To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 285

Elara rushed to the window, fumbling with the latch in a desperate attempt to call for help.

But before she could get it open, a cold, synthetic female voice echoed through the room. “System malfunction detected. Emergency lockdown initiated.”

This state-of-the-art escape room was a flawless replica of a luxury apartment—four bedrooms, two living spaces, every wall and window built to be as solid as the real thing. Jason hadn’t skimped on the budget, and once the lockdown started, breaking out was practically impossible.

Elara spun around, her eyes landing on Zane. Frustration and accusation colored her voice. “Why did you have to follow me in here?”

Glancing at his phone—no signal—Zane answered in his usual deadpan. “This is the Lawrences’ place. Letting you wander in and get stuck on your own would make me a pretty lousy host, wouldn’t it?”

She blinked, caught off guard for a split second. Then she muttered under her breath, “Great timing for you to start acting like the responsible host,” and marched over to the control box.

“The main panel’s completely dead. All exits are locked down. But if someone outside realizes we’re stuck, they’ll come get us out, right?” She looked at him, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

Zane gave her a sidelong glance. “By the time Jason calls in a specialist and they figure out what’s wrong… If we’re lucky, we’ll get to watch the sunrise together.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the air vents roared to life, blasting the room with hot air.

Elara happened to be standing right beneath one. “It’s burning hot—” she yelped, just as Zane pulled her away.

The temperature inside shot up fast.

Zane shrugged off his jacket, loosened his tie, his eyes suddenly darker, almost mischievous. “Forget sunrise. But I guess there are worse ways to spend a night than with you, Miss Trouble.”

Even now, he was making jokes.

She tried over and over, sweat soaking her hairline, but the valve wouldn’t budge.

“Show me what to do. I’ll take it from here.”

Zane rolled up his sleeves, took the metal tool from her, and listened as she explained the steps.

He reached in, but the tight space and sharp edges caught him off guard. The battery’s metal scraped his finger, drawing blood.

“Careless much?” Elara scolded, grabbing his hand. Instinctively, she leaned down and sucked the blood from his cut, spitting it out to the side.

She was so focused on the task, she didn’t realize her thin shirt—drenched with sweat—clung to her skin, outlining every curve beneath.