Held between Fear and Trust
“Not until she says you can.”
Fear rippled through the crowd. Some tried to crawl back. Others cried. A few begged. None of it mattered.
Ethan turned away from them and walked back into the mansion.
Up on the balcony, Lily stood frozen.
Her fingers were wrapped tightly around the iron grill behind her, knuckles pale. The screams below had faded, replaced by a suffocating silence. When she heard footsteps, her breath hitched.
“Lily.”
She turned slowly.
Ethan stood a few feet away, his shadow stretching toward her under the balcony lights. She didn’t move closer. She didn’t move away. Her eyes were wide—not with hatred, not with anger—but with something closer to fear mixed with disbelief.