POV: Siena Voss

It started just before dawn, when the sky outside still wore its pale gray robe and the city had not yet begun to stir. The streets were silent. The world felt soft, like it was holding its breath. Only the low hum of the refrigerator and the faint ticking of the wall clock dared to interrupt the silence of the morning.

Inside our bedroom, everything was still. Lucian lay beside me, his body warm and steady, his arm draped protectively across my belly. His breathing was deep and slow.

Roman was asleep in his room down the hall, tucked under his dinosaur blanket, probably dreaming about rockets...