Chapter 17 - Sunflower

The town square buzzed with an energy Lillian hadn't felt in years. It was the annual Summer Festival, a riot of colour and sound, a tradition that usually filled her with a quiet joy. This year, though, a tremor of unease ran beneath the surface of her anticipation. Marcus was back. He’d reappeared a week ago, a phantom from a past she’d worked so hard to outrun, his smile as smooth and deceptive as polished glass. He’d found her, somehow, and the quiet peace she’d meticulously built around herself felt suddenly fragile, like a glass bell teetering on the edge of a precipice.

Adrian, bless his steady heart, was a constant, quiet anchor. He’d been a little pale earlier, his breath catching on a stray whiff of perfume from a passing vendor, but he’d managed a shaky smile. “Just… a bit too much jasmine in the air,” he’d murmured, his hand finding hers, a silent reassurance. He was her safe harbour, and the thought of him being threatened by Marcus sent a cold dread through her.