Chapter 58Lyla's POV:I stumbled into the house, my body sore, my mind clouded with guilt and confusion.My blouse is missing buttons, my lips are swollen, and I can still feel the ghost of Lucian’s touch on my skin.Justin is waiting.He noticed everything instantly—how I avoided his gaze, the way my hands trembled as I tried to set my purse down.His jaw tightened."Where the hell were you?" His voice is controlled, but there’s an edge to it.I didn't answer. Because how do I explain that I spent the night with Lucian? That, for a moment, I let myself drown in a fantasy that should have died a long time ago?Justin stepped forward, his eyes scanning me, piecing together the evidence. "You were with him, weren’t you?"My silence is all the confirmation he needs. "Goddammit, Lyla!" He slams his fist against the counter, making me flinch. "After everything he did to you? After the hell he put you through?"I snapped out of her daze, anger rising in her chest. "You don’t get to judge m
Chapter 59Lyla's POV:I rushed out of the house, the cold night air hitting my skin as I hailed a cab. A yellow taxi screeched to a stop in front of me, and I yanked the door open, sliding inside.“Red room.” I said, urgently.The driver gave me a quick glance through the rearview mirror before nodding and pulling into the street. My fingers tapped against my thigh as I stared out the window, my mind racing faster than the car.Then my phone rang.I frowned. The number was unknown.Hesitating for only a second, I picked up. “Hello?”Silence.Then a voice—began counting down."Five."My breath hitched."Four."A chill slithered down my spine."Three."I turned in my seat, scanning the street through the window. Nothing seemed out of place."Two."A strange, suffocating feeling coiled around my chest."One."Before I could react, the deafening blare of a horn shattered the night.My head whipped to the right.Blinding headlights.A monstrous trailer. Speeding straight for us.Everythin
Chapter 60Lucian's POV:The dimly lit warehouse reeked of blood and sweat. The sound of a leather whip slicing through the air followed by a cry of pain that echoed against the concrete walls.I leaned against the metal table, rolling my gun between my fingers, my jaw tightening as I watched the two men kneeling before me. Their faces were already battered, fresh cuts and swollen bruises marking their skin. But they still weren’t talking.Behind them, my men—two bulky men dressed in black holding whips. The whip cracked again, another scream filling the space."Start talking." I ordered. "Who the fuck sold off a box of R2 and three boxes of R3 to Galaxy XX without my approval?"One of the men, a rat-faced bastard named Gregor, spat blood onto the floor. "We didn’t do it, boss. I swear—”The second he denied it, I raised my gun and fired a single shot into the ground beside his knee. He flinched, but I noticed the way his hands clenched into fists.He was lying.I sighed, rubbing a ha
Chapter 61Lucian's POV:Kael’s voice came through the phone, sharp and impatient. “Are you absolutely certain it was Matteo?”I sighed, rubbing my temple. “For the hundredth time, Kael, yes. It was him.”"We don't even know what the bastard fucking looks like anymore.” He snapped. "How can you be so sure?"I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my temper in check. "He sounded exactly like Matteo. And worse? I think he has his eyes on River."Kael fell silent for a moment before exhaling harshly. "And why is that the worst-case scenario? Listen, he saw a girl by your side and assumed she meant something to you. This isn’t the first time someone has targeted the people around you. So why are you so paranoid about her?"I swallowed, my grip on the phone tightening. "Because her life is in danger, Kael."He let out a scoff. "She knew what she was signing up for. Besides, weren’t you the one who pulled that whole ‘fiancée’ stunt in Mexico just to piss her off? Someone must have tipped Matteo o
Chapter 62Justin's POV:Growing up, I was constantly bullied for being too feminine. It was tough, but over time, I learned how to change myself, or at least pretend to.Things only got worse when people found out I liked men. The taunts and harassment escalated, making life unbearable. But in those dark times, my escape was always Lyra. I loved being around her, playing together like we had no worries in the world.Whenever she saw me being bullied, she never hesitated to step in, even if it meant getting hurt in the process. She fought for me when no one else did.At some point, I fell for her. It didn’t make sense, not even to me, so I never said a word about it.Then she lost her parents. I begged mine to take her in, especially since my younger sister had been missing for two years by then. But they refused. They couldn’t bear the thought of replacing her.Instead, Lyra was sent to an orphanage, and after that, she disappeared. They told me she had found her real family—that the
Chapter 63Justin's POV:Three days had passed since Lyla’s accident, and I haven't been myself. No matter how much I tried to mask my fear and self-loathing, it was becoming harder each day, especially when I was around her at the hospital.She noticed. Of course, she did. “Why do you look so sad all the time?” She would ask. “Why do you seem so scared?”I always brushed it off, letting her believe it was because of the argument we had before the accident and her stupid decision to steal those files from Lucian’s safe.But that was a lie.The truth was, my fear came from two entirely different things. First, the terrifying thought that Lyla might face another attempt on her life. And second, the gut-wrenching reality that if she ever found out I was the one who told Marielle about her true identity, she would cut me out of her life without a second thought.And because of that, I kept my silence, but it gnawed at me constantly.Taking a deep breath, I folded the last shirt into her s
