Lila Hart couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. It was the sort of sensation that curled in the pit of her stomach, like a phantom itch she couldn't reach. Every time she moved, it lingered, a faint pressure behind her, like eyes burning into her back. And it wasn't just tonight. It had started the moment she stepped into House Blackwood and hadn't let up.
The ballroom, with its polished floors and gleaming chandeliers, was a blur in her memory. All the smiles, the pleasantries, the whispered conversations—all of it faded into the background as she replayed the moment she met Adrian Blackwood's eyes.
His gaze had been so... still. Calculating. Almost as if he knew her.
Lila had thought it was just her nerves, but now that the party was winding down, and she found herself retreating to the quiet of the Blackwood conservatory, she wasn't so sure.
The moonlight cast long, silver shadows across the gardens, the plants swaying gently in the night breeze. The air was thick with the scent of night-blooming jasmine and something richer, darker. Magic hung in the air, pressing against her skin like a second layer of clothes.
She had to get away. Just for a moment.
"Lila, wait."
The soft call of Theo Greaves brought her to a halt. She turned, forcing a polite smile to her lips as he jogged up beside her, his dark blue coat catching the light.
"I thought we were escaping the suffocating nobility," she said, her voice light, though inside, her heart was pounding. There was no escaping it now.
Theo offered a sheepish grin. "Maybe I just wanted to make sure you weren't running off with one of the other gentlemen here. The Blackwoods seem to have a way of attracting the most interesting of company."
She raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm one of those?"
His grin softened. "No, I think you're much more interesting than they are."
Lila found herself laughing, though it was more out of habit than genuine amusement. She had never been one for idle flattery, and she had certainly never been one for this kind of attention. Yet, here she was, standing alone with Theo Greaves, the charming but ultimately inconsequential son of a noble house that was neither important nor influential.
And yet, he was here, talking to her. Like she mattered. Like she wasn't just some insignificant character in someone else's story.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a low hum, a vibration underfoot, so subtle she almost missed it. The ground seemed to shift, and the air around them thickened, rippling like a surface disturbed by a breeze.
Theo frowned, looking around. "Did you feel that?"
Lila stiffened, her fingers curling into the folds of her gown. "Yes," she murmured, though the unease in her stomach had nothing to do with the strange disturbance in the air. It was Adrian Blackwood. She could feel him somewhere nearby, watching from the shadows like a predator stalking its prey.
"We should…" Theo started, but Lila silenced him with a look, her instincts flaring.
"I need to go inside," she said quickly, turning on her heel and walking toward the mansion. The humming in the air was growing louder, and she could feel the tension building like a storm about to break. Her thoughts swirled back to Adrian. He was at the edge of the room earlier, watching her as though he were trying to peel back the layers of her, searching for something.
It was unnerving.
The conservatory doors were just ahead, but before she could push them open, a voice stopped her cold.
"Lady Hart."
Her blood went cold. Adrian.
Lila turned slowly, her heart racing in her chest as she faced him. He stood just a few paces away, leaning against the stone pillar of the conservatory, his posture casual but his eyes sharp, as if everything about her had already been dissected and cataloged.
He wore his usual black and silver, his clothes perfectly tailored to his frame. The same cold, unreadable expression was on his face, but the air around him seemed to pulse with a barely contained power, as if the night itself bent toward him.
"What do you want?" Lila asked, her voice sharp, betraying her unease.
Adrian straightened, stepping toward her with slow, deliberate movements. "I was hoping to speak with you," he said, his tone smooth but laced with something she couldn't quite place.
Lila took a cautious step back, her eyes narrowing. "About what?"
His gaze flickered briefly toward Theo, who had been following close behind, his expression unsure, before turning back to her. "About many things. But perhaps most importantly, about your... unique arrival."
Lila's heart skipped a beat. She had been expecting this. Hadn't she? She hadn't meant to be here—she hadn't meant to draw attention. And yet here she was, under the gaze of the one person who seemed to see through all her masks.
Theo glanced between them, clearly uncomfortable with the tension in the air. "I should, uh, give you two some space," he muttered, bowing awkwardly before retreating into the depths of the conservatory.
Lila watched him go, but her mind was still on Adrian. She wasn't sure whether she should be grateful for the brief distraction or angry at Theo for abandoning her when she needed someone to act as a buffer.
When the space between them was finally clear, Adrian spoke again, his voice low. "I've been watching you."
Lila swallowed, her throat dry. She knew the words were coming. She had expected them.
"Have you?" she replied, keeping her voice steady, though inside, she felt a shiver of dread. "What exactly is it you've been watching for, Lord Blackwood?"
He smiled then, though the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. "You're more aware than I thought. I had expected you to play the part of a naive young lady, all fluttering lashes and gentle smiles. But there's something about you that's... different."
Lila held her ground. "I'm not what you think I am."
Adrian's smile faltered slightly, his eyes narrowing. "That much is obvious."
For a moment, there was silence, the only sound the soft rustling of the leaves in the trees above them. Lila felt a weight settle in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know what game he was playing, but she knew it was dangerous. This was no simple noble rivalry. Adrian Blackwood wasn't someone who just walked away.
"Do you want something from me?" Lila asked, her voice a little sharper than she intended. She needed answers. Needed to understand why she was here and why he had singled her out.
His gaze softened just a fraction. "Maybe I do." Then, he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "But for now, I want you to understand something, Lady Hart. You are not a background character in this story. You have been drawn into something much older. Something that will change this world."
Lila's heart stuttered. The weight of his words hit her like a physical blow. He wasn't speaking in riddles. He was speaking truth. She didn't know how she knew that, but she did.
Adrian straightened, the smirk returning to his lips. "And whether you like it or not, we're all part of the same web now."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the garden, the shadows growing longer in the moonlight.
Lila's mind raced, her pulse quickening. Something was wrong. She wasn't just a pawn in some noble game. She had stumbled into something far more dangerous—and Adrian Blackwood knew exactly what it was.
And somehow, he was waiting for her to figure it out.