~ Damon ~
The envelope still sat on my desk, untouched since Nathalie handed it to me. The photo inside was face up, catching the lamplight just right, almost like it was taunting me.
Lila.
There she was, all alone on the terrace.
Perfectly framed, as if someone had been waiting for the exact moment to capture her. Watching her.
And in the distance, a shadowy silhouette. Just standing there.
On the back of the photo, five words stared back at me:
“You’re not protecting her enough.”
I must have read that line at least twenty times. It wasn’t just a threat; it felt deeply personal. Whoever sent this knew more than just Lila’s name.
They understood what she meant to me.
Even if I hadn’t fully grasped it myself yet.
I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my fingers along my jaw. My tie