OneLyla’s POV:Tonight is the night!“I have an announcement.” I began and all eyes turned to me, some filled with curiosity, others like Marielle was tinged with thinly veiled disdain.“Lucian and I are expecting a baby.” My heart raced as I glanced around the table. Giving mother a nervous look, my fingers brushing the gentle swell of my stomach. I have been waiting for weeks to share this news. Excitedly, I stood up, my heart blooming with hope as mother's lips broke into a smile.She opened her mouth and seemed about to speak when Marielle beat her to it.“A baby?” Marielle asked incredulously, her shock wearing off as she sighed softly. “Well, congratulations, I suppose.” The words were as hollow as her feigned smile.My stomach dropped, my eyes flitting to Mother, whose own smile had frozen.But Marielle wasn’t done.Her eyes darted to our mother, "Lyla's having a baby,""I I know, It's a good thing, yeah?" Mother stammered, her voice happy but concerned as Marielle began to sn
Lucian’s POV “It’s the Princess, sire…” Lydia, my secretary, popped her head into my office, her voice dropping to a whisper as she looked around uncomfortably. “Miss Marielle,”At the sound of my wife’s sister’s name, the pen I had been holding dropped and I let out a shaky breath.“I… Just—-““Should I make her wait a bit?” Lydia’s eyes shone with understanding. “Just for a few minutes—-until you’re ready,”My jaw ticked and I gave her a nod. “Thank you,”She gave a nod back and slipped out of my office.Lydia was always ready to help even though she didn’t have the slightest idea what was happening.No one had the slightest idea what was happening… not even Lyla.My office suddenly felt too hot as I grabbed at my tie, moving it from side to side as I tried to breathe properly.How had it all gone wrong?My hands shook as my memory drifted back to that night. The disbelief and anger I had felt as she repeatedly yelled the words.“The child she’s pregnant with, is not yours!”My of
Chapter 63Justin's POV:Three days had passed since Lyla’s accident, and I haven't been myself. No matter how much I tried to mask my fear and self-loathing, it was becoming harder each day, especially when I was around her at the hospital.She noticed. Of course, she did. “Why do you look so sad all the time?” She would ask. “Why do you seem so scared?”I always brushed it off, letting her believe it was because of the argument we had before the accident and her stupid decision to steal those files from Lucian’s safe.But that was a lie.The truth was, my fear came from two entirely different things. First, the terrifying thought that Lyla might face another attempt on her life. And second, the gut-wrenching reality that if she ever found out I was the one who told Marielle about her true identity, she would cut me out of her life without a second thought.And because of that, I kept my silence, but it gnawed at me constantly.Taking a deep breath, I folded the last shirt into her s
Chapter 62Justin's POV:Growing up, I was constantly bullied for being too feminine. It was tough, but over time, I learned how to change myself, or at least pretend to.Things only got worse when people found out I liked men. The taunts and harassment escalated, making life unbearable. But in those dark times, my escape was always Lyra. I loved being around her, playing together like we had no worries in the world.Whenever she saw me being bullied, she never hesitated to step in, even if it meant getting hurt in the process. She fought for me when no one else did.At some point, I fell for her. It didn’t make sense, not even to me, so I never said a word about it.Then she lost her parents. I begged mine to take her in, especially since my younger sister had been missing for two years by then. But they refused. They couldn’t bear the thought of replacing her.Instead, Lyra was sent to an orphanage, and after that, she disappeared. They told me she had found her real family—that the
Chapter 61Lucian's POV:Kael’s voice came through the phone, sharp and impatient. “Are you absolutely certain it was Matteo?”I sighed, rubbing my temple. “For the hundredth time, Kael, yes. It was him.”"We don't even know what the bastard fucking looks like anymore.” He snapped. "How can you be so sure?"I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my temper in check. "He sounded exactly like Matteo. And worse? I think he has his eyes on River."Kael fell silent for a moment before exhaling harshly. "And why is that the worst-case scenario? Listen, he saw a girl by your side and assumed she meant something to you. This isn’t the first time someone has targeted the people around you. So why are you so paranoid about her?"I swallowed, my grip on the phone tightening. "Because her life is in danger, Kael."He let out a scoff. "She knew what she was signing up for. Besides, weren’t you the one who pulled that whole ‘fiancée’ stunt in Mexico just to piss her off? Someone must have tipped Matteo o
