Kaya, on the other hand, stood frozen, utterly stunned. Not many had ever fallen for her—but those who did had always kept it quiet. This… this was the first time she'd seen that look on a man like him—a brute of a man, no less. It unsettled her in ways she couldn't explain.
Her thoughts flickered to how ruthlessly he had treated others. She sighed, turning away from him, and began walking toward the people she had protected. But the moment her eyes met theirs—those worn, wary faces, gazing at her with a mix of fear and fragile hope—she stopped in her tracks. Her chest tightened, and oddly, the pain she had been carrying didn't feel quite as heavy anymore.
She took a steady breath, eyes softening.
"Let's go," she said simply.
