Page 107

I turn away from him, pressing a hand to my stomach, trying to quiet the whirlwind inside me. My mother is safe. Because of Mikhail.
I don’t know what to do with that.
I spent months convincing myself that he was the villain, that running was my only choice. But now… Now I’m not sure of anything.
The room feels too small, like the walls are closing in, like his presence is everywhere, pressing down on me. I walk toward the kitchen on unsteady legs, needing something—distance, air, anything to keep me from looking at him.
I reach for a glass, my fingers trembling as I fill it with water from the sink. But before I can take a sip, I feel it—the heat of his body behind me. I don’t turn around.
“You’re shaking,” he says, his voice quiet, controlled.
I grip the glass tighter. “I’m fine.”
A pause. Then—a heavy exhale.
I feel his hand hover near my lower back, not touching, but close enough that I can feel the heat of him.
“Sit down,” he says, and for once, there’s no command in his voice.
I shake my head, taking a sip of water, trying to steady myself. “I don’t need?—”
“Lila,” he cuts me off, his tone firmer this time.
I squeeze my eyes shut. I hate how easily he can read me. Slowly, I turn around, my back pressing against the counter as I meet his gaze.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask.
“Wouldn’t have made any difference,” he says.
I let out a sharp laugh, shaking my head. “You think keeping secrets is the way to keep me here?”
“I don’t care if you hate me. I just need you to be safe.”
Just then, the doorbell rings.
I freeze, my fingers tightening around the edge of the counter. Across from me, Mikhail goes still, his body going rigid like a predator sensing something is off.
A quiet, creeping tension settles into the room, thick and unnerving.
Before I can say anything, he’s already moving.
“I’ll get it,” he says, his voice flat, unreadable.
I frown. “Who would even?—”
But he’s already at the door, pulling it open, his entire frame blocking the entryway like a human shield.
And then I see them.
Maggie and Alex.
Maggie’s eyes widen the second she sees me, and before I can react, she throws herself forward, her arms wrapping around me in a crushing embrace.
“Thank God you’re okay!” she breathes against my shoulder, gripping me like she’s afraid I’ll vanish again.
I stumble, caught off guard. “Maggie?—?”
She pulls back, her hands still gripping my arms. “Alex said you jumped out of a moving car! Are you insane?”