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Silence fills the room.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Dangerous all over again.
My heart starts to beat faster—
But not from fear.
From something else.
Something colder.
“So this isn’t over,” I say.
Ace’s jaw tightens.
“No.”
I nod slowly.
Processing.
Adjusting.
Because I’ve done this before.
I’ve lived in the space where danger doesn’t just disappear.
Where it waits.
Builds.
Comes back stronger.
I look at Ace.
“Then we don’t wait for it,” I say.
His eyes lock onto mine.
Sharp.
Focused.
“And we don’t run.”
A beat.
Then—
Something shifts in him.
Not resistance.
Not this time.
