"Where are you going, Dev?" Vania’s voice was barely a whisper, breaking the silence of the empty apartment.

She stood behind the wall, peeking at Devandra as he slipped his phone into the pocket of his dark coat. His face was serious—like a man hiding something.

"I’m going out for a bit," Devandra said flatly, without even glancing her way.

Vania tried to smile, forcing her pounding heart to calm. "At this hour?"

"Just work matters," he replied shortly, striding toward the door.

The apartment door closed slowly behind him, leaving a stabbing quiet in its wake.

Vania shut her eyes for a moment. Her instincts screamed this wasn’t just...