–Livana–
I carried baby Aelia in my arms, swaying her gently, coaxing her out of her cries the way one tames a fragile storm. Deanne was in the bathroom—I had told her to take her time, to indulge in the quiet luxury of a proper bath. I could handle Aelia.
And I did.
The moment she settled against me, her cries dissolved into soft coos. Her tiny gaze lifted, meeting mine with that innocent, unguarded curiosity only infants possess.
So easy to soothe. So easy to keep.
Caine was with Damon, attending to whatever Jane had uncovered. From the last report I heard—after Lore had cracked open that phone—it was confirmed: Nurse Leanne and Raynold had been entangled in something more than mere coincidence. A romance, yes… but also a shared discovery.
They had found something.
Messages exchanged in secrecy. Plans whispered through encrypted threads. They had been preparing to bring it to Damon.
But Damon is rarely within reach. Always moving. Always vanishing between shadows.
