When Emily woke the next morning, sunlight poured through tall windows, gilding everything in soft gold. For a fleeting second, she thought it had all been a dream — the rain, the blood, the man.
Then she noticed her torn jacket folded neatly on a chair and a tray of untouched breakfast on the table.
Her heart thudded. Someone had been in the room while she slept.
And worse — she wasn't wearing her soaked scrubs anymore.
Her hands flew to the fabric of the shirt she had on — a clean white one, far too big to be hers. Someone had changed her clothes.
Her pulse spiked. She stumbled to the door, grabbed the handle — locked.
"Hello?" she called out. "Is someone there?"
A pause. Then, the faint click of a key.
The door opened, revealing a woman in a black uniform, her expression polite but unreadable. "Mr. Vale will see you now."
Emily's breath caught. "He's awake?"
"This way, Miss."
The woman led her down a long hallway lined with glass and books. Every inch of the house — or mansion, rather — screamed wealth and power. Yet, it didn't feel lived in. It felt controlled.
When the doors to the study opened, Emily froze.
Lucas Vale stood near the window, the morning light outlining his frame. A fresh bandage peeked from beneath his shirt collar. Even injured, he carried himself with calm authority, like the world moved on his terms.
"You should've left me there," he said without turning. His voice was deep, even, with a quiet menace that made her skin prickle.
"I couldn't just—"
"You could have." He finally turned to face her. His gaze met hers — steady, sharp, and far too aware. "But you didn't."
The words hung in the air.
He took a slow step closer. "Do you know what you saw last night, Emily?"
She swallowed hard. "I saw someone almost die."
"You saw more than that," he said quietly. "And now you're part of something you don't understand."
Her chest tightened. "I just wanted to help. That's it."
He studied her, expression unreadable. Then his tone shifted — softer, but still dangerous. "And that's exactly why you can't leave. Not yet."
Her breath caught. "You're joking."
"I don't joke."
She took a step back. "You can't keep me here."
He smiled faintly, almost amused. "Watch me."
The calm in his voice was worse than any threat.
As she stood there — heart pounding, trapped between fear and something she didn't want to name — Emily realized the truth.
She hadn't just saved a stranger that night.
She'd stepped into a world ruled by one man — and Lucas Vale had no intention of letting her walk out of it.