The metallic scent of blood still lingered in the air as Lydia's eyes fluttered open. Her wrists ached from the rope that once bound them, and her head throbbed from the chloroform Cassandra had used. A dull ache pulsed behind her temples, but her first thought wasn't of pain — it was of Jaden.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the concrete hallway.
"Lydia," his deep voice came through the haze, urgent but calm.
She blinked rapidly, and through the fog, she saw him — tall, sharp, his white shirt torn at the sleeves, streaked with dust and blood. His eyes found hers and softened instantly. Without hesitation, he knelt beside her and began untying the ropes.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
"No… I don't think so." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Where's Cassandra?"
He looked away for a moment — a flicker of darkness crossed his expression. "Gone. For now."
Something in his tone made her heart clench.
It wasn't fear… it was restraint. Like he was holding something back.
When he helped her up, she noticed his hands were trembling — not from weakness, but from rage barely contained. She wanted to ask what happened, but the look in his eyes told her not to.
They moved quickly, out through a side exit that opened to the pier. The night air was cold, stinging Lydia's skin as they ran to his car parked behind a stack of cargo crates. He opened the door for her and slid into the driver's seat, starting the engine without a word.
The ride back to the city was silent. Only the hum of the tires filled the void.
Lydia watched him — his jaw tight, his eyes fixed ahead.
But Cassandra's last words echoed in her mind like a curse.
> "You think you know who he is? You think he loves you? You don't even know what he's hiding…"
Lydia's chest tightened. She tried to shake it off, but the thought gnawed at her.
Was Cassandra lying? Or was Jaden really hiding something dark… something that would destroy everything between them?
When they reached the penthouse, Jaden finally spoke.
"Go upstairs, get some rest," he said quietly, not looking at her.
"And you?"
"I'll join you later."
She hesitated. The man she once trusted with every heartbeat now felt distant — colder than she'd ever seen him. She wanted to reach for him, to ask what was wrong, but her voice failed her.
He turned away before she could speak.
And as Lydia climbed the stairs, her heart felt heavier with each step.
Behind her, Jaden stood by the glass wall, staring out into the city lights — and in the faint reflection, a shadow of guilt flickered in his eyes.
Something was wrong.
And Lydia could feel that the secret Cassandra hinted at… was something that might shatter
everything she thought she knew about him.