Third person's POV
The corridor had settled into a heavy quiet, the kind that came only after long hours of fear. The wall clock ticked softly overhead, marking time in slow, deliberate seconds. Rowan and Liora still sat beside each other on the bench, her earlier vulnerability hanging between them like a fragile thread. The warmth of his hand on her shoulder had faded, but the memory of it lingered, steady, grounding.
Liora breathed out slowly, forcing her expression back into composure. Things had drifted too close to unguarded territory. If she let that continue, she might unravel entirely. So she cleared her throat and shifted away from him slightly, sitting straighter.
“There’s something else I need to talk to you about.” Her voice steadied, though her hands remained clench
