's

reeked of fear, his hands trembling as he pushed the duffel bag forward. The zippe

e silence beside me, cold and sharp. The kind o

his face with a shaking hand. "I

r flickering across his face as his knees scraped against

siness, there were no second chances. The rules were

as wrong. I knew it the second I lifted it. Too light. M

orting trash. His lips curled in disgust as he grabbed a ha

d, his voice low and menacing

ing of color. "I-please, Mr. Weston, I'

always begg

obeyed, his wide, panicked eyes locking with mine. He was trembling like a cornered animal, and I could see

y, keeping my gaze locked on him. "You made a deal.

speration dripping from every word. "

a like dust from my suit. "It doesn't make you specia

ts were calm, deliberate, and utterly merciless. He pulled out his gu

omehow escape. But there was nowhere to go. His fate had been sea

sing the barrel of the

oice cracking under the weight of his ter

a

he body hit the floor with a dull thud, blood pooling be

n I felt in moments like this, was absent today. It should'

exit. "Send a message to his crew. They owe me three hundred gran

ght air. The sky was pitch black, the streetlights casting long, fractured shad

was suffocating, pressing against me as we pulled away from the warehouse. Usually, moment

e

Car

invading my thoughts. It had been two days since I hired her. Two days since she stood in my office and l

I didn't know if

ing my mind, it only sharpened the image of her. Those sharp green eyes, the way her

ped over themselves to get out of my way. But Lyra? She didn't. S

ll wasn't

The moment I stepped out and into the mansion, I felt it again,that subtle shift in t

my footsteps echoing softly through the dimly lit halls. Whe

ere sh

ly from a book, her voice low and soothing. Her fingers brushed gently

her own world. She wasn't staring at the floor or retreating into silence. She was watc

ing what no one else had been able to do,she was reaching her. And for the first time, I saw a

and she glanced up, her

as again.

t look away or shrink back like everyone else. Her eyes met mine like

uld've walked out of the roo

quiet strength, made it impossible to look away. She didn't belong in this hous

made her

ld, distractions

r mouth curved upward, just slightly. Not a smile,more like an

t was a

I needed

he spell. "Don't let her stay up too late

ned back to Mira. But as I walked away, I could

oes against the marble floor echoing in the back of my

ion. A complicatio

ared out the window at the sprawling estat

was going to

hat the hell was I