Laila's pov
The lock's final click echoed like a judge's gavel, sentencing me to a fate I hadn't even begun to understand. The stranger stood motionless for a moment, his silhouette sharp against the rain-darkened windows, before stepping fully into the weak light.
I fought the urge to back away, though the room was small and offered no escape. His presence was a storm—cold, inevitable, and dangerous.
"Who are you?" I asked again, voice firmer, trying to steady the quake that threatened to break free.
He tilted his head, considering me with eyes like ice. "Someone from your past, Laila. Someone you tried to forget."
A flicker of memory flashed—painful, tangled, unresolved. A ghost I thought had vanished years ago.
"Why now?" I whispered. "Why show up here? Why come after me?"
His smile was a knife hidden behind a mask of calm. "Because the debts you owe don't vanish with time. They only grow. And the choices you've made—walking into Adrian Voss's world, signing that contract—have pulled you deeper into something far darker."
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling like lead in my chest.
"I'm here to offer you a choice," he said, voice low and deliberate. "Obey me, follow my rules, and maybe your brother walks free. Refuse, and everything you love burns."
My heart hammered, breath shallow. The room seemed to shrink, the shadows thickening around us.
"You think I have a choice?" I said, anger rising despite the fear. "Adrian Voss already owns me."
He chuckled—a sound without warmth. "Adrian is a player, yes, but I am the dealer. And this game… this game is far from over."
The storm outside intensified, rain slashing against the windows like fists. Thunder rumbled in the distance, mirroring the turmoil inside me.
Suddenly, the lights flickered violently, the weak hum of electricity cutting out.
Darkness swallowed the room whole.
For a long moment, all I could hear was the rain—and my own ragged breathing.
Then, in the blackness, his voice came again—closer, colder.
"Remember, Laila. Every choice has a price. And the clock is already ticking."