Victoria_Xoxo

He chuckled. “What’s with the face?”

I blinked. “What?”

“You’re blushing.” His voice held a teasing lit, and I could practically hear the smirk behind it.

“Oh.” I raised a hand to my cheek, rubbing absently, only to feel the warmth spreading across my skin. My lips twisted into a small, guilty smile.

Leo’s eyes gleamed with amusement. There was something about the way he looked at me—steady, knowing—that made me uneasy. Not because I felt uncomfortable, but because I had spent so long misunderstanding him.

Why hadn’t I seen his loyalty from the start? Why had I assumed he wanted me for business, for something transactional? A pang of guilt settled in my chest.

“This place is…” I started, glancing around, searching for words.

He leaned back slightly, one arm draped over the chair. “Deserving of a heiress,” he finished smoothly. “I had a work break.”

A warm rush of gratitude filled me, but it was quickly dampened by a lingering thought. Cassie had mentioned something earlier—something about Ophelia storming into Leo’s office. My fingers curled slightly against the tablecloth.

Kill Lila!

<p>The night was a cloak, thick and impenetrable, concealing us as we crept into Leo's mansion. The silence was so absolute it pressed against my ears, amplifying every cautious breath and every nervous heartbeat hammering against my ribs. Shadows stretched across the marble floor like long-forgotten ghosts, watching, waiting.</p>

<p>Leo's home was nothing like mine—nothing like the damp, suffocating spaces I had once called shelter. His mansion was a marvel, a testament to luxury and security, a place that had been built to be admired. It was modern, vast, and breathtakingly beautiful, standing in stark contrast to the filth and desperation I had lived through for weeks.</p>

42. Home. Lila pov