Chapter 39

Lila’s POV

I needed an escape. Not a long-term solution. Just a quick fix. A purge. Something to shut down the noise in my head, if only for a few hours.

I found myself at a high-end bar downtown. Dim lights, soft jazz, and the clink of expensive glasses. It was the kind of place where discretion was understood. I ordered a neat whiskey, letting the burn slide down my throat. My eyes scanned the room, not for conversation, but for possibility.

Then I saw him. Older. Silver at the temples, but with the sharp lines of a man who still worked out. Intense eyes that seemed to miss nothing. A powerful aura, like a predator at rest. He sat alone at the bar, nursing a drink, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. He was perfect. No softness. No complications. Just pure, undeniable presence.

I walked over. My heels clicked softly on the polished floor. I leaned against the bar, close enough for him to notice, but not so close as to seem desperate. He fina