Chapter 106

Sofia. I adjusted the coat around my shoulders, feeling the familiar knot of tension settle in my stomach as I stepped into the quiet café. This place was almost a regular place for me and Arsen. It was small, tucked away from the chaos of the busy streets, and dimly lit. It should’ve been comforting, but something about it felt off—like a weight hanging in the air that I couldn’t quite place. When I spotted Arsen, sitting in a booth near the back with a young boy beside him, I couldn’t help the sharp inhale that caught in my throat. The child—he looked so much like his father. Dark curls, big, curious brown eyes that seemed to take in everything around him, and a quiet kind of wariness that made my heart twist in ways I didn’t expect. “Belle Mia,” Arsen greeted, standing up as I approached. His voice was warm, though there was an edge to it. A tension I couldn’t ignore. I was never wrong about this kind of thing but he seemed to on edge and that set me off to no end. “Thank you for co