Lila's POV
The flashlight was slippery in my sweaty palm as I forced my legs to move. My slippers made no sound on the rug as I stepped into the office, moonlight casting long shadows across Lucien's desk. The silhouette at the computer didn't notice me — their fingers moving fast, adjusting a thumb drive in the back of the terminal.
Heat rushed up my neck, burning away my hesitation.
Turn back. This isn't your problem.
Except it kind of was. Everything in this house had become my problem the second I moved in.
I lifted the flashlight like a club and cracked the silence.
"Who's there?"
My voice shook the room, louder than I meant it to. It bounced off the walls and glass cabinets, echoing sharply.
The shadow froze. Their hand stopped dead over the glowing screen. For a long second,
