He had been the one to push me toward the surgery. The one who refused to let me hide in the safety of darkness when I had almost given up on the idea of ever seeing again.
I turned my head slightly, just enough to glance at him again—more carefully this time.
A faint, rare smile tugged at the corner of Rafael’s mouth.
It was so brief I almost convinced myself I had imagined it.
Just a slight shift at the corner of his lips—gone before it could fully form, before it could soften anything about him.
But I had seen it. And for some reason, that fleeting glimpse unsettled me more than his anger ever had.
Because it felt real.
The rest of the drive passed in silence.
Eventually, the gates of the estate came into view.
They opened before we even reached them.
The car glided through, tires crunching softly against the gravel as we approached the mansion.
In the fading twilight, it looked even more imposing than before.
The entire place seemed to glow.
Rafael parked smoothly.
The engine fell silent.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then, without a word, he stepped out.
I followed.
The cool evening air brushed against my skin as I closed the door behind me, my heels clicking softly against the stone as I started toward the wide steps leading into the house.
I was halfway up when—
His phone rang.
The sound was sharp and jarring. It cut cleanly through the quiet.
I paused instinctively, glancing back.
Rafael had already pulled the device from his pocket.
He didn’t speak when he answered. Didn’t greet the caller.
He just listened.
His hand tightened around the phone, fingers curling slowly until his knuckles turned white.
The relaxed control he carried so effortlessly before—it vanished, replaced by something rigid.
His jaw clenched.
His entire body seemed to harden.
