Lilith's POVThe silence in the car was thick, almost unbearable. I can’t understand this man at all. Scottish men are known for being stubborn and unbearably dominating, so I guess I should have expected this. I just have to ignore whatever feelings I have for him. One minute he acts like he wants me, and the next, he sees me like a child that needs protection.“Are you really going to see an employee of mine, lass?” He glanced at me, dividing his attention between the road and our conversation. Irritation was palpable in his voice.“Of course,” I replied, just as my phone buzzed. I knew it was Tommy calling.“Why would you want to date an ordinary worker when you could have…” I didn’t let him finish, picking up the call to avoid his judgmental tone.“Hi, Tommy!” I greeted, trying to sound cheerful.“Hey, baby girl!” Tommy’s voice was filled with excitement.“Where are you? I’ve been waiting for you forever.”Tommy Heidegger was one of the few people I kept in touch with from Jammies
Bastian's POV“All I want is you, Bastian. Your touch, your caress, that’s the only protection I need.” All I could think of was Lilith's sad face. It haunted me that I was causing her pain. I look towards the direction she has walked towards, my blood ran cold the minute I did see her. Lilith.She was in the arms of a young man. The guy was hugging her so tight. Jealousy roared through me and every other common sense I had flew out the window of my SUV.I hated the fact that the young man was young, something I wasn't. Hated that he was handsome, not that I can't beat that. However, he had something I didn't. Youth.Whenever I am in close range with Lilith, all I can think about is how I am too old for her and how she deserves better. I wish I was that young man. I wish I wasn't thinking of a girl my daughter’s age. The thoughts of Lilith felt so wrong and right at the same time. Man, I did do anything for that little lass. I couldn't control myself as I saw the hands of the youn
Lilith's POV“Come with me.” Those were the only words Bastian said to me when he stood there looking at me so lost. I could have said no. I could have ignored and moved on yet I couldn't.I had placed my hand in his outstretched hands. I had gone with him so gullibly. When he told me during the drive to God knows when to go pack up, I had done that without saying anything. I felt so lost without him. I have been fighting this attraction for so long.I know I might be setting myself up for hurt, nevertheless, I was willing to risk it all. I looked at him. He was sitting across from me. I wanted to lean in, his suit was off, he was wearing a crisp white shirt that was tucked into his suit pants. The shirt was rolled up, the veins in his hands were so damn distracting. I want to trace my tongue around them. I peeked at a butterfly tattoo in his left arm. I didn't know he had tattoos. The veins and that one single tattoo was so maddening. I wanted to ruffle his hair that was perfectly i
Lilith’s POVDinner went on, but I couldn’t stop noticing Bastian’s mother's icy eyes watching me. She sat straight, her eyes were fixed on me as though she was trying to see through me and waiting for me to make a mistake or a fool of myself. The feeling was intense, and my chest tightened each time I caught her gaze. Nervousness was killing me and I was already experiencing indigestion. I have altogether lost my appetite but I had to continue eating so I don't look rude. What the heck am I doing here? I feel hands on my thighs. I instantly looked up and met the gaze of Bastian with a gentle smile and smoldering look that always warmed me up in his eyes. My face heated up and I knew I would be as red as the tomato sauce on the table. I returned his smile as I bowed my head shyly. I won't say I am a shy person but Bastian makes me feel heated up anytime he looks at me.Hellena finally looked at me and cleared her throat. “Lilith,” she said slowly, “tell me about your mother.”Her vo
Bastian's POVMy hands were trembling, no matter what I did, they wouldn't stop shaking. I don't want Lilith to see me this way. Even as she led me out of the dinning hall to my room, I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings. I should be used to my mother's cursive ways by now. However, getting used to it is one thing but living it and knowing somehow, she is right is another. If I had not had that argument with Ellana that night, she wouldn't have driven off with Sofia. She wouldn't have gotten into an accident that took her life.I am a sick psycho. That's what I am. A selfish man, if I wasn't a selfish man, my daughter wouldn't have hated me. If I wasn't a selfish and cruel man, I wouldn't be yearning for my best friend's daughter.Yes, I am demented psycho. I hear Lilith’s voice calling out to me even with the loud ringing in my ear. I thought I was going to lose consciousness. I held onto the bed post. I needed my pills. I need them to calm me down.“Bastian, calm down
Lilith’s POV What?” More tears fell down her eyes. I use my tongue and lick them off.“I would rather be a source that drains all your sorrows than make you cry.”My heart still couldn't comprehend what Bastian was saying. I just let myself cry. I just cried for all the hurt I couldn't let out before my dad. The things I couldn't tell him.Why would such a man like Bastian be interested in me? I wanted to ask when it all began. I should be happy, but somehow, I am not. I feel responsible for amplifying his traumas. I was the only one who had seen Bastian cry when I was younger.I still remember that cruel day, I had returned from school. I had cried to my dad that I wanted to check up on uncle Bastian since he just lost his wife.Sofia had been so mad at his father, I was eight and she was five years old, yet she had that anger and hatred against her dad. She had insisted on staying with her grandparents, Ellana's parents.Bastian had not resisted because he was in pain and was blami
