LILY
The doors closed behind them, and the house went unnervingly still.
No shouting. No footsteps. No smug laughter echoing through marble halls.
Just silence.
It rang in my ears, sharp and disorienting, like I’d stepped out of a storm too fast. My hands were trembling, though I hadn’t realized it until I tightened my grip around the ceramic cup I was still holding. I set it down slowly, afraid I might drop it if I didn’t.
Ace stood across from me.
Alone now.
No audience. No enemies to shield me from what came next.
My chest felt too tight, like something inside me was clawing to get out.
“Lily,” he said quietly.
The sound of my name was the last straw.
I laughed — a short, broken sound that startled even me. “Don’t.”
He stopped.
“I need to talk to you,” he said.
“No,” I rep
