I spent the rest of the afternoon in my actual bedroom. The one with windows, the one that felt less like a cage. Silas had moved me back after the press conference, declaring the immediate threat contained.
I didn't believe him. Dante didn't strike me as someone who backed down after one setback.
But I was too exhausted to argue.
My phone vibrated. The new one Silas had given me. A text from him.
Silas: Dinner at 7. Formal dining room. Wear the red dress in your closet. Hair down. No jewelry except the ring.
I looked at the diamond on my finger. It caught the light, throwing rainbows across the wall. Beautiful. Expensive. A lie.
Another text.
Silas: And Elena? Tonight is important. Don't disappoint me.
I walked to the closet. The red dress was hanging front and center, impossible
