LILY MOVED with precision, pistol drawn, senses stretched taut. Every step was measured, every shadow scanned. She had survived ambushes, explosions, and gunfire. She was no longer the girl who had hidden behind walls and people.
And yet, when she saw him, the chill that ran through her body was different. Not fear. Not uncertainty. Recognition.
Robert.
He was calmly stepping from the shadows as if the chaos around them did not exist, the man who had tried to own her life, now standing with that same chilling smile.
“Lily,” he said softly, voice smooth and warm. “You always look like you’re about to run.”
“I don’t run anymore,” she said, her voice steady, unwavering.
He tilted his head, studying her like she was an artifact. “But you belong to me. You always have. Every move you ma
