"Madam?" James called, noticing the shift in her stance. "Please—" But Amara was already moving. Her steps quickened, cutting across the pavement before she had fully decided to.
"Miss, please, madam!" James's voice rose now, urgency threading through it as he stepped after her. "Come back to the car!"
She didn't stop. Didn't turn. Because the closer she got. The clearer the outline became. Broad shoulders. Familiar stance.
A presence she had felt before without understanding why. Her pulse quickened. Her jaw tightened because something deep inside her was reacting, not just to the moment. But to something buried.
Something unresolved. "Please get in the car, Amara!" James called again, faster now, closing the distance behind her. But Amara kept going.
"Stay there, James. Don't follow me." Amara didn't even turn when she said it.
Her voice wasn't loud. But it carried enough authority to stop him in his tracks.
"Madam…"
"Stay." That was final.
