Lila's breath came in shallow pulls, her body frozen under the weight of Adrian's words. "Then you deal with the consequences."
A promise. A warning.
The silence in the room pressed in on her, thick as blood. She wanted to believe she still had a choice, that she wasn't already caught in the web of Adrian's will. But the truth burned inside her like a slow, smoldering fire.
She was here. With him.
And there was no turning back.
Adrian's gaze never wavered, his presence a shadow that swallowed the space between them. "You're thinking too much," he murmured, voice low, dangerous. "Say what's on your mind."
Lila swallowed hard. "You already know."
His lips curled, just slightly, but it wasn't amusement—no, it was something sharper. "I want to hear you say it."
She forced herself to stand, every muscle tight with defiance. "You don't get to control me, Adrian."