Chapter 57

Joana's POV

It was the first time that day he called me by an intimate nickname, so I forced myself to open a quick smile. That day was already a total mess, any other show of affection would not change anything.

Not after I spent several minutes hugging my client and desperate to leave the blessed room that turned out to be our salvation. Not after my body felt protected and welcomed by his arms. Not after I felt at peace, even in the middle of a war, just because he spent a few minutes bringing me to reality.

"My father was threatened, tortured and killed," I told quietly, knowing that we were indifferent to the nurse in the pavilion. The woman was much more worried about writing down the possible casualties in her notebook. "He has always been a public figure. You never thought you were above everything and everyone, but, you know, public people cause a lot of uproar when they end up dying. I think he had the false feeling that he could challenge anyone who was