(Nicholas's POV)
I wake up to sunlight and the smell of coffee.
Ruby is still asleep beside me, her hair spread across the pillow, her face soft and peaceful. She looks younger in sleep. Less tired. Less scared.
I watch her for a long moment, memorizing the curve of her cheek, the flutter of her lashes. After everything we've been through, she's still here. Still beside me. Still mine.
I don't deserve her. But I'm not letting her go.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand. I reach for it quickly, not wanting to wake her.
Mr. Sterling. My lawyer.
I slip out of bed and pad into the hallway, closing the door behind me.
"Hello?"
"Nicholas." Mr. Sterling's voice is tight with excitement. "Turn on the news."
My heart pounds. "What happened?"
"Kai's lawyers are dropping the charges. All of them. The evidence is too strong. They're cutting a deal."
I sink onto a chair in the hallway. "A deal?"
