Lena had only seen him once before.
At the diner.
That night, she had noticed his expensive suit and the silence that followed him.
But now she noticed something else.
He looked tired.
Not weak.
Not afraid.
Just tired.
Like someone who had carried too many responsibilities for too long.
His eyes immediately found her.
Not the broken furniture.
Not Daniel.
Her.
“Lena.”
The way he said her name almost made her cry.
Because he said it like she mattered.
He approached slowly.
“May I?”
He gestured toward her injured arm.
She nodded.
He didn’t touch her.
He simply looked and immediately called for medical help.
“An ambulance is on the way.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You have no right to be here.”
Vincent turned.
The room became silent.
“You’re right.”
His answer surprised everyone.
“I don’t have the right to decide your life.”
Daniel looked confused.
“But I do have the responsibility to make sure Lena gets somewhere safe tonight.”
