Vincent's lily

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Chapter 7: Lessons in Darkness

The days that followed blurred together, marked only by Vincent’s relentless training. Each morning began with drills and exercises Lily never could have imagined herself doing—learning to pick locks, to move silently through a room, and to read a person’s intentions from the subtlest shifts in body language. Every evening brought new lessons in disguise and deception, mental exercises to sharpen her focus, to steady her nerves.

Though it was exhausting, Lily threw herself into it, finding a strange strength in the process. She was no longer the terrified woman clinging to her old life. She was becoming sharper, quicker—someone capable of surviving in Vincent’s world.

But despite her growing confidence, questions continued to gnaw at her. Who were these people that Vincent feared? What exactly was he protecting her from? And why was he risking his own safety to teach her all this?

One night, after a grueling training session, she found herself asking him. They were in the dimly lit study, surrounded by walls of books and maps, her breath still heavy from hours of practice. She sat across from him, her eyes steady on his.

“Vincent,” she began, “why are you helping me? Really? You say it’s because you want to keep me safe, but there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?”

For a moment, he didn’t answer, studying her with an intensity that made her feel exposed. Then, he leaned back, folding his arms. “You remind me of someone,” he said quietly. “Someone I failed to protect.”

Lily’s heart skipped a beat. “Who?”

“A sister,” he replied, his voice barely a whisper. “She... didn’t make it. Not in this world. And I couldn’t save her.”

The raw vulnerability in his voice stunned her. She had come to know Vincent as strong, calculated, untouchable. But in that moment, she saw a glimpse of someone else—a man haunted by loss, by mistakes that lingered like ghosts.

“I’m sorry,” Lily murmured, her heart heavy. She wanted to ask more, but his expression told her this was as much as he was willing to share.

Vincent straightened, the brief vulnerability fading as he steeled himself once more. “I couldn’t save her,” he said firmly, “but I can save you. And I will, if you’re willing to let me.”

Lily nodded, her resolve hardening. “I’m not going to let them take me down, Vincent. I’m here to learn, to survive. And maybe—maybe one day I’ll even find a way to get out.”

He studied her, a faint glimmer of approval in his eyes. “Good. Then we keep going.”

The nights grew longer, and Vincent’s lessons became more intense. He began teaching her about the people he worked for—powerful figures whose reach extended into the government, the business world, and the underworld. Their influence was far-reaching, and their control over those in their circle was absolute. But what frightened Lily most was the loyalty Vincent showed them; despite his regrets, his bitterness, he was bound to these people by invisible chains he seemed unable to break.

And slowly, she began to see the truth: he wasn’t just protecting her. He was trapped, just as she was. Maybe even more so.

One night, as they prepared for yet another lesson, she couldn’t hold back. “Vincent,” she said, her voice low, “do you ever want to leave?”

He paused, his jaw tightening. “I can’t,” he replied flatly.

“But if you could?” she pressed.

For a moment, his gaze softened, the hardness in his expression slipping. “If I could,” he murmured, “I’d leave in a heartbeat.”

The confession hung in the air, fragile and vulnerable. Lily felt a surge of anger on his behalf—at this unseen world that held him captive, at the people who had taken away his freedom. In that moment, she understood: she wasn’t just learning to survive for her own sake. She was also learning so that maybe, one day, she could help free him too.

They resumed their lessons, but the dynamic between them had changed. Beneath the surface of their teacher-student relationship was something deeper, something unspoken. They were bound not just by secrets but by a shared longing for freedom.

And as Lily grew stronger, faster, and more skilled, she felt the beginnings of a plan taking shape in her mind—a plan to escape this life. Not just for herself, but for Vincent too.

The night’s lesson ended, but Lily lay awake in her room, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of everything she had learned and everything she still had to do. She was no longer the helpless girl Vincent had first pulled into his world. She was becoming someone different, someone powerful.

And as she drifted off to sleep, a single thought echoed in her mind: One day, she would break them both free.

Okay byeeeeeeeeeeee