His advisor nodded. “Shall I alert the men?”
“Immediately,” Izo replied. “Have them secure the territory. If The Shadow shows up, I want him alive. At least for now.”
“Even with his powers reduced, he’s still dangerous,” the advisor said cautiously.
“Which is why I need to ensure he’s dealt with properly.” He glanced at me, his silver eyes gleaming. “Hold tight, my dear. The Shadow won’t be of any concern very soon.”
I clenched my fists beneath the table, forcing myself to hold onto the hint of hope still burning inside me.Raffaele will come. He had to.
“And what about reinforcements?” the advisor asked.
Izo leaned back in his chair, his silver eyes gleaming. “The Shadow isn’t foolish enough to come alone. Who knows who he’s fucking recruited to help him rescue his precious wife.”
Tears stung my eyes. The compulsion warped the sadness, but I did my best to hold on to it, refusing to let it slip away entirely.
Izo noticed, of course.
“Don’t cry,” he said with a smirk. “I won’t allow The Shadow to lay a hand on you again. You’re safe with me.”
I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but his song played on repeat in my mind. All I could do was sit there, my hands trembling in my lap as he and the advisor continued their conversation.
The compulsion tightened its grip, pulling me deeper into his web, and I realized with a sickening sense of dread that escape might already be impossible.
It was like a shadow I couldn’t shake, a weight pressing against my chest that grew heavier with every passing second. I kept my head down, focusing on the rough texture of the table under my hands, trying to hold on to some shred of myself.
“You look tense, my dear,” Izo said with mock concern. “Why don’t we play a little game? Something to break the ice.”
I didn’t answer. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
He sighed theatrically. “Fine, if you’re going to be like that… Let’s test this new connection of ours, shall we?”
The air in the room shifted, making my skin crawl.
“Tell me,” he said, his tone light but commanding. “What is your deepest fear?”
My heart sank, a cold wave of panic washing over me. “No,” I whispered.
But his command sank its claws into my very core. My jaw tightened, my teeth clenched, but it didn’t matter. My lips parted against my will, the words tumbling out like a confession.
“I’m afraid people will always leave me. That I’m not worth fighting for.”
Shame rushed into my cheeks, and tears blurred my vision. But the compulsion wasn’t finished. It pulled deeper, clawing at the memories I’d buried so carefully.
“My mom… She killed herself. She left me all alone.”
I could feel the raw, jagged edges of the memory tearing through me as the words spilled out. “She didn’t want to fight. She didn’t want to be there for me. She—she chose to leave.”
My stomach churned, and I gripped the table as I tried to process what had just happened.
“Fascinating,” he said gleefully. “It’s almost too easy. The human mind is so malleable. It’s a glorious sight.”
I lifted my gaze to him, my vision swimming with tears. “You’re a monster.”
He laughed, the sound echoing in the vast room. “Oh, Vivian, flattery will get youeverywhere.”
I hated the way he looked at me, like I was some toy he was thrilled to break apart and reassemble.
“You should see your face. The confusion. The fear. It’s delicious.”