Lilith’s POVThe food on the table looked so good, but neither of us had an appetite. I watched as Rebecca kept crying, and even though I wanted to comfort her, I couldn’t. I needed answers, to understand what really happened.“I’m sorry. I just can’t help but tear up when I talk about this,” she said, trying to brush it off. I didn’t like how she made light of it when it was clearly hurting her.“How did my dad meet my mom?” I asked, steering the conversation back to the real questions.“They met through my brother.” She looked at me, and I could tell there was more to it than she was letting on.“What are you hiding?” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t hold back.“My brother and your father went on a double date, a blind date actually. My brother suggested it after countless rejections from my mother…” she said, trailing off.“Why would Bastian suggest that?” I muttered, not realizing I’d said it out loud.“Your father and I were madly in love. After my mother
Lilith’s POVI couldn’t hold back my giggles. The whole situation with Ella was so ridiculous that it had me laughing out loud without even realizing it.“What’s so funny?” a familiar voice asked, pulling me from my thoughts. I looked up to find Bastian standing in the doorway of my room. He looked breathtaking, as always. Just seeing him there made my heart race.“You’re here!” I exclaimed, rushing to him. I threw my arms around him in a tight hug.“I thought you’d miss me, so I came back early,” he said, ruffling my hair affectionately. Bastian always felt like a safe haven, a lush, green forest where I could escape to. He was a green flag and I am a red carpet. It's a perfect match!“I missed you more than you can imagine,” I said, flirting as I inhaled his scent. He smelled amazing, a mix of masculine musk and the intoxicating cologne he always wore.“Hmm… that’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.” His voice was smooth, and before I could respond, he leaned in and kissed me. It wa
~Bastian's POV~She was here. Ellara and Sofia. They looked so happy and peaceful. If I hadn’t failed them, this is how they were supposed to be, filled with happiness when they were with me.I trailed after them through the wild field of sunflowers and lilies, the air fragrant with their scent, fresh and unpolluted. It was clean. It was refreshing.An overwhelming sense of peace washed over me. I had finally left it all behind. I could finally rest, rest from the guilt, the pain, the hurt, and the failures. My parents, my sins, my regrets, it was all behind me now. That was a good thing. That’s what I should have been thinking.So why was my peace being interrupted by the green-eyed, red-haired spitfire I left behind? Would she be fine? No, I didn’t think she would. Knowing Lilith, she would blame herself.I had heard her crying, soaking me with her tears, yet I couldn’t open my eyes. My eyelids were too heavy. No matter how hard I tried to move, I was stuck.I knew then and there, m
~Lilith’s POV~The sting of the slap still burned my cheek, but I didn’t care. I had drawn blood. Her blood. That was enough for me. But before I could gloat, before I could even process my next move, the world tilted, and I saw myself being welcomed by the ground.However, hands,strong, and firm, gripped my shoulders, steadying me. My body, about to crumple due to the exhaustion from fighting off the drug, threatened to give out, but those hands held me up. Kept me from falling.“Miss Morrell, are you alright?”That voice sounded so familiar. It felt like I knew it, but I couldn't pinpoint where, so I kept my cool, protecting myself from losing control to the drug.“Miss?” The voice called out again. I wanted to say I was fine, but I couldn't. Not that I didn’t want to, but my lips wouldn’t move.“Leave me alone! I was helping her!”It was the fake nurse from earlier. Whatever exhaustion my body was feeling flew out the hallway.Knowing she could still spill lies that might put me ba
~Lilith’s POV~ Bastian… he’ll be fine, right? Yes, Bastian will be fine. I tried opening my heavy lids, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. What’s happening? Did I fall sick or something? No. I need to wake up. I need to stand up and check on Bastian. I need to remind him not to die on me. Foolish Lilith, foolish Lilith. You caused this. It’s all your fault. You should have paid more attention to him. You should have checked up on him even after you left New York. If anything happens to Bastian, you are to blame. Guilt, shame, and hurt rushed through me. To think I’ve been making life difficult for Bastian… Jesus. What have I done? Why did I let my desires control me? No. First things first, I need to get up from this bed. The smell of antiseptic hits my nostrils. The beeping of a machine. Pain tears through my wrist. My hands feel heavy, just like my lower body. It feels like I’ve been hit by a train. Slowly, I pry my eyes open. A blinding light pierces through my
