Chapter 40 – Whispers in the Dark
The silence in the house fractured like fragile glass. The heavy thud of footsteps echoed through the grand hallway, each one deliberate, measured, as though the intruder wanted to be heard. Lila’s hand flew instinctively to Damian’s arm, her pulse racing beneath her skin. The balcony doors remained wide open, letting the cold night air wash in, and with it the faint scent of pine and something more—something metallic, sharp, like the tang of blood.
Damian stiffened, his jaw tightening as his gaze darted toward the staircase that led down into the main hall. “Stay close,” he whispered, his voice low but commanding, the steel in it leaving no room for argument.
But Lila, though trembling, lifted her chin. Fear clawed at her chest, yet she refused to cowe
