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Chapter 14 - Lines In The Sand

Lyra lay awake in the guest room, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The soft hum of the city below was a distant lullaby, but her thoughts were louder. She was in Zane Hogan's penthouse, pregnant with his child, and unsure if she was safe… or trapped.

A knock at the door broke her thoughts.

"It's open," she said quietly.

Zane stepped in, holding a blanket. "You looked cold."

She accepted it wordlessly, draping it over her legs. He didn't leave.

"Do you want to leave?" he asked after a long silence.

Lyra blinked. "Are you asking me… or trying to push me out?"

"I'm giving you a choice," he said. "I don't want you here out of fear or guilt."

She looked at him then — really looked. He was tired too, but there was something honest in his eyes. Something raw.

"I don't want to run," she said finally. "But I also don't want to feel like I'm standing in someone else's place."

Zane crossed the room slowly, crouching beside her. "You're not. Camille was a chapter. You're… something I didn't expect. But you're not a replacement."

Lyra's heart ached at his words. It wasn't love yet — not quite. But maybe, just maybe, it was something close.

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