perfume—warm, luxurious, far removed from the world Ayla had once known. She stood near a tall mirror, draped in a soft mauve dress that clung to her form just right. Viper, watching from the couch, nodded in approval.
"You look beautiful," he said simply.
Ayla smiled, unsure if it was the dress or the comfort she was slowly beginning to find in his presence. There was something in his voice—gentle, careful. Not like the monsters she'd seen in Daniel or the merciless men who had dragged her into the dark.
It had been weeks now. And while the questions still whispered in her heart, she couldn't deny that she felt safe here.
Even happy, sometimes.
"I feel…different," she admitted, turning toward him. "Like I'm living someone else's life."
Viper's eyes darkened. "Maybe it's time you lived your real one."
Ayla paused. "What do you mean?"
He stood, walking over slowly. "Nothing," he said with a faint smile, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just that you deserve this. All of it."
Her smile faded a little. Guilt tugged at her chest like chains. Leon's face flashed in her mind—his voice, his warmth. Her brother's laughter. The pain they must've felt when she disappeared. She swallowed hard.
"I wish Kalen knew I was okay."
Viper studied her, carefully. "One day, he will."
Before Ayla could ask more, the boutique's entrance bell jingled behind them. The soft chime was ordinary—but her body stiffened anyway. Viper turned casually to glance.
A man stood at the door, sharp in black. Cold fury in his eyes.
Leon.
Everything froze.
Ayla's breath caught. Her hand trembled, the fabric of the dress slipping between her fingers.
Leon's gaze locked on hers—pure emotion, raw and unguarded. Pain. Rage. Disbelief.
Viper moved slightly in front of her, protective without speaking.
But Leon didn't pull a weapon.
He didn't need to.
His voice was low, gravel coated with betrayal. "I've been looking for you."
Ayla stepped forward slowly, heart pounding in her throat. "Leon… I didn't know—"
"Didn't know what?" His voice cracked. "That you'd be smiling with him? That you'd vanish without a word? That you'd make me think you were gone?"
Viper remained silent, eyes watching every shift in Leon's posture.
"I was taken," she said, voice small. "Daniel gave me away.
Leon looked between them, eyes glinting with fury. "And what now, Ayla? Are you staying here? With him?"
She looked at Viper, then back at Leon.
"I don't know," she whispered.
And that broke him more than any lie ever could.