The hallway lights were dim when they reached the top of the stairs.Layla’s hand was still in Elias’s.
She noticed he didn’t pull away, even when they stopped in front of a large dark door at the end of the corridor and Elias pushed it open.
“This is my room,” he said simply.
Layla stepped inside first.
The space was large but unexpectedly minimal. Dark wood furniture, clean lines, and very little clutter. A king-sized bed sat against the far wall, dressed in charcoal sheets and deep gray pillows. A single low lamp on the nightstand cast a soft amber glow that barely pushed back the shadows.
The rest of the room remained mostly dark.
A wide window stretched along one wall, the city lights faintly visible beyond the glass.
The room smelled faintly like cedar and something sharper — h
