LOGINKillian's POV
By the time I stepped into the hotel lounge with Liam at my side, she was already there, a glass of wine in front of her like it had been poured hours ago and she’d been waiting just to make a point.Her back was straight, eyes fixed on the glass until she heard my steps. Then she looked up, lips curling the way they always did when she wanted to remind me she knew more than she should.I checked my watch. Just a few seconds left before nine.Without breaking her stare, I moved closer and slid into the chair opposite her. Liam followed, taking the seat beside me like he belonged there.Her smile faltered for half a breath before she spoke. “I thought you said you wanted privacy, Killian. Why is Liam here?” Her voice was sweet on the surface, but the edge underneath was sharper than broken glass.I leaned forward, folding my hands on the table. “That’s my brother.”She gave a low laugh, the kind that carrIsla’s POV We pulled up in front of Daphne’s house with a shared, unspoken understanding that something wasn’t right. No one said it aloud, but it sat between us inevitably. We stepped out together, moving toward the gate with purpose, not urgency. Whatever Thorne was tangled in, it wasn’t something brute force could fix. If he was trapped inside some illusion, then charging in blind would only make it worse. The goal wasn’t confrontation, it was to pull him back, to shake him loose from whatever had wrapped itself around his mind.Then we saw him.Thorne stood just beyond the gate, motionless, his posture stiff, his gaze fixed straight ahead. He looked present, yet not fully here, like someone caught between waking and dreaming. He didn’t acknowledge our arrival. He didn’t move forward. He didn’t retreat.He just stood there, right at the threshold, as if he couldn’t enter without our permission.
Isla’s POV I was awake before the alarm even had a chance to go off, my body stirring on its own as if it already knew sleep would be pointless. Curiosity sat heavy on my chest, louder than any ringing clock could have been. No matter how hard I tried to lie still, my thoughts kept circling back to one thing, replaying Thorne’s words over and over until they felt carved into my mind.I rolled onto my side, staring ahead, unable to shake the urge pulling at me. Whoever this daughter was, whoever Thorne claimed to have found, must be me.The night before hadn’t offered answers, only questions, and they followed me into the early hours, refusing to loosen their grip.By the time I finally sat up, fully awake, there was no trace of sleep left in me. I wasn’t tired. I wasn’t calm. I was waiting. Waiting to see the truth he spoke of, waiting to see the daughter Thorne said he found.“Are you curious if it's you?” Killian as
Isla’s POV Killian came back without warning, jacket already half off, sleeves rolled like he’d peeled himself out of the world just to get back to me. I was still pretending to be annoyed when he stopped in front of me, eyes dragging over me slowly, like he was cataloguing proof that I was real and still here.“You’re smiling,” he said.“I’m not.”He reached out anyway, hooked a finger under my chin, tipped my face up just enough to make lying pointless. “You do this thing when you’re pretending you’re mad. Right here.” His thumb brushed the corner of my mouth. “It gives you away every time.”I swatted his hand. He caught my wrist easily, tugged me forward, and suddenly I was against him, my palms flat on his chest, feeling the steady certainty of him beneath my hands.“You disappeared,” I said.“I came back,” he replied, immediate, firm, like that was the only part that mattered.He leaned his foreh
Liam’s POV After what felt like forever trapped inside the car, watching time crawl instead of move, I finally saw the front door open. Daphne stepped out first, keys already in hand, Tasha close behind her, laughing about something I couldn’t hear. Mia followed last.They moved together toward Daphne’s car. I stayed where I was, engine off, watching. Daphne unlocked the doors, Tasha slid into the passenger seat, and Mia leaned in through the window to say something that made them both grin.Then the doors shut, the engine came alive, and the car rolled down the street.Mia stood there alone.I waited until the car disappeared completely, until the street returned to stillness, before opening my door. I stepped out slowly, dipping my hand into my jacket out of habit more than intention, and walked toward her.She turned when she heard my footsteps.“I hope I’m not the one stopping you from going out with them,
Liam’s POV My phone started buzzing nonstop on the nightstand, dragging me out of whatever half-sleep I’d slipped into. I grabbed it without checking the caller, ready to snap at whoever thought it was a good idea to call me at whatever hour this was.But the moment I saw her name on the screen, every trace of irritation died. She has no business with me unless Killian needs me.She didn’t waste time on greetings.“Killian needs you now. At the training ground.”Her tone alone told me it wasn’t optional. The line cut before I could ask anything.I sat up fully, rubbing my face as the weight of it settled. Killian didn’t call for me these days unless something was wrong, seriously wrong. And if she was the one delivering the message, then whatever pushed him to summon me was no small thing.I grabbed a shirt, decided against wearing it, and left my room with my pulse picking up for reasons I coul
Killian’s POV I stood in front of the mirror, knotting my tie, stealing glances at Isla sleeping on the bed. She’d knocked out right after dinner, right after I’d been busy pointing out constellations like a fool in love.I kept smiling at my own reflection, thinking of her then paused. Something shifted behind me.My eyes narrowed. I leaned closer to the mirror. Nothing. But I knew I’d seen something.I turned around slowly.The door which was closed a moment ago was now open. Just open. No footsteps. No sound.A chill crawled up my spine.I grabbed the gun from the drawer without a second thought.I stepped out into the hall and barely made it two paces when the door slammed behind me.I spun, grabbed the handle, tried forcing it open but it wouldn’t budge. I threw my weight into it, shoulder first, jaw clenched, but it held like someone was bracing it from the other side.Then som







