a's

nt I walked into the café near the Weston estate and spotted him at the counter: casually ordering

ell is he

ve, but I couldn't move. My feet froze in place, and my gaze locked on him as the past crashed over me, impossible to escape. A

osts had a way

enough to cut glass. Time hadn't worn him down; it had sharpened him, made him more refined. More dangerous. And hi

too many of my nights. It still sent a shiver d

e as smooth and lethal as ever.

e a breath, straightening my spine even as

amuse him. He stepped closer, the sharp lines of his face

his," he said, glancing around the quiet café with an

ter. Adrian didn't do "casual." Every word wa

ave time for his games. I had enough on my plate: Mira's silence, Leo Weston's im

nnocence. "What? A man can't g

d, narrowing my eyes. "You don't just stumble int

. And that was all the confirmation

actually," he said, his voice dipping lower. The way he

ing for me? The words echoed in my mind, setting every nerve on ed

s smirk deepening. "Come on, Lyra. That'

never f

curling through the air like smoke. "You

the knife, how to find the weak spot. But I wasn't that girl anymore, and

u think you're doing, whatever you want from me, forget

d just enough for me to catch a glimpse of the real Adrian. The one who played dir

. "You think you can just walk a

keeping my voice steady

me. There was anger there, but also something else: something poss

sence loomed over me, suffocating. "You think working for West

like he knew, sent panic crawling up my

you think, Lyra. You didn't just walk away from our world. You walked into a w

lms. "Whatever you think you know, keep it to y

ew darker, more infuriating. "Stay away? S

that sent shivers down my spine. "No matter how f

caught in my throat. Adrian Blackwood had always known how to make m

arm against my skin. "You

eaming to fight back, but I held my g

ever. "I'll see you soon," he said, his

shaking as I forced the

u can tell yourself that all you want, but deep down, you know the truth."

out, the bell above the door j

t finally easing enough to breathe. But my hands were sti

I'd done to escape, he was here, digging up the memories I'd spen

his world. Not when I was still p

y myself, but my mind wouldn't stop racing. Adrian di

was, it woul

could walk away, a small voice in the

ree. I nev