Bound by Debt [✔]

6: Healing and Trust

THE iron gates opened slowly.

Lila watched through the car window as the vehicle rolled up the long driveway. The mansion rose above the hills like something out of another world—vast, elegant, and impossibly distant from the small apartment she had lived in for months.

Vince ensured that Lila was taken to the mansion, providing her with a secure and serene environment where she could begin to heal.

Lila stood at the entrance, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the place.

Her chest tightened.

This place was beautiful.

But it was also terrifying.

Armed guards stood near the entrance as the car stopped. The front doors opened before Vince even stepped out.

Lila hesitated.

For a moment she simply stared at the massive structure in front of her.

Vince, sensing her hesitation, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You're safe here, Lila. Take all the time you need."

His voice wasn’t demanding. Just calm.

Lila stepped out of the car, her legs feeling strangely weak.

Inside, the mansion felt even larger. The ceilings were high, the halls wide and quiet. Staff members moved respectfully through the corridors, their eyes lowering as Vince passed.

They were afraid of him.

Lila noticed it immediately.

Vince led her upstairs without saying much. Finally he stopped in front of a large bedroom and opened the door.

The room was warm and softly lit. Large windows overlooked gardens stretching far beyond the property. The bed was large and inviting, covered with thick blankets.

“You can stay here,” Vince said.

Lila nodded slowly.

***

Days turned into weeks, and slowly, Lila began to emerge from her shell.

The first nights were the hardest.

Sleep brought no peace.

Lila woke screaming more than once, her body drenched in sweat as memories forced their way back into her mind. 

Sometimes the nightmares were so vivid she couldn’t breathe.

One night she woke gasping, her heart racing violently in her chest.

The door opened quickly.

Vince stepped inside.

He didn’t rush toward her immediately. Instead, he stopped a few steps away, giving her space.

“Lila.”

His voice was low and steady.

She looked at him, panic still clouding her vision.

“He’s gone,” Vince said quietly. “You’re safe here.”

Her breathing slowly steadied, though her hands were still shaking, with her voice trembling, she whispered, "I... I keep seeing his face, Vince. I can't get rid of it."

Vince's expression hardened for a moment. But his voice remained calm.

“I know.”

He pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down.