Serena’s eyes followed him as he stepped inside, every movement deliberate, careful. Even soaked from rain and exhaustion, he seemed impossibly strong.

But her gaze caught the details others might miss—the faint scars on his jaw, the slight wince in his injured arm, the way his shoulders carried months of weight.

“Roman,” she whispered, heart fluttering.

He turned toward her, eyes softening the moment they met hers. “I’m here,” he said gently, voice low but steady. “We’re safe.”

Serena’s chest tightened. Relief, fear, joy—they all collided inside her. She took a careful step forward, noticing his hands, calloused and scarred from battles she hadn’t seen, his fingers trembling faintly. She...