Chapter 75

Benjamin leaned back on the sofa, his arm stretched across the cushion behind me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from him. He didn’t speak at first. His eyes followed Daisy where she sat cross-legged on the carpet, humming to herself while brushing her doll’s tangled hair. Her small voice filled the quiet room like a melody, soft and innocent, untouched by the weight pressing down on us.

Benjamin’s gaze lingered on her for a while before shifting to me. His eyes were steady, thoughtful, the kind that made me feel like he was looking deeper than I wanted him to.

“Eliza,” he said at last, his voice even. “How do you plan to settle down here?”

The question caught me off guard. I blinked, my mouth parting slightly. “You mean…?”

He leaned forward then, resting his elbows on his knees, his tone calm but edged with firmness—the way he always sounded when he’d already mapped out the problem in his head.

“You’ve got your life in Florida,” he