Tied In Silence

Author pov

The rain poured relentlessly, drowning the night in sheets of cold silver.

The sky stretched dark and heavy above the city, as if it, too, carried the weight she had been holding for the last two years.

Lyra's bare feet slapped against the wet pavement, her white nightgown clinging to her trembling body. The thin fabric was already soaked through, sticking to her skin like a second layer of punishment. She hadn't planned to run tonight — hadn't planned to leave at all.

But then she heard the news.

Victor is coming back.

The words echoed in her mind, louder than the storm, louder than the blood rushing in her ears. He was finally returning — the husband who had vanished on their wedding night without a second glance.

Two years of silence.
Two years of empty halls and shadows.
Two years of waiting for a man who never wanted her.

Lyra's breath caught in her throat as she stumbled forward. The cold bit into her skin, but she barely felt it. Fear kept her moving — fear of what would happen if he found her here. If he found her at all.

The contract still sat in the top drawer of her dresser — his name in sharp ink at the bottom. She wasn't allowed to leave him until he decided he was done with her

But what if he never would?

A choked sob broke from her lips as she clutched the small bag against her chest. She hadn't packed much — just enough to disappear.

Lightning split the sky, casting a harsh glow over the empty street ahead. For a second, everything stood still — the rain, the fear, even her own heart.

Then she felt it.

Someone was watching her.

Lyra's heart hammered in her chest, the rain drowning out everything but the sound of her own breath. She forced herself to keep walking — faster, without looking back.

It was just her mind playing tricks.

No one was watching her.

No one knew she was gone.

But the feeling wouldn't leave — that sharp prickling at the back of her neck, like invisible fingers tracing along her spine.

She glanced over her shoulder — nothing but shadows.

Her fingers gripped the strap of her bag tighter. Just a few more streets. Just a little further and she'd disappear — into the kind of life she'd dreamed of behind locked doors.

Then she heard it.

The crunch of footsteps.

Slow. Deliberate.

Her lungs locked, panic curling deep inside her chest. The rain blurred everything, but she could feel it now — him.

She didn't know how... but she knew.

Victor.

He was here.

Her feet stumbled forward, but it was already too late. The storm swallowed the sound of his voice — low, cold, and close enough to make her whole body freeze.

"Running away, little dove?"