The silence inside the vehicle felt heavier than the explosions they had left behind.
Elara leaned her head against the cold glass, watching the city blur into streaks of light. Her body ached, her lungs still burned from smoke, but it was her thoughts that felt the most bruised.
She had crossed a line.
Not because she was kidnapped. Not because she was threatened.
But because Adrian had chosen her.
“You are staring,” Adrian said quietly.
Elara did not turn. “I am trying to understand what I survived.”
“You survived because you listened,” he replied.
“No,” she said. “I survived because you decided I was worth it.”
Adrian remained silent.
That silence told her more than words ever could.
The vehicle slowed as iron gates opened ahead of them. The estate appeared once again, illumi
