Chapter 30

Lake POV

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the quality of silence in the house. No shouting from neighboring apartments, no sirens wailing in the distance, no sound of breaking glass or raised voices that had served as my alarm clock for so many years. Just the soft whisper of expensive air conditioning and the gentle tick of an actual clock—luxuries I was still adjusting to.

The second thing I noticed was Ollie, curled up against my side like a small, warm kitten, his breathing deep and even in sleep. His dark hair was tousled across the silk pillowcase, and his small face was peaceful in a way that still made my chest tight with gratitude. Here, in this safe space, he could sleep without the hypervigilance that had characterized his early years.

I lay there for several minutes, just watching him breathe, marveling at how different he looked when he wasn’t constantly scanning for threats. The dark circles under his eyes were finally fading, and h