The hallway was quiet after the knock, but my chest wouldn't stop hammering every second. Every instinct screamed danger.
Lucien's hand remained on my shoulder, heavy and steady, yet the warmth did nothing to calm me. His eyes scanned the shadows at the far end of the hall, his jaw tight, lips pressed into a line I'd never seen relaxed.
"Who is it?" I whispered, my voice trembling despite my best effort.
He didn't answer. Not yet.
A single figure emerged from the shadows. I didn't recognise the silhouette at first - the tall frame, elegant gait, and long coat made it seem… almost untouchable. The hallway lights flickered over a glint of metal, a sharp edge catching the light, and my stomach dropped.
Lucien's posture stiffened. Every inch of him radiated warning.
"Step back," he said, voice low, controlled - but there was an edge to it now, one I hadn't heard before.
I did as he said, stepping closer to the wall, feeling the cold marble beneath my fingertips. My pulse raced.
The figure stopped a few steps from us. The air between us grew thick, almost choking. I could hear my own heartbeat as if it were a drum announcing doom.
"Lucien Blackwood," the figure said, voice calm, smooth, and dangerous. "Still playing guardian, I see."
Lucien didn't flinch. He didn't blink. His hand tightened slightly on my shoulder.
"And who are you?" he asked, voice sharp.
The stranger smiled - just slightly, just enough to be unsettling. "A friend. Or an enemy, depending on how you respond."
My stomach lurched.
"What do you want?" Lucien demanded.
The stranger's gaze flicked to me, lingering far too long. My skin crawled under the intensity.
"You brought her here," the figure said. "Did you tell her the truth?"
Lucien's jaw tightened, his eyes darkening. "I told her what she needed to know."
The figure laughed softly. "Needed to know? That's generous. She deserves the rest."
My stomach plummeted.
"What rest?" I demanded. My voice shook, but I refused to look away.
The stranger's smile widened. "The kind that will change everything she thought she knew. About her mother. About this family. About herself."
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
Lucien's hand slid from my shoulder, fingers brushing my arm - not touching, not comforting, but possessive enough to make me realise how much he wanted control in this moment.
"Stay behind me," he said quietly, almost a growl.
I froze.
"I'm not afraid," I said, though my voice cracked.
"Good," Lucien said. "You should be."
The stranger tilted their head, voice calm and mocking. "I hope you're ready, little West. You're about to inherit a life you never asked for… and enemies you can't see."
Lucien's gaze hardened. He stepped forward, shielding me. His body moved with precision, a predator guarding territory.
"Leave," he said. "Now."
The stranger's smile didn't waver. "Not yet. Not until she knows her mother's debt will touch her, whether she wants it or not."
My throat went dry.
Lucien's hand brushed mine briefly as he shifted closer. Just a touch, enough to make my skin flare. My chest tightened - not just from fear, but from something else I wasn't ready to name.
"Why are you letting this happen?" I whispered, almost too quietly.
Lucien's eyes flicked to mine, fierce, unreadable. "I'm not letting it happen. I'm preparing you for it."
"Preparing me?!" I snapped. "I didn't ask for any of this!"
"You didn't ask to be born into it either," he said quietly, his gaze returning to the stranger. "Step away."
The stranger laughed again, low and dangerous, the sound echoing off the marble walls. "You can't protect her forever, Lucien."
For a split second, he looked almost human - just for a second - before his control snapped back into place. His jaw clenched, and I could feel the air thicken around him.
"Enough," he said, voice sharp and final.
The stranger tilted their head one last time, eyes glinting. "Enjoy your illusion of safety, both of you. Just know, it won't last."
And just like that, they were gone.
The hallway was silent again, but the echo of their words lingered.
I pressed my back against Lucien, needing him, hating the need, hating how much I did. My pulse raced, and the adrenaline in my veins made my hands shake.
"You… you have to tell me," I said, voice trembling. "Who was that? What did they mean?"
Lucien's eyes were dark, and for the first time, I saw a hint of vulnerability - fear - not for himself, but for me.
"You will know," he said, "when it's safe."
I shook my head. "Safe? Nothing about this has been safe!"
He stepped closer, and my chest tightened, my stomach twisting in ways that had nothing to do with fear.
"Not yet," he said softly, voice almost a whisper meant for me alone. "But you will need to trust me… if you want to survive."
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. Every instinct told me to run, to demand answers, to fight. But something inside me - the same thing that had trembled when he first stood in my hallway - said I couldn't.
And before I could even process it, the lights flickered again, darker this time.
A new sound came from the shadows of the hallway - soft, deliberate, and familiar.
Footsteps.
Close.
Coming.
And they weren't Lucien's.