Liam sat up slowly on the edge of the cushioned tatami mat, running a hand through his dark, disheveled hair.
The warm, dim glow of the bedside lamp glinted off his shoulders, slick with lavender massage oil.
He looked up at the doorway, his eyes wide with a mix of exhaustion and total disbelief.
"Elena?" Liam asked softly, his voice polite but genuinely stunned. "What are you doing here?"
Elena stood in the doorway of Kelly's dimly lit bedroom, perfectly poised in her tailored dark coat.
Her posture was razor-sharp, her dark eyes entirely unreadable as she took in the scene—the lingering scent of incense, the massage oil, and Liam sitting shirtless on the floor.
"I'm here to get you," Elena said smoothly, her tone composed, cool, and completely icy.
Beside her, Kelly stood frozen in her loosely tied silk robe.
She blinked rapidly, her hands lingering at the belt of her garment as her eyes darted between Elena's stoic expression and Liam's tense frame.
