CHAPTER FIFTY
LILA
My heels clink against the filthy concrete as my dress drags behind me. I’m walking through New York City at ten o’clock at night in a custom gown, practically begging to be robbed or kidnapped. But it’s Friday night. All the taxis are gone.
Since my dick of a man ditched me and left me to wander the streets alone?
Yeah. Why the hell not? Tonight, it should have ended differently.
Aster, my fairy godmother, dressed me up for a ball.
I should have been the one to run from him like Cinderella.
Instead, he left me. I should have danced the night away, caught in a whirlwind of magic.
I should have dropped something behind so he would come after me.
But the only thing I left behind was my heart.
RING. RING. RING. INCOMING CALL - MOM
Finally. Someone to talk to.
I swipe the screen and press the phone to my ear. “Hey, Mom,” I mutter, my voice low as I step around a pile of trash bags on the curb. I sound as drained as I feel.
“Hey, honey,” she says warmly. “You sound bummed. Didn’t you have fun tonight?”
I glance around at the blur of passing headlights, wondering if one of them could be him. Or maybe someone new. Someone who doesn’t leave me with emotional whiplash. “It was okay,” I say, adjusting the strap of my dress. “Nothing special. Just the usual chaos.”
“I’m sorry… Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.”
“It will be.” A soft smile creeps in, the first one I’ve felt in hours. “I’m coming to see you.” “I can’t wait!” she says, her voice instantly brighter. “Did you ask Beck about me?”
I pause at the corner of the block, staring up at a flickering streetlamp as it blinks overhead. A chill runs down my spine. Something feels off, like something bad is already happening… or about to.
“Umm… yeah. And weirdly, he had no idea what I was talking about. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on.”
“What? That doesn’t make sense… I literally saw him yesterday.” Her voice tightens with confusion. “Do you believe him?”
I rub my forehead as the headache creeps in. “Honestly, Mom? Yeah. I believe him. He’s like a golden retriever in human form. Sweet. Loyal. Too honest for his own good.” But then my heart skips.
Wait. Could it be Volkov? Would he really go after my parents to get to me? No. No. He wants me. Not them. He wouldn’t. Would he?
“Mom,” I say, suddenly tense, “can you describe him for me? Any distinct features?”
“Of course. How could I not? He’s stunning.” She giggles.
“Mom. I’m serious. Focus!”
“Well… he’s tall and masculine. Great build. His voice is smooth as honey. And his smile? Bright white. He has a deep dimple on one side.”
I freeze. “Wait. A dimple?”
“Yeah. It pops out when he beats me at gin rummy!”
Dimples are common. I try to remind myself of that. But I know for a fact Volkov doesn’t have one. So, it can’t be him.
“Okay… what else?”
“His hair is dark brown. Wavy, but neat. And his eyes are bright green. They light up when he talks about his mom. ”
Green eyes. Brown hair. A dimple. My pulse starts to race. No. This can’t be happening.
“Anything else?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Oh, and he has a little freckle. Just above his upper lip.”
My stomach twists so hard I almost double over.
No. No. No.
It’s Kage. He has been playing me. All this time. But this? This is different. This is unforgivable. Mess with me all you want. Lie to me. Toy with me. Break my heart a thousand times. But not her. Not my mom. Not the woman fighting for her life. This isn’t a game anymore. He has crossed a line.
Just wait until Monday. I’ll be in his office first thing. I will be cool, calm, and collected. And then I will tear him apart piece by piece. If he brought some French girl back with him? She can have him! I am done playing nice.
“Mom,” I say through gritted teeth, “stay away from him! He’s dangerous!”
There is a pause. “Honey,” she says slowly, “I really don’t think we’re talking about the same person…”
“I’m serious. He puts on a facade! Don’t let him fool you. He’s in Paris right now. He gets back Sunday night. I’ll talk to him Monday.”
“Are you sure he’s in Paris? Because he is supposed to swing by—”
“Mom, sorry to cut you off, but I just got home and I’ve got to walk up all these stairs…You know I can’t talk and exercise at the same time.”
She laughs. “Okay, sweetie! Call me when you’re on the way tomorrow. ”
“I love you, Mom.” I stare up at my rundown apartment building, wondering why I’m still here.
Volkov knows where I live. His men brought me flowers. I’m not safe anymore. I really need to start searching for a new place to live.
I climb the dirty stairs, each step heavier than the last, my dress dragging behind me like regret.
The regret of ever walking into that bedroom on Halloween night.
