It was dawn when Micah finally left his hotel room. The hallways were dimly lit and unnaturally quiet. His sneakers made barely a sound as he paused at the corner, peeking carefully down both sides of the corridor before stepping into the elevator.
After confirming Leo was just asleep and there were no lingering threats, Micah decided it was finally safe to leave. His body felt as if it were made of stone, every step dragging heavier than the last, exhaustion pulling at him.
The hotel lobby was nearly deserted except for a few red-eyed staff members. Outside the main doors, the paparazzi were scattered like fallen soldiers, half slumped against their equipment, snoring softly or rubbing sleep from their eyes.
Micah tugged his cap lower over his silver hair, shadowing his freckled nose, and slipped through a side exit the hotel discreetly opened for the guests. The security guard at the door gave him a barely look, not even bothering to check him twice.
