Several eyes turned to Enora as the surrounding group got quieter. Wilson turned to usher them away, "If you're not involved, keep it moving guys! Come on!" "They must have not seen when you escorted her out days ago sir, but we didn't crack. Not even Rick," Mina finished, pulling out a tissue to wipe her nose. "I knew you wouldn't. Now take a breath, start from the beginning," Victor answered, patting her arm. "Yes, sorry. We patrolled her building and surrounding area from twelve to five pm as usual and waited for the next car to come around. Once they checked in, we made our way back here when they intercepted. They must have not been watching the building before we got there, otherwise they would have followed the two before us." "That makes sense, that area becomes more populated by noon. Make it easier for him to blend in," Gil added. "Three guys get ahold of us and start the fight. Rick and I weren't doing too badly because we managed to get one guy down, but then anoth

AT THE CAFE The familiar aroma of coffee, sweets, and flowers created an instant dose of dopamine for Enora that morning as she sat in her favorite spot in the café. Having work to distract her from her messy behind-the-scenes life never failed to help her focus and solve problems. A current problem being the gnawing nagging in her gut that a dire event was on the horizon; excluding the war that Bianchi would set a day for any time now. Something was to happen that would put her in mortal danger, but she couldn't let Victor know this. He had insisted on dropping her off every morning to scope out the place even though it had been a safe haven thus far; she could only imagine how he would act with this new development. Besides, there was a chance the feeling would go away. "What are you thinking about?" Lilla asked, sliding into the seat across from her. "Nothing much, a lot on my mind. Things to do at home." "Yeah, I can't get anything done when I'm sick either. I'm glad you ac

To say she was shocked would be an understatement; this was beyond comprehension. Alarms were going wild inside of her while her emotions went all topsy-turvy. "I know you felt a connection with me before, which paves the way for a chance at a future. Things are looking positive." "Wait, wait, wait," she interrupted, gently pushing him away to gain breathing room. "Number one, I'm with someone and I've never mentioned being unhappy with him." "You didn't have to. I've seen a change in you lately, and his lack of acknowledgment in our conversations, points to the obvious," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "No because number two, we agreed long ago that friendship was all we had, so for you to swoop in because there are bumps in the road is a d*ck move. And I don't see you in that way. You know this." He chuckled, "Then I'll be an *sshole, makes no difference to me because I already know we're going to be together. Let's continue on our stroll," He roughly linked her arm with hi

They pulled apart and he pecked her lips again with a contented sigh, "Forgive me, I'd been holding myself back the whole day, but temptation won out." "I un–understand. Th–that's ok," she stuttered as real tears waited to emerge. "Until next time. I'm sure you'll make the right choice." "Me too." Outside the car, her nails dug into her palms in a painful pinch, and she waved goodbye–watching until his car rounded the corner before going inside. Putting on the fakest smile she could manage, she approached the counter and greeted Lilla. "Oh, you're back! Did you have a nice time?" "Yeah, it was great hanging out with Matteo. Unfortunately, something I ate did not agree with me, so we left a little earlier." "That sucks. Are you going home now?" "Yes, I'm sorry to spring this on you." "Girl, it is not a problem. Rest up and I'll talk to you tomorrow." Enora gave her a genuine smile this time, "Thanks. You're the best Lilla." With stiff movements, she made her way to Gil's car

The next day was as Victor had warned: tender and unfamiliar. Moving her body proved to be a mistake, as it was weighed down by soreness and a hyper awareness of the numbing sensation from the mark. Along with other little things, like knowing that Victor was in the bathroom before she had even fully woken up, and seeing everything with a new sharpness, it was throwing her for a loop. "This is super weird," she uttered aloud, placing her hand on her neck. "That's normal to feel for the next few days," Victor said, sitting beside her. "Are you uncomfortable? What can I do?" "It's uh, I'm not sure how to describe it. And I don't need anything right now, thanks. How are you feeling?" The genuine beam of joy he produced fluttered her heart. "The best I've felt in a while. I wiped the floor with everyone in training this morning. After all the teasing, of course." "This morning? What time is it?" "It's two forty-five." "PM?! You should've woken me. What about work?" "I texted Lill