Casey didn't sleep that night.
Silas's voice still echoed in her ears, dark and sticky like poison, clinging to every corner of her mind.
"You owe me, Casey. And debt doesn't vanish just because you're playing house with a mafia king."
She sat curled in the bed's farthest corner, knees pulled to her chest, one hand protectively over her bump, the other clenching the edge of the blanket. The silence of Ivan's estate was deceptive. Outside, guards paced the gardens with rifles strapped to their backs, and inside, it felt more like a prison than a home.
Morning spilled into the room, pale and unfriendly. The knock on the door made her flinch.
"Casey?" Mirella peeked in, her voice unusually cautious. "You alright?"
Casey blinked, then nodded once, even though she wasn't. "Yeah. I just didn't sleep."
Mirella stepped in, holding two mugs of something warm. "Coffee for me. Hot cocoa for you. Because mafia princesses don't get caffeine."
Casey gave a tired smile, her first in hours. "Thanks."
They sat on the edge of the bed, sipping quietly.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Mirella muttered.
"Something worse," Casey whispered. "Silas."
Mirella's brows lifted. "He was here?"
Casey nodded. "He found me. Told me I can't run from him. That everything I have—this house, the child, Ivan—he allowed it. And he can take it back."
Mirella cursed under her breath. "He's playing a long game. You need to tell Ivan."
Casey shook her head. "Ivan will kill him. Or get himself killed trying. I can't—"
The door burst open.
Ivan strode in, his face stormy, coat flying behind him like a shadow.
"You should've told me he was here last night," he growled. "I have eyes all over this estate."
Mirella stood quickly, sensing the tension. "I'll... be in the kitchen."
She was gone in seconds.
Casey rose slowly, heart thudding. "I didn't ask him to come. I didn't even know how he got in."
Ivan moved closer, his voice low and dangerous. "Silas Ashcroft is a snake. If he's near you, it means he wants something."
Casey's lips trembled, but she didn't break eye contact. "He wants me to betray you."
Silence.
Ivan's jaw clenched. "And will you?"
"No." Her voice cracked. "But he's not going to stop. He has things on me... things that—"
"I don't care," Ivan snapped, stepping closer. "I don't care about your past. You're here now. You're carrying my child."
Casey took a step back. "So that's all I am? A womb with legs?"
Ivan's eyes flashed. "Don't twist my words."
"Then what am I, Ivan? Because you don't look at me like a person. You look at me like a vault holding your most prized possession."
The silence between them was violent.
Ivan's fists curled at his sides. "I didn't choose this either, Casey. I don't want to care. But you being in danger—" he stopped himself. "It's not just about the child anymore."
Casey blinked.
"What?"
He looked away, as if the words cost him everything. "Forget it."
Before she could respond, the door opened again.
A tall man in a grey suit stepped in, flanked by two guards.
"Ivan Park?" the man asked, flashing a government ID. "Interpol. We need to talk."
Ivan stiffened. "Now's not a good time."
"It never is when it's about smuggling charges and missing diplomats."
Casey's blood ran cold.
Interpol? Here?
Ivan's glare was pure fire. "Give me ten minutes. Then I'll come down."
The agent gave Casey a pointed glance before leaving.
Once the door shut, Ivan turned to her, face unreadable.
"You need to disappear for a while," he said softly. "Until I clean this up."
Casey's breath caught. "Where?"
"Somewhere safe. I'll send Mirella with you. And one of my men."
"Wait—what about Silas? He's going to follow me."
Ivan's eyes darkened. "Let him try. If he touches you again... I'll bury him."
She didn't want to go. Not because she didn't trust Ivan—but because she was starting to feel something in this hellish, twisted house. And because running never worked.
But before she could argue, he stepped closer, pressing something into her hand.
A worn pendant. A single silver coin etched with a lion crest.
"My mother's," he murmured. "For protection."
Casey stared at him, heart stumbling.
"Why give this to me?"
"Because for the first time in years," Ivan said, his voice low, "I'm afraid of losing someone."
And with that, he walked away, leaving Casey holding a piece of his soul, not sure whether to protect it or break it.