Alina’s POV
That was when I understood something terrifying.
Running wasn’t enough anymore. If Estelle won, she would hunt Leo for the rest of his life.
And Sebastian…
Sebastian would lose everything. Unless he found me. And unless I chose to stop hiding.
I pressed my palm to Leo’s chest, feeling his steady heartbeat.
“No one takes you,” I whispered.
Not Estelle. Not the Blackwells. Not even the man who helped create you.
If Sebastian wanted me back… It wouldn’t be for love.
It would be for war.
—-
Hiding has a sound.
People think it’s silence, but it isn’t. It’s the low hum of vigilance that never shuts off. The way your breath catches at footsteps that aren’t meant for you.
The way every knock, even the gentle ones feels like a verdict waiting to be read aloud.
I learned t
