Bound by Debt [✔]

10: His Shadows

THE mansion was enveloped in an eerie silence as Lila wandered aimlessly through its corridors. The weight of recent events hung heavy on her shoulders, threatening to suffocate her with every step.

Vince had been preoccupied with unraveling Marco's betrayal, leaving Lila feeling isolated in a way she hadn’t felt since the apartment—quiet, unnoticed, and disturbingly alone.

In a secluded corner of her bedroom, Lila found herself alone with her thoughts, standing beneath the steady stream of warm water. She stayed there longer than necessary, letting the heat press against her skin as if it could wash away the lingering unease clinging to her.

But it didn’t.

Nothing did.

When she finally stepped out, wrapping herself in a robe, the silence of the room felt louder than before. As she was drying her hair, the darkness outside mirrored the turmoil within her, as memories of Ethan slowly crept back in—not all at once, but in fragments. His voice. His touch. The sound of the camera.

She sat on the edge of her bed, her hands trembling slightly as she stared at her phone, her thumb brushing over an old photo she hadn’t deleted.

Their wedding photo.

For a moment, she couldn’t recognize the girl smiling beside him.

Her chest tightened.

Then her gaze shifted in a small package sitting quietly on her nightstand.

A small frown formed on her face.

She didn’t remember placing it there.

For a moment, instinct told her to leave it alone.

But another thought followed—

Maybe Vince left it.

Slowly, she reached for it.

Her fingers hesitated before opening it.

Inside was a flash drive.

Nothing more.

Her unease deepened, but curiosity—dangerous, persistent curiosity—pushed her forward.

She plugged it into her laptop.

Clicked the file.

The moment the video began—

Everything inside her froze.

Her breath caught in her throat.

No.

No… no…

It was a video of her and Ethan, a recording of one of their most intimate moments. But this was no ordinary love-making session; it was a scene of horror and abuse. Ethan's cruel voice echoed through the room as he taunted her, and the images on the screen brought back a flood of painful memories.

Lila's hands trembled as she watched, tears streaming down her face. The room seemed to close in on her, and she felt as though she couldn't breathe. Her mind spiraled into a dark place, and the haunting images brought on vivid hallucinations.

There they were—Ethan's menacing presence, her own desperate pleas echoing in the background. The sound of her own cries pierced through the silence of the room, a haunting reminder of her past torment.

She tried to look away, but she couldn't. It was like her body refused to move. Like she was trapped again.

Then—

Something shifted.

The air felt heavier. Too heavy.

Her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears.