CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO – A GROWING BOND

Florian shifted back, his chest heaving. "Are you okay?" he asked Cassie. She nodded, still stunned by what she had witnessed. "That was... incredible." Florian's expression softened. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I never wanted to expose you to this side of me." Cassie stepped closer, cupping his face in her hands. "Don't apologize. You saved us." Their moment was interrupted by Elena's urgent voice. "We need to move. More will be coming." They quickly gathered their belongings and slipped out into the night. As they made their way through the darkened streets, Cassie's mind whirled with questions. "Elena," she whispered, "how do you know so much about evading Karl's men?" Elena's pace faltered for a moment. "It's... complicated. Let's just say I have experience with people like Karl." Florian's eyes narrowed. "There's more to your story than you're telling us, isn't there?" Elena sighed. "Yes, but now's not the time. We need to focus on getting you two to safety." They tr