Naomi’s Pov

I stopped waiting for permission the morning I realized they were counting on me to stay quiet.

It wasn’t something anyone said out loud. It lived in the pauses, the careful wording, the way people spoke around me instead of to me. They were managing me now. Not openly. Not aggressively. Just enough to remind me that access was conditional and patience was expected.

Cassian noticed before I said anything. He always did.

“You’re planning something,” he said as we stood in the kitchen, the early light cutting across the counter.

“I’m deciding something,” I replied.

He leaned back against the island, arms folded loosely, watching me without...