Chapter 14: Lingering Shadows
The next few days were a delicate balance. Dorian and Emilia had made a pact, unsaid but understood: they would move forward together, letting the past remain just that—past. Yet, no matter how hard Emilia tried to let herself embrace the fragile trust they were building, Lyla's shadow lingered. Every time Emilia caught a glimpse of her, either in passing or through one of the many windows which looked out over the sprawl of grounds, anxiety pulled tighter across her chest.
Lyla wasn't done, Emilia could feel it in her bones.
Tension between them had been simmering, yet now an air of menace seemed to crackle through it. Lyla's visits were becoming more frequent, her presence more impossible to ignore. And with each visit, it wasn't just the uncomfortable silences that followed her-there was something colder, calculated, even in the way she addressed Dorian. She did not speak to him like a woman who casually passes through his life. She spoke to him as if she knew something of him that Emilia did not.
One evening, as Emilia was setting the table for dinner, she overheard voices in the hallway. The words were hushed but sharp.
"You know I'm not going to give up, don't you?" Lyla's voice was like silk, smooth and calculated. "You can't expect me to just walk away."
Dorian's response was quieter, almost too soft for Emilia to hear, but the frustration in his tone was unmistakable. "Lyla, I've told you—this isn't a game. Let it go."
But Lyla wasn't listening. Emilia could tell by the way Dorian's voice broke with strain that this wasn't just some casual interaction. There was something more to it, something buried beneath the surface of his calm exterior.
You always say that, Dorian," Lyla cooed, her voice low, coaxing. "But I know you better than anybody. I always have. You can't just erase me from your life. We were… good together, remember?
Emilia's breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she felt her knees weaken. The words, the insinuations-they cut deeper than she had prepared herself for. She had known about Lyla's connection to Dorian, of course, but hearing it spoken so openly, with such familiarity, made her heart ache.
The sound of footsteps coming got her startled. She quickly straightened up, trying to steady her pulse. Dorian appeared in the doorway, his expression unreadable, but his eyes gave him away. He was frustrated, perhaps even angry.
"Is everything alright?" Emilia asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Dorian nodded, but more out of courtesy than actually meaning it. "Lyla has a way of pushing my buttons," he said, his voice low. "But it's nothing you need to worry about."
Emilia forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It doesn't seem like nothing.
Dorian's gaze softened, but there was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'll handle it." He reached for her hand, his fingers brushing hers in a gentle touch that made her heart flutter despite the storm raging inside. "I won't let her interfere with us."
But Emilia wasn't quite convinced. There was a way that Dorian's gaze shifted away from hers, something in his clenching jaw, which made her doubt whether he even believed himself.
The more the evening went on, the more Emilia couldn't shake off the feeling that settled in her chest. Dinner was quiet, much too quiet, as if words between them were too fragile to be spoken. Lyla was over them, like some kind of storm cloud, shading everything they tried to build.
Later that evening, when dinner was over, Emilia found herself again at the window, staring out into the garden bathed by moonlight. She could feel the weight of the silence behind her, and she knew that Dorian was there, watching her, waiting for her to speak.
"Do you ever think about her?" Emilia asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't look at him, but she could feel his presence, steady and strong, just a few feet behind her.
Dorian's response was slow, measured. "Lyla was part of my life. She's someone I've known for a long time. But that doesn't mean she has any claim over me now."
But she doesn't seem to think so," Emilia replied, turning slightly to meet his gaze. Her voice was trembling, and she tried to steady it. "She seems. persistent. And it's hard to ignore.
Dorian's jaw flexed, and he stepped closer, his hand extending for hers. "I have made it crystal clear that she should stay away, but she doesn't take rejection well. I am sorry for what she is putting you through.
As she gazed up into his frustration- and guilt-filled features, Emilia felt a pang in her heart. It was not just Lyla-this was about an inability to let go fully from one's past, about closing the door to something once meant to be special in life.
I don't know that I can just let it go," Emilia whispered, her voice catching slightly. "Every time she shows up, I feel like I'm losing you a little more. Like I'm just… a placeholder.
Dorian's face relaxed, and he reached out, his palm cradling her face. "You are not a placeholder, Emilia. You mean so much more to me than you realize. But you have to understand, this isn't about just you and me. It is about me choosing. It's about letting go of all the parts of my life that aren't working anymore.
Emilia closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust him more than anything. But the seed of doubt had been planted, and it was growing, twisting its way into the foundation of their fragile relationship.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "Fighting for something that feels like it's slipping away."
Dorian's breath caught, and in the moment that followed, there was no sound but the beating of their hearts between them. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, to shield her from the pain, from the fear.
"I'm not letting you slip away," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I won't let her take you from me. You're everything, Emilia. Please don't doubt that."
But even as he spoke, Emilia wasn't so sure his words could erase the growing divide. Lyla wasn't done. And neither was the past. The tension between them had only just begun to unravel, and Emilia wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on.