After the heated struggle that released all the passion long suppressed behind bars of hatred, silence enveloped the apartment suite. Leo pulled Celine's thin frame into his arms, wrapping his powerful limbs around her with a protective stance, as if trying to lock her away from the outside world. Celine did not resist. Instead, she buried her face, still damp with the remnants of her tears, against Leo's broad chest, seeking a shred of warmth amidst the void in her soul.
"Is my mother safe? Where did you take her, Leo?" Celine asked in a raspy voice that was nearly swallowed by the rhythm of his heartbeat.
Leo exhaled a long breath, his fingers gently stroking Celine's hair, which lay disheveled against the pillow.
