a's

up to s

when the world sleeps. This silence felt aware-like

ed beneath me was too soft, swallowing me whole. The kind of comfort t

g brushe

i

Cool. Expensive. My stomach twisted-not the sick kind, no

ves. Lamps shaped like old torches flickered softly, shadows clinging to dark w

rtains-black and heavy-spilled onto the marble floor.

place you st

ked up. Where di

es. That's when I noticed the door-tall, solid, intimidating. Not the

oward it.

med at me. Once I stepped outside this room, thin

I ope

ng inside me

ed-crowned by a chandelier so massive it looked like it could fall and crush anyone

echoed. Loud. Lonely. As if the h

s lined

n sharp black suits. Cold eyes. Unreadable faces.

en't men

y t

they noticed me. Black suits. Calm expressions. Hands resting casual

sage wa

omach

past th

hem spoke. N

A curved staircase rose upward, elegant and deliberat

nto the railings-not

recogni

rstood

threaded through it all-not as

ant to impress. It wa

plain what kind of

-surrounded by guards, history

mansion. I was

nd of king people

e name carrie

arlino L

he Lacentra empire. My heart sank as the truth settled-cold, heavy, unavoidable. I hadn

the d

the crim

ring a

ommanding. Sharp enough to jolt my bod

there,

k-it was an examination. Like my soul had been dragged into the ope

burned on the way out. "Y-

ce fo

he kind that crawled int

dn't

ove-but his legs did. He started toward me w

c fl

as he

pped

pped f

ai

ag

oo quickly. My back hit the wall, the

ed in-one arm braced beside my head

nder when you have nothing to do." His eyes dipp

cy slid dow

y. The kind that came from a man who had neve

my voice steady. "I wasn

hing shifted in his eyes.

ere

ng," he replied. "That s

was m

violently against my ribs as I hurried down the hallway. Right now

d to

t his intimid

place-this prison-migh

uc

mmediate, stopping me cold. I gasped,

eelc

ze li

ed through his hair, though dark strands still clung stubbornly. His face wa

n't st

sn't

s wat

quickly. "I wasn't

stare lingered, something unreadab

ps parted. One word d

wa