Ethan's POV
When I woke, the room was quiet.
The space beside me was empty, the sheets cool. Lila was gone.
A sharp jolt ran through me. My heart pounded as flashes of last night came rushing back—Lila's rage, the way she'd almost lunged for Soraya before I stopped her.
"Lila?" I called softly, glancing toward the adjoining bathroom. The door was open, the light off. I stepped closer and looked inside—empty. No sign of her.
A chill ran through me, sharper than the morning air that filtered in through the half-drawn curtains.
"Soraya," I whispered, the name barely leaving my lips as unease gripped my chest.
I didn't waste another second. Pulling on my shirt, I left the room and strode down the corridor, the hush of early morning wrapping around me. A few guards passed, nodding in greeting, unaware of the turmoil building in my chest.
When I reached Soraya's chambers, I pushed the door open quietly, holding my breath.
