The doors closed behind them.
Loud this time.
Not quiet.
Not controlled.
Final.
Helena didn't stop walking.
She moved down the corridor with steady steps—Fast enough to release the tension,
Slow enough to stay composed.
Marcus followed.
Silent.
That silence—It wasn't calm.
It was building.
The moment they reached the private wing—He grabbed her wrist.
Not rough.
But firm enough to stop her.
Helena turned instantly.
"What?"
The word came sharper than she intended.
Marcus didn't let go.
"What was that?"
Her brows furrowed.
"What was what?"
"That," he said, his voice lower now.
"In there."
Helena let out a breath, pulling slightly against his grip—He didn't release her.
"I handled it," she said.
"You challenged them."
"Yes."
"You negotiated with them."
"Yes."
His grip tightened just slightly.
"You put yourself on their level."
Helena's eyes narrowed.
"Someone had to."
Silence snapped between them.
Because that—That wasn't wrong.
But it wasn't safe either.
Marcus stepped closer.
"You don't understand what they are," he said quietly.
"And you don't understand what I am," she shot back.
A pause.
Dangerous.
Because neither of them backed down.
"You think this is a game," he continued.
"No," Helena said, her voice steady.
"I think this is survival."
Another step closer.
"And I'm not going to survive by standing behind you and staying quiet."
His jaw tightened.
"I never asked you to stay quiet."
"You didn't have to," she replied.
A beat.
"You just expected control."
That hit.
Marcus went still.
Because she wasn't wrong.
Again.
"You pushed them," he said instead.
"Yes."
"They could have killed you."
"They didn't."
"That doesn't mean they won't."
Helena stepped closer now—Closing the distance between them completely.
"Then I'll make sure they need me alive."
Silence.
Because that—That was exactly what she had done.
And he knew it.
Marcus exhaled slowly, his grip finally loosening slightly—But not letting go.
"You're playing a dangerous game."
Helena tilted her head.
"So are you."
A pause.
"Difference is…" she added softly,
"I didn't choose it."
That shifted something.
Subtle.
But real.
Marcus's expression darkened slightly.
"No," he said.
"But you chose to stay."
Her breath caught.
Because that—That was true.
And they both knew it.
"I didn't stay for them," she said quietly.
His gaze locked onto hers.
"Then why did you stay?"
The question hung between them.
Sharp.
Personal.
Dangerous in a different way.
Helena didn't answer immediately.
Because the truth—Wasn't simple anymore.
Her eyes flicked to his lips for just a second—Then back to his eyes.
"I stayed because running doesn't fix anything," she said finally.
It wasn't the full truth.
But it wasn't a lie either.
Marcus studied her closely.
Like he was trying to see past the words.
To what she wasn't saying.
"You should have told me about the engagement," she added.
That changed the moment instantly.
Back to tension.
Back to sharp edges.
"I didn't know," he said.
Helena frowned slightly.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
And that—That made her pause.
Because Marcus didn't lie like that.
Not directly.
"You really didn't know," she said slowly.
"No."
A pause.
"And if I had…"
His voice dropped slightly.
"You wouldn't be here."
Her breath caught again.
Because that—That wasn't control.
That was something else.
Something closer to… protection.
Dangerous.
Complicated.
Real.
Helena exhaled softly.
"You don't get to decide that for me."
Marcus stepped closer—Even though there was nowhere left to close.
"I do when it puts you in danger."
"I'm already in danger."
A beat.
"And I'm still here."
Silence.
Heavy.
Because neither of them could argue with that anymore.
Marcus's hand shifted slightly—From her wrist to her hand.
Less control.
More connection.
"You don't know what they'll do next," he said quietly.
Helena's voice softened just a little.
"Then we figure it out."
A pause.
"Together."
The word lingered.
Different this time.
Not forced.
Chosen.
Marcus's gaze dropped briefly—To their hands.
Then back to her eyes.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be."
Helena smiled faintly.
"I think I'm making it real."
That did something to him.
Something he couldn't fully hide.
Because for the first time—He didn't have control over how this played out.
And part of him—Didn't want it.
Before he could respond—A faint sound echoed down the corridor.
Footsteps.
Light.
Careful.
Not meant to be heard.
Helena's head turned instantly.
Marcus's expression shifted in the same second.
Cold.
Alert.
Danger.
Someone was there.
Watching.
Listening.
And the moment they realized they'd been noticed—The footsteps disappeared.
Gone.
But not far.
Helena's pulse quickened.
"We're not alone," she said quietly.
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"No," he replied.
A pause.
"We never were."
The game had already started again.
And this time—It wasn't the council watching.
It was someone else.
Someone who didn't need rules.