Lea sat silently in Hugo's arms, the gentle sway of the boat beneath them doing little to calm the storm inside her. Her head rested against his chest, where the steady beat of his heart seemed to echo a quiet reassurance she desperately wanted to believe in. Yet, no matter how many times Hugo whispered her name, stroked her hair, or pressed soft kisses to her temple, she remained still, her arms wrapped loosely around him, almost as if holding onto a fragile thread of stability.
Hera and Rika sat nearby, observing without interrupting. The air between them was heavy with unspoken concern. Rika's gaze softened as she looked at Lea, noting the subtle tension in the young woman's posture, the way her shoulders slumped and her lips barely moved. She understood that what Kael had said and done on the island had left a mark—a mark that went beyond words and into the very core of Lea's trust and emotional stability.
