Hope

Lilian POV

I never imagined I would feel this way again. Like I was constantly under surveillance, and every decision I made needed to be approved by someone else, in this case, Jensen. The atmosphere between us was charged, and although he didn't say it clearly, I knew I couldn't go anywhere without his consent. The decision to return to Rustburg, which should have been mine, seemed to have turned into something dictated by him.

Despite everything, I went. The need to see my city, to feel the place that used to be home again, was greater than any desire to resist Jensen's control. Maybe deep down, I wanted to believe he wasn't just manipulating me. Maybe there was something more behind his intentions, something he wanted to show me.

The drive to Rustburg was long, but not as long as I remembered. Roads that were once familiar now seem strange. There were new buildings and new sections that made me feel like I was going to an unknown place. It was an unsettling feeling, as if Rustburg