A Crown of Ashes (Whychoose Romance)

8. Uncharted Territories (edited)

(Aiden's POV)

It was only a matter of time before Isaac figured out who had taken Lila. We were running on borrowed time, and that thought gnawed at me as I sat across from Isabella and Elijah. The safehouse was secure—for now. But how long would that last? Isaac wasn't a fool, and once he realized his little pawn was gone, he'd move heaven and earth to find her.

"We need to get something out of her," Elijah said, his voice low and controlled. He sat back in his chair, arms crossed, eyes scanning the room as if searching for a solution in the shadows. "If we don't get any information soon, all of this is going to fall apart. Isaac's going to come for her. And us."

"I'll send someone to keep tabs on Isaac," Isabella added, her tone more thoughtful. "We need to know what he knows, how far along he is in figuring this out."

"Rocco can handle it," I said, pushing my chair back. "He's been reliable so far, and he knows how to keep a low profile. If Isaac's making moves, Rocco will find out."

Elijah nodded, his eyes flicking to the door that led to where Lila was staying. "We need to tread carefully. She's fragile, and pushing too hard could break her. But we don't have time to be delicate."

I bit back a response. I knew what Elijah was saying made sense. We were in the middle of a war, and Lila wasn't just some innocent girl. She was a tool, a means to an end. But still, something about the way she looked when we brought her here, the fear that clung to her like a second skin, made me uneasy.

"She's not going to open up to us just like that," I said, leaning forward, resting my elbows on the table. "She's scared out of her mind. We can't just treat her like a prisoner and expect her to spill her guts."

Isabella glanced at me, her expression softening just a fraction. "You're right," she said, surprising me a bit. "But we don't have the luxury of time, Aiden. We need to find a balance between pushing for answers and keeping her from shutting down completely."

I nodded, but the knot in my chest tightened. I'd always been good at compartmentalizing—focusing on the mission, keeping personal feelings out of it. But something about this situation was messing with my head. And I didn't like it.

"I'll check on her," I muttered, standing up. "Maybe she'll talk more if it's one-on-one."

Elijah gave me a long look, but he didn't argue. "Be careful," was all he said before turning back to the security feeds.

I made my way down the hall, my boots echoing against the wooden floor. The safehouse was quiet, almost too quiet, the kind of silence that made you hyper-aware of your own thoughts. I found myself pausing outside Lila's door, taking a moment to gather myself before knocking softly.

When I stepped inside, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, that damn book I'd given her resting in her lap. The sight of it gave me an odd sense of satisfaction, though I couldn't explain why. She hadn't thrown it aside or ignored it. She was actually reading it, even after everything that had happened.

"You're reading it," I said, more to myself than to her.

Lila looked up, startled, as if she hadn't noticed me coming in. Her eyes were wide, cautious, but there was a flicker of something else in them too—something softer, maybe curious. "Yeah," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

I moved closer, sitting in the chair across from her. For a moment, we just sat in silence. I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers clenched the edge of the book like it was a lifeline. She was terrified, that much was clear. But there was something else there, something deeper that I couldn't quite put my finger on.