Liam didn't react immediately after hearing the footsteps.
Instead of jumping out of the pond or preparing to fight, he simply remained where he was, his body still submerged beneath the warm water while his sharp eyes rested on the trees ahead. Whoever it was had already made enough noise for him to know they weren't trying very hard to hide their presence. If it had been an enemy, they would've approached much more carefully than this.
The leaves rustled gently.
A familiar figure stepped through them.
Just as he had guessed.
"Tatiana."
She stood there with both hands behind her back, fully dressed, the sunlight filtering through the branches above and painting soft patches of gold across her crimson hair. Tiny droplets of water still clung to a few loose strands around her face, making it obvious she had already rinsed off beneath the waterfall.
Liam let out a small sigh of relief.
"I knew it."
Tatiana smiled without saying anything.
