Page 145 of In Shadows We Dance

"Your father loves you, my darling. He just never learned how."

"And the girl?" An unfamiliar note enters his voice. "Who is she to you?"

I glance at Ileana. She’s shifted slightly, curling toward the space I left behind. The lamp’s glow highlights a faint bruise onher temple, a reminder of everything she’s endured.

“She’s everything.” The words carry echoes of what my grandmother once promised me—protection, understanding, unconditional support.

"She’ll be staying with you?"

"Yes."

"Is that her choice?"

"Yes."

The space between heartbeats expands, while more memories surface. Countless moments waiting, hoping he'd appear, that he'd choose presence over absence. My grandmother's hand on my shoulder.

"Come along, dear. I've made cocoa."

"Twelve hours. Stay hidden until I contact you."

"You'll help?" My voice betrays the vulnerability I’m trying desperately to ignore. My grandmother would have recognized the cost of this question.

A pause precedes his response, tinged with recognition. "You've never asked me for anything before. Not once."

"I'm asking now." The words taste like the tea she used to make whenever my parents broke their promises—chamomile with honey, served in her best china. I fucking hated it, but I loved what it meant.

His sigh bridges impossible distances. "I'll handle it, Wren. I promise."

Silence replaces his voice. The phone grows cold in my palm as I watch Ileana. She curves toward the empty space, fingers spread across the sheets. I strip out of my clothes and slide beneath the covers. Her body recognizes mine, melding against my side, head claiming its territory on my chest. My arms wrap around her.

Her trust resonates through my bones. Solitude defined my existence after my grandmother's death. Independence marked every choice. Yet here, as her fingers trace invisible patterns on my skin, her breath warming my neck, there’s one thing I’mcertain about—I'll challenge the universe itself to make sure she keeps her freedom.

My phone lights up with a message from Nico.

Nico: We're ditching our phones. They know you got out during the chaos.

Me: Stay safe. Go dark. Get new phones. I'll handle it from here.

I drop it onto the mattress beside me, the screen dimming as I trace the outline of her lips. Her existence has realigned my world. Initial fascination became obsession, and evolved into fundamental necessity—compelling enough to shatter years of silence with my father.

My grandmother would have understood. She would have seen Ileana's worth instantly, probably had her settled in the library with tea and stories about the shows she’d danced in within minutes.

My eyes close, focused on her steady breaths. My arms tighten when her leg weaves between mine, her warmth anchoring me to this moment. For the first time since losing my grandmother, the emptiness in my chest feels less absolute.

Tomorrow, my father's authority will guarantee her safety. Tonight, I maintain vigil over her dreams. Each minute propels us toward resolution. Toward freedom in daylight.

Let Agent Miller exhaust himself searching for us. Tomorrow will teach him what a forgotten child, armed with his grandmother's wisdom and his father's power, will do to protect what matters.

CHAPTER 75

Awakening Hunger

ILEANA

I awaken slowly,my body sinking into the unfamiliar comfort of a real bed. The sheets are soft, caressing my skin in a way that makes me hyperaware of the fact I’m naked beneath them. There’s no cold floor, no cold wind biting at my skin. The air is still, peaceful enough to make me wonder if I’m dreaming.

Where am I?

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