Lila’s POV

I needed an escape. Not a long-term solution. Just a quick fix. A purge. Something to shut down the noise in my head, if only for a few hours.

I found myself at a high-end bar downtown. Dim lights, soft jazz, and the clink of expensive glasses. It was the kind of place where discretion was understood. I ordered a neat whiskey, letting the burn slide down my throat. My eyes scanned the room, not for conversation, but for possibility.

Then I saw him. Older. Silver at the temples, ...