"Watch out!" Dante shouted, pulling me back just in time.My heart hammered in my chest, breath caught in my throat. The world slowed, the car's roar fading into a blur as it sped past.I stared up at Dante, eyes wide.Was this accident—or something more? My feet stumbled backward, colliding into Dante's chest. His arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, anchoring me to him like I might disappear if he let go. My breath was shallow, my heart rattling against my ribs. The blur of the car was already gone, just the faint echo of its engine left behind.The screech of tires was still echoing in my head. I could feel his heart pounding through his chest, steady and fierce against my back.Behind us, two of the guards were already moving, pressing fingers to earpieces, scanning every passing vehicle with sharp, trained eyes."Identify that plate. Now," one of them barked, his calm professionalism fraying into clipped urgency.The others were closing the gap around us, forming a quiet bar
The phone buzzed again in my hand.I glanced down, expecting maybe another update... but froze the moment I saw the word flash across the top of the screen."escape."My chest tightened. What?There was no sender. No app logo. Just that single word, sitting there like it was waiting for me to move.My finger hovered over it, but I didn't touch it. Not yet. Was that... meant for me? Is this a warning? A clue? A trap? The thought alone made my stomach twist. My eyes darted around the room like I'd suddenly forgotten where I was. I slowly sat on the edge of the bed, holding the phone with both hands like it might shatter. Someone sent that on purpose. But who? Is someone trying to help me? Or scare me?I tapped the notification, but the screen just blinked and returned to the home screen. No app opened. No trace of what I saw.Nothing? Seriously?I opened the notification history. Cleared. Checked my messages. Nothing new. Checked my email. Empty inbox.No way. I didn't imagine it.
Sera's POVThe first thing I noticed was the cold. Not sharp, but soothing. A soft, damp chill pressing gently against my forehead.I blinked my eyes open slowly. The ceiling came into view first, a blur that gradually sharpened. My head felt foggy, as if the fever hadn't left but had finally loosened its claws.Something was resting on me. A folded towel.I reached up with trembling fingers, touching the fabric carefully. It was cool. Damp. Balanced perfectly over my forehead.He did this?I turned my head slightly—and there he was.Dante.Sitting on the chair beside the bed, elbows on his knees, eyes half-lidded but watching me. Like he hadn't moved at all since I'd passed out. His jacket was off. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, veins prominent along his arms. There was a metal bowl on the nightstand beside him, the same towel inside it, slightly dripping.He'd been wiping me down. All this time.The shame came rushing back before I could stop it.I screamed at him. I lost
His words didn't slam into me—they slid, slow and surgical, like a knife beneath the skin.My stomach tightened. I forced a breath out through my nose. Don't panic. Just think. Think fast."Protecting?" I repeated, keeping my voice even. "I just told you everything I remember.""No," he said calmly, almost bored. "You told me a version that kept your hands clean."I stood up, slow and stiff. The air between us felt thinner now, charged. "Why would I lie to you?"He tilted his head slightly. "Because you've finally realized not everyone on your side is safe."The words rattled something inside me.He's testing you. Looking for cracks.I stepped forward, close enough to see the sharp flicker behind his calm. "You think I'm hiding something because I don't trust you? You've barely trusted me since the day we met."Dante didn't flinch. He just studied me like a puzzle with missing pieces."Maybe. But you've never looked at me like you're afraid of what I'll do if I find the truth. Until n
The sunlight slipped through the curtains in soft gold slants, brushing against my cheek until I stirred. I blinked, then squinted. My room was quiet. Empty. The space beside me was cold.Dante was gone.A low groan slipped from my lips as I rolled over, my arm flopping onto the nightstand like dead weight. My fingers fumbled until they wrapped around the cold plastic of the alarm clock. I sat up in bed, squinting at the glowing red numbers. "One PM?!" The words came out rough, half a gasp, half a croak. I clutched the clock like it had personally betrayed me.What? It's already afternoon? What time did I even fall asleep?My last clear memory was him holding me, his arms steady, my breath shallow. I must have knocked out not long after that. Around 5 AM maybe? Everything blurred after the fever high hit its peak.I sat up slowly. My head felt lighter. My temperature had eased to something manageable. My limbs didn't feel like concrete anymore.Then the realization hit me.My phone.D
I didn't wait long after Sera disappeared into the bathroom.The moment the door clicked shut behind her, I turned and left. There were things I needed to handle, questions that couldn't wait. One in particular.Damien.The corridors of the estate grew darker the deeper I went. A biometric scan slid open the final steel door, revealing the security chamber. Temperature-controlled, soundproofed. A room made for secrets.He was there, sitting—no, slumped—against the metal-backed chair. His wrists were bound to the armrests, clean white bandages wrapped over fresh blood. Medical staff had patched him up just enough to keep him conscious.His head hung low, his hair damp with sweat. A slow, uneven breath. He looked... like hell. Good.I stood still, just watching him. There was a time when we would've killed for each other. Now?Now I didn't even know what side he was on.A silent minute passed. Then two.Then, finally, he stirred. His fingers twitched. And his head rose.A slow smirk tu