The glitter is gone. The night is over. And I’m not the girl everyone saw on the dance floor.
They probably thought I was some celebrity on Beck’s arm. But I’m not. I never was.
The city hums outside, but in here, as I walk barefoot up the stairs to my apartment, there is only silence. Silence… and a heart that wanted too much.
My heels dangle from my fingers. My hope is still out there somewhere, bleeding on the ballroom floor beneath a velvet mask. And I am left with nothing but quiet and the kind of loneliness that seeps into your bones and stays.
My phone buzzes.
THE RED MASK: YOU CAN’T STAY THERE.
THE RED MASK: LEAVE. NOW.
It’s him. The Phantom. Or should I say the Red Mask? Who cares… he’s the same asshole who keeps leaving me. Why should I listen to him? He’s done nothing but break me, repeatedly.
But my stomach twists because something felt off when I was walking home. Each step toward my apartment feels heavier, like an anchor dragging me down. My legs begin to shake.
I am scared.
I stop in front of my door, and I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It has been kicked in. The frame is splintered, the lock shattered. The door hangs open for anyone to see .
I have to go in. My whole life is in this one room.
“Hello?” I whisper. “Anyone there?”
The door creaks open, and my breath catches. Tears sting my eyes before I even step inside. My apartment…
It’s destroyed. Ransacked. Furniture overturned. Glass shattered. Groceries ruined. Drawers ripped out and dumped across the floor. And scrawled across the wall in red spray paint that drips like blood down my beige wall:
I WARNED YOU.
Then across the massive floor-to-ceiling window, in thick, black, dripping paint:
WHEN I GET OUT… YOU ARE MINE, LILA. YOURS TRULY, VOLKOV
My heart slams against my ribs.
I have to leave this apartment. This city.
Maybe even this country. But I can’t go to the police.
I can’t tell a soul. If he finds out… he will go after the people I love.
I have to be smart. But where can I go? Not a hotel.
I can’t afford it. Not the hospital. That puts my parents at risk.
Not Aster’s. Beck is there, and that puts them in danger too. I’m out of options.
My hands tremble. Sweat clings to every inch of my skin.
I drop to my knees and yank my pink duffel bag from under the bed.
I’m shaking so badly I can barely hold anything, but I start grabbing clothes, handfuls of them, stuffing them inside.
I rip my charger from the wall and toss it in.
I probably won’t be coming back. Whatever I need must fit in this bag.
I rush to the bathroom, snatch my toiletry bag, and shovel in every cream, lotion, bottle of body wash, shampoo, and conditioner I can grab. Still wearing the damn ballgown, I throw on socks and shove my feet into sneakers .
If I need to run, I need to be ready. There’s no time to change. They could come back. They could already be watching. Where is a safe place to hide?
Then it hits me. I grab my phone and call. It rings. And it rings again.
“Lila? You good?” Beck’s voice is calm. Soft. Innocent.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just got home. But would it be okay if I came to clean your place tonight?”
“Tonight? It’s late!”
“I had an energy shot after the party, and I’m wide awake. Besides, I still owe you.”
“Of course. You’re welcome anytime. There’s no one there, and no one will be dropping by to interrupt you! Kage is in Paris.”
I sigh. I do not need the reminder.
Beck continues. “When you get there, just enter your Social Security number into the keypad. You’re already in the system.”
If I weren’t terrified, I would yell at him for having my social. But now is not the time. I will save that for next week… If I’m still alive.
“Got it. Where are the cleaning supplies?”
“They’re downstairs, in the closet next to the pantry. And if you get hungry, feel free to help yourself. There are plenty of guest rooms, so please stay over.”
His sincerity makes my throat tighten. Why can’t every guy be like him? “Thank you, Beck.”
“Of course. Call me if you need anything.”
In the background, I hear Aster giggling and shouting, “I love you! I’ll see you at the hospital in the morning!”
My smile fades. My heart aches in silence. “Love you guys. Text me the address, please.” I press the end button .
For a moment, I stand there. Numb. Dissociated. Lost.
Why can’t I have that? A normal life. A real relationship. Peace. Happiness. The kind of quiet where you can actually sleep without fearing what tomorrow might bring.
Everything around me moves in slow motion.
My watch keeps buzzing from my heart rate, but I can’t even panic.
I don’t have time. I have to move. I have to get out of here.
But I’m not just running. I’m carrying the weight of a past that never let go.
And now? That past isn’t just haunting me.
It’s hunting me. And this time, I don’t know if I’ll survive it.