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Soren never told her to stop. He never told her she was overreacting or tried to silence her pain. He simply held her, as though he could put every shattered piece back together with nothing more than patience and love.

Eventually, her breathing steadied. "I'm sorry."

His brows knitted together. "What are you apologizing for?"

"I made your shirt all wet." A surprised laugh escaped him. He looked at her with so much tenderness that her chest ached.

"My babygirl,” he breathed. “You're worried about my shirt at a time like this."

Heat crept into her cheeks. "I guess I am."

His smile softened. "You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. You’re so brave."

She lowered her gaze. "I don't feel very brave."

Soren gently lifted her chin again. "Bravery isn't the absence of fear. It's choosing to live despite the threats being made against you."

A watery smile touched her lips. "I think—” She hesitated. "I think I'm finally done letting other people decide who I am."

A slow smile spread across his face. "I was hoping you'd say that."

She reached over and quietly closed the folder. "I don't want those pictures."

"I'll destroy them,” he promised.

"No." He looked genuinely surprised.

"I want to do it,” she insisted.

"You do?" he asked.

She nodded. "I've spent my whole life letting other people clean up my messes. My ex, my boss, and even my parents stepped in before I ever learned to stand on my own." She looked down at the folder. "I need to burn them."

Soren studied her for a long moment before giving a single nod. "Then we'll burn them."

"We?" she asked.

"There isn't much I intend to let you do alone anymore."

A small laugh escaped her. "I suppose I should've expected that answer."

"You should have." He stood and held out his hand, and she slipped hers into it without hesitation.

"What now?" she asked.

His expression turned serious. "Now—” Their fingers intertwined naturally. "We finish this."

"What do you mean?"

Soren's blue eyes never left hers. "We found Rachel already; we exposed Collins, but The Curator is still out there." He paused, and something dark settled behind his gaze. "I've spent twenty-five years hunting monsters." His voice grew quiet. "I think it's time they remembered why they're afraid of me."

For the first time since all of this had begun, Lily wasn't afraid of what came next. Standing beside Soren, surrounded by the strength he'd quietly wrapped around her from the very beginning, she realized the fear had shifted. It no longer belonged to her—it belonged to the men Soren Kane was about to hunt.

Chapter Seventeen

Soren

The folder burned surprisingly fast. Soren carried it outside just after sunset. Neither of them spoke as they walked to the stone fire pit overlooking the gardens. A cool breeze stirred the roses, carrying their sweet fragrance through the evening air. Maria and Luca had quietly disappeared inside, giving them the privacy neither of them had asked for but both of them needed. Soren knelt and lit the kindling as orange flames slowly licked at the dry wood until the fire crackled to life.