Chapter 125

The limo rolled to a stop, the soft purr of the engine fading into the salty air of the beach. My heart was still racing, like a hummingbird on caffeine, as I caught my reflection in the tinted window. I didn’t need a mirror to know I looked… unraveled.

My hair, once a sleek waterfall of red waves, was now a chaotic storm cloud. My lipstick—well, let’s just say it had migrated. And my dress? It clung to me in ways that whispered of secrets shared in the shadowy confines of Jormun’s backseat.

He was already out, holding the door open for me with a casual confidence that only he could muster. His grin was infectious, the kind of smile that made you forget the world existed beyond him. And for the past forty-five minutes, it really didn’t.

“Come on, Villi. Ella’s waiting,” he said, his voice as stoic as ever as he offered me his hand.

I hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking it, trying to smooth my dress and fix my hair with my free hand.

“You