The next morning, I woke up to silence.
Kyler wasn't in the room, but his coat was draped over a chair. A cup of untouched coffee sat on the table. Still warm.
He hadn't left.
I stood and wandered out to the balcony. He was there—leaning against the railing, eyes on the sunrise, like he was trying to remember how to feel peace.
"You didn't sleep," I said quietly.
He didn't look at me. "Didn't need to."
I stepped beside him. "You look tired anyway."
He turned. And for a second, he smiled. Barely. But it was real.
"You always speak your mind, don't you?"
"Only with you," I whispered.
He stared at me then. Really stared.
"Ash… can I show you something?"
I nodded.
He pulled down the collar of his shirt slightly—just enough to reveal a thick scar running from his shoulder to his chest.
My breath caught.
"I got this when I was seventeen," he said. "Trying to protect my younger brother. He didn't make it."
I looked up at him. "Kyler, I didn't know—"
"You weren't supposed to," he said. "No one does. They just see the power. The fear. The money."
"You think I only see that?"
He looked down at me, something flickering in his gaze.
"I think you're the first person who sees me."
My heart cracked open.
And before I could think, I reached up and touched the scar. Not with fear. But with care.
His eyes fluttered shut—like my touch didn't burn him. Like it healed.
"That wasn't your fault," I whispered.
He opened his eyes. "You're dangerous, Ash."
"Why?"
"Because every time you touch me… I want to forget who I am."
The tension between us stretched like a thread, ready to snap.
Then…
He stepped back.
"We should go," he said softly. "You need to see what's left of your home."
When we arrived, I couldn't breathe.
The house was destroyed. Glass shattered. Furniture overturned. Photos broken on the floor.
But the worst part wasn't the mess.
It was the message on the wall, painted in red.
"YOU'RE MINE."
Zane.
Kyler stood behind me, silent as I read the words.
I turned, heart pounding. "He's obsessed. He's going to kill me."
"No," Kyler said firmly. "I won't let him. But I need you to trust me, Ash."
"I do."
It came out before I could stop it.
And it was true.
Somewhere between the fear and the fire, I had started trusting the man who was supposed to ruin my life.
That night, as I sat beside Kyler in the back of his car, I leaned my head against his shoulder.
He didn't move.
But he didn't pull away either.
And for the first time in weeks…
I felt safe.