The lodge settled into a gentle quiet after their arrival, a quiet shaped by presence rather than emptiness. Violet felt the atmosphere press softly around her as the afternoon light filtered in through the tall windows. The room had weight, not from clutter but from intention. It grounded her in a way she hadn’t realized she needed until she sat there and allowed the stillness to reach her breath.

Bryan remained beside her on the sofa, his posture calm yet charged at the edges. It wasn’t intensity that threatened to overwhelm. It was the kind that waited, measured and steady. His closeness sent a warmth over her skin even though...