A Quiet Life Denied

Victoria’s POV

The car pulled up, headlights slicing through the mist.

I stood there, barely feeling the night air anymore.

I should have reacted. Should have said something.

"Future mother-in-law."

But the words barely registered now.

The past hour was pressing down on me. The cold, the fear, the lake, the exhaustion. I had been running on instinct, but now... it was catching up.

A door opened, and a man stepped out.

Broad shoulders. Sharp eyes. A presence that demanded respect.

I didn’t need an introduction. Agustin.

I didn’t know him, but I’d known men like him. Efficient. Professional. A man who had done things and didn’t lose sleep over them.