Liliana stood in the doorway like a shadow given bone and breath.
Alive.
Smiling.
Beautiful in the same way a venomous flower is beautiful—delicate petals wrapped around poison.
Her hair, wet from the fading storm, clung to her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled with a feverish light, dancing across the room, taking in every detail.
Sasha’s shaking form.
Demetri’s clenched jaw.
Nora’s protective stance.
The unconscious woman—Sasha’s mother—on the floor.
Liliana’s smile only widened.
“Oh,” she purred. “You opened the wrong door first.”
Demetri lunged.
He didn’t shout.
He didn’t warn.
He moved like a weapon.
Ivan grabbed him just in time, grappling him backward.
“Sir—no!” Ivan hissed. “She wants this!”
Liliana tilted her head, amused.
“Do try to behave, Demetri. You always were Dadd
