Soraya's POV
The night stretched endlessly, refusing to give me sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Asha's face—scared, confused, calling out for help that never came.
No one would tell me where she was. Not the guards. Not Ethan. Not anyone.
By dawn, I couldn't take it anymore. The palace walls felt like a cage closing in. I needed answers—and I knew exactly where to find them.
Lila.
She had been at the center of it all—her cryptic words, her veiled threats. She knew something, and I was done pretending patience.
I rose from bed, pulled on my cloak, and stormed to the door. The guards stationed there straightened immediately.
"Take me to Lila's house," I ordered.
They exchanged hesitant glances before one nodded. "Yes, my lady."
The hallways were still bathed in the gray light of early morning, the air cool and still. My boots echoed against the marble floors as we moved through the corridors.
But halfway there, fate made the confrontation easier.
