As Elissa prepared to leave, Ernest still hadn’t returned home.

Kira, ever attentive, approached with a warm suggestion. “Miss Holland, why not stay the night?”

Though Nyla still held a touch of caution, she had warmed considerably to Elissa—a sign she had come to embrace their relationship. The entire Flynn Mansion staff, Kira included, now welcomed Elissa as part of the Flynn family.

“Thank you, but I’ll pass,” Elissa said with a gracious smile, shaking her head. “I think I’ll head back to Lion Bay.”

Kira nodded, assuming Elissa was simply being courteous. “Very well. I’ll have Sebastian bring the car around.”

“Thank you, Kira,” Elissa replied, her smile unwavering.

Her restraint wasn’t for her own sake but for Locke’s. She and Ernest weren’t yet bound by marriage, and she couldn’t fathom explaining to Locke why she had moved in. Only after their vows would she step into this house as the boy’s mother—a title she would earn with pride.

Back at Lion Bay, Elissa showered and tidied up, the clock nearing ten as she sank into bed. She checked again, just to be sure. Still nothing. No calls. No texts. Just silence.

She scrolled through her social media feed idly for a moment, a yawn escaping her lips as sleep tugged at her senses. Setting the phone aside, she flicked off the light and surrendered to slumber. Since her sleepwalking had improved, Elissa now slept alone. But Ernest, ever cautious, insisted on the precaution of having the caregiver stay in the adjacent room. Should Elissa’s condition flare up unexpectedly, help was just a door away.

In the stillness of the night, Elissa slumbered deeply.

Suddenly, the covers shifted, and a figure slipped into bed beside her.

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“Who’s there?” Elissa gasped, jolting awake, her heart racing as she lashed out with a kick, cold sweat prickling her skin.

“Elissa, it’s me!” Ernest’s voice, soft yet tinged with urgency, cut through the darkness. “Who else would sneak into your room at this hour?”

Ernest had ensured Elissa’s home was secure, with systems in place—though not as elaborate as the protection Eric had arranged for Hadley.

Elissa exhaled, her racing pulse slowing as relief washed over her. “I was half-asleep, you know.”

She huffed playfully. “Creeping in like that in the dead of night, when I was sound asleep? Couldn’t you have given me a heads-up?”

Ernest chuckled softly as he reclined, drawing Elissa gently into his embrace. “I didn’t mean to disturb your slumber,” he murmured. “I only wanted to cradle you while you slept.”

Yet, despite his intentions, he had roused her from sleep.

“Oh,” Elissa replied with a nod, her voice still heavy with drowsiness. “Well, let’s drift back to sleep then.”

“Very well,” Ernest agreed.

He tilted his head, pressing a tender kiss to Elissa’s forehead, his arms enveloping her with warmth and security.

“Not so tight,” Elissa murmured, her protest faint but playful.

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