lifting her chin until she had no choice but to et his eyes. "Look at ."
She did.
"What’s wrong?" he asked. "You don’t want there?"
It wasn’t that Ethan hadn’t seen her vulnerable. He had—more tis than she could count. But this was different. Letting him witness Jason’s treatnt, letting him see parts of her past she herself barely understood... she was afraid it would be too much.
Afraid he wouldn’t look at her the sa way again.
"What if I’m not what you expect to be?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What if seeing my true self changes your mind?"
Her fears weren’t unfounded.
Ester’s words echoed relentlessly in her head. One careless statent. One accusation spoken in fear. And an entire family had been destroyed.
The man nad Gorge—the man she blad for her kidnapping—had died only days after his arrest. His wife had taken her own life shortly after.
No one knew what happened to their son. Or his sister.
Kathrine swallowed hard.
Would they ever forgive her? Even if she begged?
Would forgiveness even matter now?
Ethan listened quietly, his expression unreadable but his eyes impossibly gentle.
"Kathrine," he said slowly, "nothing you could show would make walk away."
She shook her head, tears burning her eyes. "You say that now. But what if—"
"What if you’re broken?" he finished for her, his thumb brushing her cheek. "Then I’ll stay anyway."
Her breath hitched.
Before she could respond, she suddenly blurted, "Ethan... can you do a favor?"
He blinked, surprised by the sudden shift. "Of course."
"Can you look for Gorge’s family?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "They have to be sowhere. I need to know."
Ethan’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.
"I checked the records," she continued, her words rushing out. "Everything I found matched what Ester told . She wasn’t lying. And now... now that things are leading where they are, I need answers. I need to know if they’re alive."
Her voice cracked.
"Please," she whispered. "Tell you’ll help . I can only trust you right now. I can’t tell Anna—not yet."
Tears spilled freely now, slipping down her cheeks.
Seeing her like that constricted Ethan’s heart painfully.
Without a word, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, grounding her against him.
"Okay," he said firmly, his voice steady despite the storm inside him. "I’ll do as you say."
Kathrine broke.
She clutched him desperately, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you," she sobbed. "Thank you so much."
Ethan rested his chin against her head, his arms tightening around her.
She stayed like that for a long ti, her breathing slowly evening out as his presence soothed her racing thoughts.
When she finally pulled back, her eyes were red but calr.
Ethan brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "About the clinic," he said gently. "I won’t push you. If you’re not ready, I’ll wait."
She searched his face, as if looking for doubt.
She found none.
"Just... don’t leave," she whispered.
He smiled softly. "I’m not going anywhere."
Their foreheads touched, breaths mingling.
Kathrine allowed herself to believe that maybe—just maybe—she didn’t have to face the darkness alone.
And as Ethan held her, the morning light slowly filling the room, neither of them noticed how the quiet peace they shared was already being threatened by secrets yet to surface.
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