Once Ava was discharged, she went to her apartment, hoping for answers. But when she arrived, the door was ajar, and a stranger lived there now. Every familiar corner, every trace of her existence, had been replaced. Her hands shook as she touched the empty shelves.
"This… this isn't possible," she muttered.
Her phone buzzed. Lucien. He never called—he appeared when he wanted, and the fact he was in her headspace made her blush and tremble.
"Don't touch anything," his voice was silk and steel. "Sit on the couch. You need to understand your situation fully."
She obeyed. Always obeyed, it seemed. His presence had a gravity that pulled her in, mixing fear and desire in a way she couldn't resist.
"You've been erased," he said. "And they'll come for you if you start looking too hard. I've protected you until now… but it's only going to get more dangerous."
Ava swallowed, thinking about the heat in her chest and the way her body responded to him. Every word he spoke seemed to ignite something inside her, making her shiver even when he wasn't touching her.
He moved closer, fingers grazing her jawline lightly. "Do you understand?"
"Yes," she whispered, though she wasn't sure what exactly she was agreeing to.
"Good," he murmured. And for a moment, the line between fear and desire blurred entirely, leaving her heart racing and body aching