~Lilith’s POV~Where are the meds? I can't find them. Bastian doesn't look good. What should I do? No, Lilith, just concentrate on finding the medications. Why didn’t he say anything?Even in the midst of all this, his family was still frustrating him. Mad people everywhere.A loud thud echoes through the room, so loud that I fear whatever falls is already broken.I shouldn't have left him. That was the thought that crossed my mind when I saw him.Bastian had fallen. He was the one that had fallen. When did he stand? Wasn't he sitting on the floor? The sound I heard, it was him? And not an object?The marble wood drawer crashes against my leg, jolting me from my shock. My eyes snap back to him lying there, his eyes wide open. As though, shocked life was being snatched from him.No. No. No.“Bastiannnnnnnn!”I run with all my might, closing the two feet between us.I lift him up the moment I reach him, his weight heavy against me. His eyes are still bulging.“Please, don't die. I don't
~Bastian's POV~Do I hate myself? Yes. Do I feel like ending it? Yes. Am I tired of everything? Yes. Yes, and yes again.Yet, in the midst of all this, all I could see was the little woman standing up for me. No one ever did. They all blamed me. Whoever heard the story without knowing everything blamed me.As a growing adult, unable to bear the accusatory eyes and demeaning words, I had left home with Ellara, fully intending never to look back. Like a ray of sunshine, Ellara and I found out three months later that we were expecting our first child.Like a fool always seeking his parents’ validation, I had called home to share the good news. And what had my father's reply been? "You dare have a child after destroying your brother's home?"I dare? What do you mean? How many times do I have to tell you that Lucy drugged me? They faulted me even when I told them the truth.One truth I’m a hundred percent sure of, that my dad isn’t aware of, is that Lucy found out his golden boy, Alfonso,
~Lilith's POV~When I got to Bastian's room, I could hear low, harsh whispers. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I swear, but I couldn’t help it.Bastian’s voice sounded so broken that it tore at something inside me, a piece of me, longing to take away all his hurt.“How could you do this to me?” he yelled, his voice hitching, and the raw pain in it shattered my heart into a million broken pieces.“What do you mean you didn’t mean to hurt me? And yet, you kept the fact that you got pregnant with my child after you literally drugged me to get back at your husband?!” he snarled.I had never heard Bastian sound so angry. He was such a sweet soul, but these people; his own family, had pushed him to the edge. And if I wasn’t mistaken, he was speaking to Alfonso’s wife.“I don’t want to meet with you, Lucy.”That confirmed my suspicion. It was Lucy. The woman had the nerve! She had used Bastian to get back at her husband, and now she wanted to use him again, to save her son. Well, logically, Bas
~Lilith's POV~Thoughts of Jamie circled around my mind. I couldn't shake the guilt I was feeling. Maybe I was too harsh. Regardless, someone needed to tell him.Maybe I shouldn't have been that someone. Jamie is an elder. When I was younger, my parents taught me that it was never the place of a younger person to correct an elder.Why they said that, I don't know. Why I am adhering to that instruction, I don't know either. But if an elder, just like Jamie, is doing wrong, shouldn't a younger one say something?Ahh... I don't know. I just spoke the truth as I saw it. As an elder, he should know he is hurting his son. Maybe it wasn't my place, but I have done it. I will just avoid him for now, just in case he is angry.Meanwhile, as for Alfonso, I can never see him as an elder. He doesn't deserve such respect from me. I can't ignore or forget the horrible words he said."Look who we have here."I could never forget that voice, no matter where I am thrown.I didn't say anything, or rathe
~Lilith’s POV~I gaze at Bastian's sorrowful eyes as he limps off, not from a physical injury. I doubt he even registered his hurt physically. The bruises on his face were evident from the number Alfonso did to him.Bastian continues to wander off. I wince at his swollen jaw. I wanted to call his attention to his injury but I doubt he cares. The pain he is currently feeling, is in his heart not his body. This man has been so hurt countless times by his family since I came here. They have not treated him as one of theirs. They treated him more like a stranger than their son.He looks dazed, a shadow of the man that had been in my bed earlier. All I could think about were ways I could take his pain away."Let me help you." I ran and offered my hands and shoulders to him so he could lean on. But Bastian doesn’t. He pulls away from me.I would do anything to wipe that haunted look from his eyes, yet I didn’t know how to. And if he doesn’t come to me, I don't know how I would be able to h
~Lilith's POV~It can’t be true, right? What kind of nonsense is this? Ha! What has my foolhardy stubbornness gotten me into now?Bastian has two children with his brother’s wife? This family gives off serious horror movie vibes, one terrible secret after another, and somehow, I’m always caught in the middle of this madness. I need to leave.I turn away, trying to move my stiff legs, but they feel like lead. I drag them forward, forcing myself to walk, ignoring the way Bastian’s face drains of color when our eyes meet. His blue eyes are filled with fear. Hurt."Lilith, please, wait." His voice is desperate. No, I can't. I just need to get out of here. I can’t be here."Please, just listen to me," he says, his voice breaking in a way that shreds my heart into a million pieces.I want to stay. I want to hold him, tell him everything is okay—but I can’t. I’m too young for this level of drama. My own family is already a mess with my mother’s controlling ways, and now this? I can't afford