They Locked Me In a Tower. All To Please Her Chapter 08

They Locked Me In a Tower. All To Please Her Chapter 08

Only months. They looked wrecked.

Knox’s eyes were sunken, dark circles like bruises.

His jaw sharp, hollow. He’d lost so much weight he barely looked like himself.

Dorian’s shoulders slumped. His face worn. Even his posture had collapsed.

I stopped. Turned my head.

“Mila.”

Knox called my name. Voice hoarse. Almost unrecognizable.

I couldn’t avoid them. I stopped. Faced them.

Dorian spoke first. Voice strained.

“Mila. Mom has cancer.”

“After the fire, the family took on massive debt. Things are hard.”

A small stone dropped into my chest.

I was silent for two seconds. Didn’t argue,

“Come on. Let’s talk somewhere.”

Some things needed to end.

—

I took them to a rooftop café.

Open air. No railings. The city stacked below us.

I sat down at the edge. Calm.

Knox froze. Pupils shrinking. Disbelief.

The girl who used to shake on a second-floor balcony-now sitting on a rooftop like it was nothing.

He couldn’t hold it in, “Your acrophobia… what happened?”

I picked up my glass. Fingertips on the cold rim. Voice flat.

“The day of the fire. After I jumped from the third floor. It was gone.”

Knox went silent.

That day. The despair. The flames. The jump.

A long moment. His throat moved.

He pressed his hands on the table. Knuckles white.

“Mila.”

He looked up. Eyes red.

“Everything. I’m sorry.”

I didn’t nod. Didn’t respond. Didn’t accept.

“I cut Ella off completely.” His words came fast. Like he was afraid I’d interrupt,

“She’ll never come near you again. Your designs-I got them all back.”

“Every one. The originals. The sketches. The full series.”

He stared at me. Voice shaking,

“I know it’s not enough. Not even close.”

“But I-I can’t sleep. Every night.”

“When I close my eyes, I see you locked on that balcony. I see you crying on the glass bridge. I see you

jumping from the third floor.”

“Mila. I wish I’d burned in that fire instead.”

I looked at him.

No pity. No emotion,

“Seven years.” He reached out. Wanted to touch my fingertips. Stopped midair,

“Can’t you… give me one more chance?”

I smiled faintly. No warmth.

“Those things-you were supposed to do them.”

“You were fixing your own mistakes. That’s not compensation. It’s not worth my gratitude.”

Knox’s face paled. His hand fell.

He didn’t give up.

“Mila. Seven years. We grew up together. Don’t you miss any of it?”

His voice cracked. Last struggle.

“You said you’d forgive me. No matter what. You said that.”

I looked at the darkening sky. The clouds, stained red, sinking slowly.

“Knox.”

I spoke. Each word clear. Into both their ears.

“You didn’t break me in one blow. It was many.”

“You knew I was scared of heights. But you bought a high-floor apartment.”

“I thought-it’s okay. It’s our home.”

“You made me kneel on the glass bridge. I thought-just a little more. For our future.”

“You tied me to the balcony. Locked the door. Went to celebrate Ella’s birthday.”

I paused.

“I thought-maybe I should never have believed you at all.”

Knox’s tears fell.

“I didn’t stop loving you in one moment.” My voice was flat,

“It was one disappointment at a time. Until the day the fire reached the living room.”

“I called you, Begged you. And you laughed. Said I was lying.”

“Do you know how scared I was? How desperate? How much I hated you in that moment?”

“That moment-I knew. I would never love you again.”

He opened his mouth. Nothing came out.

“So your regret now-that’s yours.” I put down my glass. Stood, “It has nothing to do with me.”

Knox froze. Every word stuck in his throat.

He lowered his head. Shoulders shaking.

Dorian finally spoke. Voice barely audible.

“Mila… I’m sorry.”

I turned to him.

“That slap. I…” His throat moved. He couldn’t finish, “I’m not human.”

My brother. For someone with no blood relation. He hit me.

How ironic.

My family. My lover. All of them. Hurt me. Deeply.

I said nothing.

Took out a bank card. Pushed it across the table.

“Three hundred thousand. Consider it repayment for twenty years of raising me.”

Dorian’s eyes went wide. He stared at the card. Fingers trembling.

“Mila, you-”

“The pain you trampled. The damage. I can’t pretend it never happened.”

My voice dropped. I pushed down the sting, “This is the most I can do.”

“From now on, we’re even.”

Dorian’s lips moved.

“Mila. We don’t want your money. I just want-”

“Want what?” I looked at him. “We can’t go back.”

He shook his head. Tears falling.

The wind brushed my hair. Skyscrapers all around.

No fear. No vertigo.

I stood.

Didn’t look at their faces.

“Knox.”

He jerked his head up. Eyes lit-just for a second.

I looked at him.

“Don’t ever come find me again.”

The light died.

I turned. Walked away from the café.

For the rest of my life-I would never again stand in high places, waiting for someone to reach down and

save me.

Because I had grown my own wings.