The sun dipped below the trees as the Raine estate stood cloaked in shadows and silence. No grand announcement marked his return. Just the soft hum of an engine, the low thud of car doors closing, and the weight of presence settling back over the mansion like a storm cloud.
Leila was at her window when she saw the black SUV glide through the gates. Her heart leapt before she could stop it, but she stayed frozen, her breath caught halfway between relief and regret.
He was back.
But he didn't come to her.
Dominic didn't storm through her door like he had so many times before. No growled accusations, no cold commands, no intense silences that filled the space more than words ever could. Instead, she heard the firm tread of his boots across the foyer marble, the distant murmur of Caleb's voice,and then nothing. Just a door clicking shut down the hall.
His.
Leila sat back on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Something in her twisted sharply. She had braced herself for confrontation, for fury, maybe even more punishment. But this silence?
It was worse.
Down the hall, Dominic stood at his window, staring out into the darkness he'd once called home. His jacket lay crumpled on the chair, his tie loosened, but he hadn't moved from the spot in over an hour. He'd imagined this moment a thousand times coming back, facing her,but now that it was here, he didn't trust himself to go to her.
Not when his wolf was still wounded from her words.
Not when he could still hear her voice, sharp and unforgiving:
"Just because you came from a broken place doesn't mean you get to break others."
He gripped the edge of the windowsill until his knuckles turned white.
He didn't blame her.
That was the cruelest part.
He deserved it.
But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.
Not when she was his.
Not when every fiber of his being still ached for her, even now.
Down the hall, Leila lay in the dark, wondering if he hated her. If he would ever look at her the same again. She hated that she missed him. Hated that she still cared.
But most of all… she hated that he didn't come.
And in the silence between them, something fragile began to crack.
~~~~~~~~~~
The silence was unbearable.
Not the kind that filled empty rooms, but the kind that sat between two people who once burned like wildfire ,and now wouldn't even meet eyes.
Leila had tried. At first, gently ,passing by his study, waiting for a glance that never came. Then more boldly, knocking on his door with trembling hands, only to be met with silence or Caleb's quiet voice telling her, "He's busy, Leila."
He wasn't.
She saw him in the hall once. His jaw clenched, stride precise. Their eyes almost met , almost. But then he looked past her like she wasn't even there.
It had been four days.
Four days of existing in the same house, breathing the same air, and feeling like she was made of glass he refused to see through.
On the fifth day, she snapped.
She stormed into the courtyard where he was fencing with one of the guards, her voice sharp and angry. "You're just going to ignore me forever?"
Dominic didn't stop. Not right away. His blade swung in a final arc before he handed it off and turned toward her, expression unreadable. The wind rustled the trees, but all Leila could hear was her heartbeat ,rapid, hopeful, terrified.
Finally, he spoke.
Cold. Controlled. Final.
"I've set you free."
She blinked. "What?"
"I'm clearing your debt. You don't owe me anything anymore," he said, each word cutting like a blade dulled by restraint. "You're free to leave."
Her breath caught. "Why are you doing this?"
He didn't answer. He just turned away.
"No….no, Dominic, look at me." She followed him a step. "You said I was yours. You said…."
"That was before," he said, without turning around. "Before you reminded me what I am."
The door closed behind him, and with it, so did something inside her.
For the first time since she met him, Leila felt truly alone.
And this time, it wasn't a cage or a command holding her here.
It was the absence of his gaze. The silence where his voice used to be.
And the unbearable ache of being set free… when part of her never wanted to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The mansion had never felt more like a prison.
Not because of locked doors or security cameras , but because of the emptiness that followed her like a shadow. Dominic hadn't spoken to her since that day in the courtyard. Not a glance. Not a breath. Just silence. And the quiet, devastating weight of the words he'd left her with:
"You're free to leave."
But freedom had never felt so hollow.
Leila wandered the halls like a ghost, retracing steps that once led to stolen glances, intense confrontations, forbidden touches. Everything here carried the imprint of him — his presence burned into the walls, the furniture, her skin.
And yet… he was gone. Not physically. But in every way that mattered.
She told herself she needed time. Days passed.
But by the seventh morning, she knew.
It was time to leave.
Her bag wasn't heavy. Just a few clothes. Her laptop. The memory of a kiss that had destroyed her. And the ache of loving a man who had let her go.
She reached the front hall just as Caleb stepped in her path.
His eyes were different this time ,not playful or teasing. Serious. Hurt. Knowing.
"You're really leaving?" he asked quietly.
She nodded, hand tightening around her bag strap. "He set me free."
Caleb exhaled, jaw flexing. "That doesn't mean he wanted you to go."
Leila looked down. "Maybe not. But he didn't stop me either."
A pause. Then Caleb stepped closer, voice low. "You're the only thing that's ever made him… human. He's more himself with you than I've ever seen him be. And now you're just,walking away?"
Her throat tightened. "I can't keep chasing a man who refuses to face what's right in front of him."
"He's hurting."
"So am I."
The silence between them was heavy. Understanding. Sad.
Caleb finally stepped aside. "You're stronger than most people I've met, Leila. But you're also the only one he's ever let in. I hope he realizes that… before it's too late."
Leila gave him a soft, broken smile, then turned and stepped through the doors.
Into the sunlight.
Into freedom.
Into the unknown.
But even as she walked away… her heart stayed behind.
The iron gates creaked open with a slow, deliberate groan, like the mansion itself was reluctant to let her go.
Leila stepped forward, one foot after the other, each movement heavier than the last. The gravel path crunched beneath her boots, the morning air cool against her face. Sunlight filtered through the trees, painting gold across the world outside, but none of it touched the ache in her chest.
This was freedom.
So why did it feel like mourning?
With every step away from the estate, the distance between her and Dominic stretched, pulled tight like a thread that refused to snap. It wrapped around her ribs, her throat, her heart , binding her even as she tried to let go.
She had imagined leaving this place a dozen times before. As an act of rebellion. As an escape. As a victory.
But this wasn't any of those.
This was heartbreak.
This was what it felt like to walk away from something that could have destroyed her ,but instead became the only place she'd ever truly felt seen.
Her hand brushed the strap of her bag, the leather worn from use. Inside were a few belongings. On her skin lingered the memory of his touch. And buried deeper than anything she dared admit, was the part of her that still wished he had stopped her.
That he had fought.
That he had cared enough to fight.
The gates closed behind her with a soft, final clang.
Leila didn't look back.
She couldn't.
Because if she did… she might run straight into his arms.
And this time, she didn't know if she'd ever be able to walk away again.