Chapter 32

The next morning, She packed her bag in silence, stuffing her clothes inside without bothering to fold them. The quicker she left, the better. Lily boarded the first train back to the city. She kept her sunglasses on the entire ride, not because she was trying to hide from anyone in particular, but because she didn’t want anyone reading the fatigue in her eyes. The streets outside the window were blurred with early morning fog, the sun still struggling to break through. Her reflection in the glass looked pale and tight-lipped, like someone bracing for a storm. The city greeted her with its usual chaos—blaring horns, impatient pedestrians, and the constant buzz of ambition in the air. She slipped into it like someone returning to an old, well-worn coat. When she finally stepped back into Noah’s apartment, the faint scent of coffee and toasted bread hung in the air. Noah, sitting cross-legged on the couch with a steaming mug, glanced up the second she walked in. “You’re back early,” Noah