Riley’s POV
"How—how do you know?" I asked, my voice shaking a little, but she didn’t even let finish.
"Riley, listen to ," Anna rushed out, her voice coming out fast and uneven like she was trying not to panic. "I’m in this place called Obsidian Veil. I don’t even know how I got here. One minute I was driving, and the next... I was just here. I swear I didn’t even see when the road changed."
I froze.
"What do you an you’re just there?" I snapped, already feeling my head start to pound.
"I was looking for you," she continued like she didn’t even hear my tone. "Soone gave an address. Said that was where I’d find you. I kept driving for hours, Riley. Hours. And then suddenly, I wasn’t on the sa road anymore. Everything looks... off. The people here are—" she paused, lowering her voice, "they’re dressed weird. Like sothing out of a movie or sothing. And they keep staring at . Not normal staring. It’s creepy. I don’t like it. I’m scared."
"Oh shit," I cursed out loud, dragging a hand down my face. "Why the hell would you co looking for without calling first? Anna, are you actually serious right now? Who told you to leave the company and start chasing after ?"
"I—"
"No, don’t even start," I cut in, my voice rising. "Do you know where you are? Do you even understand what kind of place this is? You don’t just walk into Obsidian Veil like it’s so random street!"
"I was worried!" she shot back, her voice cracking now. "Ethan spread the news you were missing again and might not co back. I knew he was lying, okay? I knew it. But it’s been so long since you left, Riley. I thought sothing happened to you. I just wanted to see you and then go back. That’s all."
Her voice got quieter at the end, and that was what made it worse.
I clenched my jaw.
I couldn’t even stay fully angry at her because I knew her. She wasn’t stupid. She just cared too much, and that always got her into trouble.
"Just stay where you are," I said finally, forcing my voice to calm down even though I was still pissed. "Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t follow anyone. I’m coming to get you."
"Okay..." she whispered.
I ended the call and tightened my grip on the phone for a second before letting it drop onto the bed. I grabbed the bag I had packed earlier, but then I stopped.
Cane was still in that room.
Dying.
And now this.
I let out a frustrated breath and picked up the bag again, ready to leave anyway because Anna being out there alone was not sothing I could ignore.
But just as I turned, soone stepped into the doorway.
I froze.
Gunnar.
He didn’t rush in. He just walked in slowly like he had all the ti in the world, like he already knew I wasn’t going anywhere.
I swallowed.
The mont I saw him, everything ca rushing back—anger, frustration, everything. This whole ss was because of him and his brothers, and now I had to deal with this too.
"Are you going sowhere?" he asked calmly, his eyes scanning and the bag in my hand.
"That should be none of your fucking business," I shot back imdiately.
His jaw tightened a little, but he didn’t react the way I expected.
Instead, he stepped closer.
"Riley—"
"Don’t," I snapped, taking a step back, but he followed, closing the distance anyway.
He stopped right in front of .
Too close.
I could feel my breath hitch, and that annoyed even more because I hated that my body reacted like that around him.
"I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier," he said, his voice low but steady.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "What now? You ca to threaten again?"
He paused for a second, like he was choosing his words carefully.
"You were right," he said.
That made blink.
"I was wrong," he continued, his face completely serious. "And I need to apologize."
I stared at him.
That was not what I expected.
Not from him. Not from soone like him.
But before I could even respond, he added,
"I’m not going to apologize to you."
My expression changed imdiately. "What?"
Instead of backing down, he held my gaze.
"I don’t owe you that," he said coldly. "Not the way you think. But I am willing to make a deal."
I let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "A deal? Are you serious right now?"
"If you help heal my brother," he said, ignoring my tone completely, "I’ll dissolve whatever agreent binds you here. You’ll be free to leave."
I stared at him for a second, then laughed again, this ti louder.
"You think that matters to ?" I said, shaking my head. "That deal is already irrelevant to ."
That was the wrong thing to say.
Because sothing in him snapped.
"Don’t you say that," he barked suddenly, his voice rising sharply as he stepped even closer. "Don’t you dare stand there and act like this is so kind of joke. My brother is dying in there, and you’re talking like none of this matters!"
"And what about ?" I fired back imdiately, my own voice rising just as much. "What about my life? My choices? Or do those not count because I’m human?"
His expression changed for a second.
"You and your brothers dragged into this," I continued, my chest rising and falling as I spoke. "You made decisions for without even asking. You don’t get to stand here and yell at like I owe you anything!"
"I never said you owe —"
"You didn’t have to say it!" I cut him off. "You act like it. You talk like it. Everything about you screams that you think you’re entitled to control everything, including !"
He went quiet.
For a few seconds, neither of us said anything.
Then he ran a hand over his face, clearly frustrated.
"This is not about controlling you," he said finally, his voice lower now but still tense. "This is about saving my brother."
"And this is about my life," I shot back.
He turned away from like he needed a second to calm down.
For a mont, I thought he was just going to walk out.
But then he stopped.
He stood there, silent, before turning back to face again.
This ti, his expression was different.
Less angry.
More serious.
"What do you want?" he asked.
I blinked. "What?"
"If you help him," he said, his eyes locked on mine, "what do you want in return?"
The anger I was holding onto started to fade a little.
Because despite everything, I could see it clearly now.
He wasn’t asking for himself.
He was asking for his brother.
And that... that kind of loyalty wasn’t sothing you saw every day.
I took a breath.
"I’ll help heal Cane," I said slowly. "But my favor won’t be decided now."
His brows furrowed slightly.
"I want to keep it," I continued, "for later. And when I ask for it, you don’t get to question it nor your brothers. You don’t get to refuse it either. You do it. No matter what."
He didn’t answer imdiately. He just stared at , like he was trying to figure out what I was thinking.
Then, after a few seconds, he nodded.
"Okay."
He turned to leave.
But I stopped him.
"Wait."
He paused and looked back at .
I hesitated for a second, suddenly unsure how to say it.
"My... friend," I started, hating how unsure I sounded. "She ca looking for . She’s here."
His expression changed slightly.
"She’s in Obsidian Veil," I added quickly. "I need to find her."
For the first ti since he walked in, he looked genuinely shocked.
"Your friend is here?" he repeated.
"Yes."
"In Obsidian Veil?"
"Yes!"
"And she’s still alive?"
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