The safehouse lay hidden at the edge of the city, cloaked in ivy and shadows. To the world, it looked like an abandoned hunting lodge: broken shutters, cracked stone, weeds creeping up its sides. But inside, Damian’s men had fortified it with steel locks, hidden weapons, and secret escape tunnels.
It was meant to be impenetrable.
To Adriana, it felt like a gilded cage.
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Damian guided her inside without a word. His hand was firm on her lower back, steadying her when her steps faltered. The warmth of his touch should have been a comfort, but instead it sparked a storm of contradictions inside her—desire tangled with doubt, fear laced with yearning.
She remembered Isabella’s voice like a serpent in her ear: “When he must choose between you and power, he will not hesitate. You will los
