Se connecterLeonardo's warning lingered at the back of my mind like a shadow refused to disappear, no matter how hard I tried to push it away. By the time I reached Avery's room, I forced myself to bury the thought.When I stepped inside, Avery immediately looked up from the bed."Well?" she asked anxiously.I smiled. "He agreed.""...He actually agreed?" She looked at me in disbelief.I nodded. "You'll stay with us for a while and work alongside me."For a moment, she simply stared at me as if she hadn't heard correctly. Then she let out a slow breath and laughed softly."I don't know whether I should thank him or be terrified.""You should probably do both."That earned a genuine laugh from both of us.An hour later, Avery was officially discharged. The nurse handed over her medication while reminding her to eat properly, drink plenty of water, and avoid unnecessary stress. Avery nodded so earnestly that even the nurse seemed convinced she'd actually follow every instruction.Outside, Adrian w
For a second, we just stared at each other.Her lips parted. "Ri... Riley..." Her voice was barely audible.She took a shaky step backward, then another as though she'd seen a ghost and collapsed.The moment Avery collapsed, my body moved before my mind could catch up."Avery!"I threw the car door open and ran to her. She lay motionless on the asphalt and for a second, I thought she was dead.My knees hit the ground beside her. "Avery!”My hands shook as I lifted her head onto my lap. "Avery, wake up.”Her eyes remained closed and panic clawed at my chest. No. No. No.Behind me, doors slammed. Footsteps approached and Leonardo and Adrian reached us.Leonardo crouched beside me. "Riley.”I barely heard him. My hands trembled as I pushed Avery's hair away from her face. She looked horrible and thin like she hadn't eaten properly in weeks. “Avery, please wake up."She didn't move. Adrian checked her pulse. "She's alive.”The words calmed me a bit."Adrian," Leonardo ordered. "Take her."
I couldn't stop staring at Leonardo."No wonder you reacted the way you did when you saw me dancing with him.”He nodded. "I didn't like seeing him near.”The honesty in his voice made my chest tighten and I looked away. "You could've told me.”"I wanted to." His answer came immediately. "But I wasn't sure why he approached you.”“Well, fair enough.”"We're going to find out why those men came after your family." His voice had become cold and determined. "We'll find out who sent them.”My heart skipped. A strange sense of hope stirred inside me. I'd spent fifteen years trying to figure out why my parents died. For the first time, I had someone standing beside me, someone who understood what it felt like to lose everything.I opened my mouth to respond when my eyes landed on the food containers sitting untouched on the table and already cold. "Oh no."Leonardo followed my gaze to the food and pointed accusingly at me. "This is your fault.""My fault?""You're the one who started talkin
I slowly placed my phone aside, then reached into my bag. "I still have something they left behind."I pulled out a silver chain. The metal had faded over the years, but I kept it polished as much as possible. "My parents gave it to me before they died.”Leonardo studied it carefully.I wrapped my fingers around the pendant."I don't even remember most of that day anymore.” My voice shook. "I was too young.”Then Leonardo quietly asked, "What happened?”"My parents supposedly died in a car accident." My voice trembled. "But my uncle didn't believe it.”Leonardo remained silent, listening."Then two days later, they came for him."Leonardo's eyes narrowed. "They?"I nodded. "Three men, they came asking for a key."Leonardo frowned. "A key?"I nodded again. "They kept saying my parents gave him a key.”I laughed weakly. "The problem was... my uncle didn't know what they were talking about.”I stared at the chain in my hands. Lost in memories I spent years trying to bury."My uncle hid m
"Wow," I muttered. "You switched personalities fast."Adrian ignored me. Leonardo glanced between us suspiciously. "What did I interrupt?""Nothing," Adrian answered so quickly it sounded suspicious.I bit back a laugh. "Absolutely nothing," I agreed.Leonardo looked unconvinced. Before he could question us further, Adrian spoke."We have a problem.”Leonardo's expression hardened. "What happened?”"The shooter poisoned himself this morning before we could question him.”"What?" Leonardo asked quietly."He had a capsule hidden in one of his teeth. By the time the guards realized what happened, it was too late.”A muscle ticked in Leonardo's jaw. "So whoever sent him made sure there won't be a loose end.”I suddenly felt cold, because that meant someone powerful was involved."What about Iris?" Leonardo asked. "Still refusing to cooperate."Adrian sighed. "She won't tell us who funded her but we traced the account used to transfer the money to her.”Leonardo immediately looked up. "An
The first thing I heard was the steady beeping of a machine.My head felt unbearably heavy. A dull throbbing spread through my entire body, making it feel impossible to move.I tried opening my eyes, but everything was blurry. The bright light above me hurt and keeping my eyes open felt impossible.I tried blinking several times until the room slowly came into focus. The ceiling above me looked unfamiliar. White and bright.The moment I attempted to move, a sharp pain shot through my shoulder and upper chest. A groan escaped my lips before I could stop it."Don't move." The deep voice instantly caught my attention.I slowly turned my head. Leonardo was sitting beside my bed and for a second I thought I was hallucinating. He looked terrible, his shirt was wrinkled, his jaw was covered in stubble. Dark circles sat beneath his eyes and he looked like someone who hadn't slept in days. The powerful, perfectly composed Leonardo Blackwood looked completely worn out.Relief flashed across his
The rest of my conversation with Damien felt normal. He stayed beside me, talking about random things while occasionally making fun of my dramatic relationship with staircases. “You really should avoid anything with steps,” he said casually. “That was one time.” “You fell down an entire stairca
By the time morning came, I somehow ended up back in the garden again with Damien. “You know,” Damien said, lounging lazily across from me, “at this point, I’m starting to think this garden belongs to you.” I rolled my eyes. “Maybe I just enjoy peace.” “You came to the wrong house for that.” A
I immediately looked away. “Nothing.” “That,” he said, pointing toward the direction Leonardo had disappeared, “did not look like nothing.” I grabbed my cup quickly, mostly to avoid eye contact. “You’re being dramatic.” Damien narrowed his eyes. “You just called Leonardo Mr. Blackwood.” I shrug
The words wouldn’t leave my head. Girls like her don’t last around men like Mr. Blackwood. Sooner or later, he’ll remember where he belongs. I hated how much those words stayed with me. Because the worst part? A small, annoying part of me believed them. Every time I closed my eyes, Clarisse’s vo







