(Laila's pov)
The words hung in the air, sharp and urgent. I spun toward the doorway, eyes wide.
He stood there, drenched from the storm outside, a silhouette framed by the flickering hallway light. His presence was sudden and impossible to ignore.
"Rafe," I breathed, disbelief twisting in my chest. "How—?"
"Didn't think you'd sign without me showing up," he said, stepping inside, shaking off the rain. His voice was low but steady, like a tether pulling me back from the edge.
Adrian's dark eyes narrowed, the corner of his mouth twitching as if amused—or perhaps annoyed. "So, this is your backup plan?"
Rafe's gaze locked on Adrian's with something fierce—dangerous. "I'm not here to play games, Voss. Whatever deal you think you're making, you're not touching my sister."
I took a shaky step toward Rafe, heart pounding in my throat. Relief crashed over me like waves—he had come just in time. But the cold in the room didn't thaw; if anything, it deepened.
Adrian leaned back against his desk, arms crossed, cool as ever. "You're brave, Rafe. Or maybe just foolish."
"Maybe both," Rafe said, voice hardening. "But if you want to make a deal, you make it with me. Not her."
I glanced down at the contract still open on the desk, the pen lying untouched. This moment was a crossroads. Sign and live with chains I didn't understand, or fight—and risk losing everything.
"Laila," Rafe said, stepping closer, "we find another way. I promise."
I wanted to believe him. I needed to.
Adrian's smile was thin, dangerous. "You're playing with fire, both of you. I suggest you think carefully before you burn."
Thunder rolled outside, shaking the glass, but inside that office, it was the storm between us that threatened to break everything.