Nico's POV
We stayed there long after the attackers retreated, long after the last echo of gunfire faded into an uneasy silence and the guards resumed patrolling the estate as though nothing had happened.
Carmen stood beside me the entire time, quieter than I had ever seen her. That alone said enough.
We didn't speak. We simply watched.
The screens flickered with empty corridors and dimly lit grounds, every movement outside monitored, every shadow scrutinized. Neither of us was in a hurry to leave. It wasn't fear exactly—it was something sharper, something more calculated.
It was caution.
By the time midnight came, the estate had settled into an eerie stillness, yet I still felt no urgency to step out. If anything, the longer we stayed hidden, the more it felt like the only sensible choice.
"We can stay here for the night."
Her voice broke the silence, quiet but firm.
