He looked so different from the man who commanded boardrooms and built empires. Vulnerable. Human. Mortal in a way that terrified her more than any weapon or threat ever could.
"I'm right here," she whispered, so quietly that only those closest could hear. "I'm here, Yunchen. I crossed the world to reach you. I'm not leaving. I'm never leaving you all alone again."
His hand remained still in hers, unresponsive. But his heart kept beating, his lungs kept breathing, and that was enough. For now, that was enough.
Minutes passed in silence. The chaos outside the room continued, Bradford and his team coordinating arrests, mobilizing federal assets, working to regain control of the compromised missile systems. But inside room 714, time seemed to have stopped.
