Discovering Lila

The elevator's ascent to Level 79 was a familiar rhythm, a quiet hum that accompanied Lila's daily journey to her office. Seventy-nine floors, towering above the concrete jungle, offered a sprawling, breathtaking panorama of New York City.

This entire building, a testament to her ambition, had been hers since she was thirteen, a nascent fashion empire taking root. Gray, her steadfast companion, her chosen family, had helped her select this perfect spot, nestled conveniently among coffee shops and within walking distance of their apartment.

She had purchased the apartment a year ago, a sanctuary from the suffocating shadows of her past, a quiet escape from the constant, gnawing blame of her brothers. It was a haven where she could finally breathe, where the urge to self-harm had mercifully receded.

Occasional visits to the old mansion were necessary, a pretense for gathering belongings, a performance for the watchful eyes of CPS and her brothers—though she doubted they truly cared. After all, they believed her responsible for everything they had lost. With a fake ID and savings from her clandestine assassin work, she had built this new life, a world where she was Lucy Hale, a formidable businesswoman, not the cursed Delilah Russo.

Now, as the elevator doors whispered open, she stepped into the vast expanse of her office, the glass walls offering an uninterrupted view of the city she had conquered. A long day stretched ahead, marked by mountains of paperwork and an endless stream of meetings.