CHAPTER 19: Never Done Something So Reckless Before

　　Letting a single man stay overnight is always risky.

　　The emotional dam I'd been holding back burst all at once, and I cried uncontrollably in Lucas's arms, sobbing so hard it felt as if my chest might shatter. Apart from the sound of the rain, only my cries filled the air.

　　He held me quietly, offering comfort without saying a word.

　　I didn't know how much time passed, but by the time my sobbing subsided into silence, the rain outside had finally eased.

　　Lucas got out of the car, walked around to my side, and opened the passenger door. Bending slightly, he reached in to pick me up. I protested that I could walk, but he insisted and carried me into Narrow Street.

　　The alley was eerily quiet at this hour. His leather shoes splashed through puddles, the sound of water breaking crisp and clear in the stillness.