The Kidnap. Leo pov

One minute, we were talking about Ophelia and an arranged marriage. The next, we were chasing someone who seemed to be after us. The shift was so sudden it felt like stepping from a sunlit room into a pitch-black tunnel.

When I saw Lila dart across the street, my heart leaped into my throat. I couldn't bear the thought of losing her again. Not after everything we'd been through. Without a second thought, I ended the call with my business associate and took off after her, my footsteps echoing hers as we weaved through shadowy streets.

I caught up with her at a dead end in a narrow, dark valley. The air was thick with dampness, and the only light came from the pale glow of the full moon above. It bathed everything in a ghostly sheen, turning Lila's frightened face into a mask of desperation.

"Lila," I said, breathless, my voice cracking under the weight of fear.