The tiny cottage was softly lit by the fireplace as Ana gently put a moist towel against Dorian's brow. His jaw tensed against the agony as he winced. He had suffered more injuries from the cliffside altercation than she had first thought, including a damaged ankle from the force of scrambling back onto solid ground, a deep gash on his arm, and bruised ribs.
As she cleaned away the dried blood, Ana said, "You should be resting." Her voice was forceful yet low.
Dorian tightened his teeth and whispered, "I can't rest." "Not while they are still present."
Ana's eyes met his, and her hand froze. And if you run yourself into the ground, what good are you to anyone? You barely survived the ordeal.
He said, "I'm still here," in a calmer tone. "That's what counts."
The vulnerability in his tone made her chest constrict. Despite his power and confidence, Dorian suddenly had a rawness about him that she had never seen before.
Ana said in a shaky voice, "You scared me." "I was afraid I would lose you."
Dorian extended his hand and touched her with his fingertips. "I believed I would also lose you."
As the weight of their unsaid feelings filled the void between them, the room went silent.
---
Later that night, Ana sat at the edge of the bed with her hands clutched firmly in her lap as the twins slept peacefully in the adjacent room. Dorian was leaning on a stack of pillows, looking awake yet exhausted.
Ana broke the silence by saying, "We need to talk."
Dorian's gaze grew softer. "I'm paying attention."
The words caught in her throat as she paused. I convinced myself I detested you for years. that all we owned had been destroyed by you. However, witnessing the man you're attempting to be with the twins..." Her words faded to a whisper as she turned away. "Hating you is more difficult than I anticipated."
Dorian's voice was rough as he added, "I never wanted you to hate me." However, I earned it. Ana, I was wrong. large ones. And if you allow me, I'll make it up to you for the rest of my life.
Ana turned back to him, her throat constricted. "Dorian, I'm not sure whether I can forgive you. However, I'm aware that I shouldn't keep escaping this. from our end.
His angry eyes were illuminated by a glimmer of hope when he met hers. He murmured softly, "You don't have to forgive me all at once." "We'll go cautiously at first. Together.
As he reached for her hand, his contact was grounding and warm, causing her breath to catch. She gave herself permission to think that perhaps, just possibly, they could reunite for the first time in years.
---
The harsh ring of Dorian's phone broke the stillness of the lodge the next morning. His tone was fierce as he responded rapidly. "What is it?"
Ana saw his face darken while she stood in the kitchen, her heart racing.
Dorian's voice was low but strained as he replied, "They're moving fast." "My assets are being frozen by Vincent's manipulation." I'll lose everything if we don't take action right away.
Ana took a step forward, her anxiety growing. "How does that affect us?"
Dorian hung up and turned to her, saying, "It means we need to be ready for anything." Vincent and Lila are determined to ruin everything before they give up. Furthermore, they won't give a damn about who gets caught in the crossfire.
The thought of the twins being in danger once more made her stomach turn. "So, what should we do?"
"We defend ourselves," Dorian stated plainly.
---
Later that day, Ana stood on the balcony outdoors while Dorian slept, her mind racing. Hazel, who had been earlier to check on them and provide supplies, had a somber face as she related the few information she had received from the community.
"They're trying to find you," Hazel had explained. "Questions have been coming from Vincent's guys. This place is not safe for you.
As Ana rubbed her arms against the chilly nighttime air, she kept thinking about what Hazel had said. She dreaded the idea of having to uproot the twins once more.
"Ana."
Dorian was standing in the doorway, leaning heavily against the frame, when she turned around.
She responded, gently but firmly, "You should be inside."
He limped over to join her and said, "So should you."
For a while, they sat quietly, surrounded by the sounds of the forest. Ana finally said anything. "Do you ever question whether we'll ever be truly safe?"
Dorian's mouth clenched. Every day I ponder about that. However, I am also aware that I will stop at nothing to keep you and the children safe as long as I am alive.
The resolve in his words made her chest constrict. "You've changed," she muttered.
His eyes remained fixed on her. "I've changed because of you. The twins and you. I have something worth fighting for because of you.
For an instant, the burden of their history seemed to be lifted by the earnestness in his words, which left her speechless. However, the tranquility was brief.
They were both startled to alert by a startling rustle in the neighboring woods.
Despite not having a weapon, Dorian's body tightened and his hand moved naturally to his side. His voice was low as he hurriedly added, "Get inside."
"What is it?" With her heart pounding, Ana inquired.
He said, "Just go," in a tone that made no space for debate.
Ana collected the twins in the living room and rushed inside, slamming the door behind her.
As she listened for any indication of danger, the minutes seemed to drag on for hours. Dorian looked glum when he eventually came back.
Her voice was shaking as she said, "What was it?"
His voice was calm but lethal as he continued, "Someone is watching us." "They're near."
His words made her blood run cold. "What are we going to do?"
"We adhere to the plan," Dorian said resolutely. However, we must accelerate. We're not getting much time from them.
Ana couldn't get rid of the notion that their battle was far from done as the weight of his words descended over them. But when she looked at Dorian, she saw a guy who was prepared to put everything on the line for his family and was adamant about defending what was most important.
And she allowed herself to hope for the first time that they would be able to go through this together.
However, Ana realized that the stakes had never been higher as the ultimate fight approached as the darkness outside the cabin became deeper.