Lila
Lila sat frozen on the silk-lined chaise, her body weighed down by Adrian's magic. It wasn't physical chains that bound her but something far worse—an unseen force that sank into her bones, making her limbs feel like lead. Every attempt to fight back was like pushing against an invisible tide, her strength swallowed whole before she could summon it.
She clenched her fists, breathing hard. "Let me go, Adrian."
He stood by the fireplace, his silhouette outlined in flickering gold. His dark eyes studied her, filled with something indecipherable. Not quite anger, not quite satisfaction—just cold calculation.
"You know I can't do that."
Lila's jaw tightened. "Can't or won't?"
A ghost of a smirk played on his lips, but it held no amusement. "Both." He took slow, deliberate steps toward her, the air around them thick with tension. "You were never safe with Caleb."
She lifted her chin. "And I'm safe with you?"
