Camille's POV I woke up with my heart racing and my body drenched in sweat after yet another nightmare. The first night, sleeping beside Caesar had helped, but now that I was alone in my room, no matter how hard I tried to relax, meditate, or drink a soothing herbal tea, I couldn't stop waking in the middle of the night, convinced I was still trapped. I checked the clock. It was only four-thirty in the morning. When I returned home after the kidnapping, it had been difficult to convince my mother that nothing had happened. That I'd simply left the house to meet Caesar, and that the headache and the purple bruise on my forehead were still from the fire. My mother wasn't naive. She knew her daughter well. She knew there was more to the story than I was telling her, but she also knew better than to push. In the end, she trusted me. But I was starting to think she shouldn't. I'd been kidnapped. I could have died, and she had no idea. Neither did my cousin. Only Caesar knew. And

Caesar's POV I could tell Camille had been different, maybe a little distant, ever since I dropped her off at home. I worried about the trauma she might have suffered, whether she was eating properly, whether she was sleeping well, but she always gave me short answers and avoided the subject. I'd noticed a certain weariness in her, a shadow in her eyes. Camille had been through something traumatic, and no matter how insistently she claimed she was fine, reality could be very different. "Are you really okay?" I asked when we arrived at my place. She looked at me, and I could tell she was about to lie. "You don't have to lie to me," I said, moving closer. I needed to hold her, so I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. Camille came willingly. "I thought I was okay, but over the last two days, I've been waking up from nightmares, thinking I'm still there… and then I can't get back to sleep," she admitted. I understood that she didn't want to appear vulnera

Camille's POV "Did your detective friend hear anything?" It wasn't exactly the ideal topic for a first date, but I couldn't help myself. The moment the waiter served our food, the question slipped from my lips. Caesar gave me a strange look but answered. "Not yet. I'll call him later." "You don't want to talk about it?" He let out a soft sigh. "Not tonight. I want to forget about all our problems, even if it's only for one night. They'll still be there tomorrow, so all we can do right now is enjoy tonight." I nodded and lifted my champagne glass to my lips. "Okay… then let's talk about something else. What?" His smile slowly appeared. "Your dress." I looked down at myself, searching for some flaw. "What about my dress?" His eyes traveled slowly over my body. "Was it expensive?" There was a distinctly suggestive edge to his question. I smiled and arched an eyebrow. "Definitely. It's more of an investment. I practically needed a loan to pay for it." I wa

Caesar's POV "I think we should go get some coffee. I really need some, and standing around talking here outside the police station feels a little weird," Camille said. Despite her obvious hesitation, Nicole accepted the invitation. We all got into the car and drove away from the station in search of somewhere neutral. I chose a busy café where we managed to find a more secluded table that gave us at least a little privacy. Nicole was an enigma, and I wanted to understand why she'd been seeking us out. "Lucy told me a pretty… let's say, strange story. I'll admit I didn't really believe it was all a coincidence. You really weren't following her?" The question made Nicole uncomfortable. "I wasn't following her, and I had nothing to do with the attack. But I knew who she was. I'd seen her perform, but I already knew about her before that. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to scare her. It was a very strange night." "I think you should start from the beginning and exp

Caesar's POV The moment the black car pulled up across the street, my entire body went on high alert. Pure instinct sent my hand automatically to the gun strapped to my waist, hidden beneath my shirt. In that moment, Camille was my only priority. "Stay in here," I said, without taking my eyes off the car. She hesitated but stayed put. The car door opened, and Joseph stepped out. I still didn't relax. I got out and slammed the door behind me, heading straight toward him. "What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded, unable to hide my irritation. "Are you following me now?" Joseph raised his hands as if trying to prevent a confrontation. "Calm down. I tried calling you." I pulled my phone from my pocket. Two missed calls and several messages. Even so, it was strange for him to show up here. "And that gives you the right to show up at Camille's house?" Before he could answer, Camille got out of the car and walked over to us. "Did something happen? Did you find Ju