Chapter 60Lucian's POV:The dimly lit warehouse reeked of blood and sweat. The sound of a leather whip slicing through the air followed by a cry of pain that echoed against the concrete walls.I leaned against the metal table, rolling my gun between my fingers, my jaw tightening as I watched the two men kneeling before me. Their faces were already battered, fresh cuts and swollen bruises marking their skin. But they still weren’t talking.Behind them, my men—two bulky men dressed in black holding whips. The whip cracked again, another scream filling the space."Start talking." I ordered. "Who the fuck sold off a box of R2 and three boxes of R3 to Galaxy XX without my approval?"One of the men, a rat-faced bastard named Gregor, spat blood onto the floor. "We didn’t do it, boss. I swear—”The second he denied it, I raised my gun and fired a single shot into the ground beside his knee. He flinched, but I noticed the way his hands clenched into fists.He was lying.I sighed, rubbing a ha
Chapter 59Lyla's POV:I rushed out of the house, the cold night air hitting my skin as I hailed a cab. A yellow taxi screeched to a stop in front of me, and I yanked the door open, sliding inside.“Red room.” I said, urgently.The driver gave me a quick glance through the rearview mirror before nodding and pulling into the street. My fingers tapped against my thigh as I stared out the window, my mind racing faster than the car.Then my phone rang.I frowned. The number was unknown.Hesitating for only a second, I picked up. “Hello?”Silence.Then a voice—began counting down."Five."My breath hitched."Four."A chill slithered down my spine."Three."I turned in my seat, scanning the street through the window. Nothing seemed out of place."Two."A strange, suffocating feeling coiled around my chest."One."Before I could react, the deafening blare of a horn shattered the night.My head whipped to the right.Blinding headlights.A monstrous trailer. Speeding straight for us.Everythin
Chapter 58Lyla's POV:I stumbled into the house, my body sore, my mind clouded with guilt and confusion.My blouse is missing buttons, my lips are swollen, and I can still feel the ghost of Lucian’s touch on my skin.Justin is waiting.He noticed everything instantly—how I avoided his gaze, the way my hands trembled as I tried to set my purse down.His jaw tightened."Where the hell were you?" His voice is controlled, but there’s an edge to it.I didn't answer. Because how do I explain that I spent the night with Lucian? That, for a moment, I let myself drown in a fantasy that should have died a long time ago?Justin stepped forward, his eyes scanning me, piecing together the evidence. "You were with him, weren’t you?"My silence is all the confirmation he needs. "Goddammit, Lyla!" He slams his fist against the counter, making me flinch. "After everything he did to you? After the hell he put you through?"I snapped out of her daze, anger rising in her chest. "You don’t get to judge m
Chapter 57Lucian's POV:Standing there, arms crossed, brows drawn together in anger. "Are you serious, Lucian?" Her voice was filled with disappointment.She stepped closer. "Drinking yourself into oblivion again? This isn’t how you deal with things."I just stared at her.Was this real? Or was the whiskey finally fucking with me?She sighed, kneeling beside me. "Come on, you need to get to bed." Her fingers brushed my wrist. "Lean on me."I flinched. My breath caught.She was real.Something inside me snapped.I grabbed her wrist and yanked her closer. She gasped, eyes widening as I crushed my lips against hers.For a second, she froze. But then—She kissed me back.Her hands clutched my shirt, fingers curling into the fabric. Instead of pushing me away, she pulled me closer, deepening the kiss.And I let her.Her lips against mine, ignited something in me that had been buried for far too long. I didn't stop to think. I didn't stop to question. All I knew was that she was here—Lyla
Chapter 56Lucian's POV:"I'll call you back.” I said, my gaze fixed on River. Without waiting for a response, I ended the call and slipped my phone into my pocket.My eyes trailed down to her phone, still on the floor from where she had dropped it. The way her hands trembled slightly as she stared back at me didn’t go unnoticed.I smirked. "Aren't you stepping out?"Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she quickly masked her reaction. Without a word, she crouched down, grabbed her phone, and hurried out of the elevator.Suppressing a chuckle, I stepped inside, and Kael followed, pressing the button for the lobby.Just as the doors were about to close, River hesitated, then turned back. "You have a meeting soon.""Cancel it." I said curtly.She gave a short nod, about to leave again when I stopped her."River."She paused, her shoulders stiffening."I left some files on my desk that I can't take with me right now. When you're done here, bring them to my place."She nodde
Chapter 55Lyla's POV:Justin was right—I was losing sight of the reason I became River in the first place.But it wasn’t because of love, it was pity.And the worst part? I hated that I felt pity for someone like Lucian. Yet, no matter how much I fought it, I couldn’t help myself.When I overheard the maids whispering about how he had turned to drinking after my death, I felt strange.When I saw firsthand how cruelly he treated Marielle, how he barely acknowledged her existence, I realized something—he didn’t love her. And for the first time, I wondered if maybe, just maybe, he missed me.Those thoughts were in my mind, growing until they turned into something I despised—pity.The sound of someone tapping against my desk yanked me out of my thoughts. I blinked and looked up to find Kael staring down at me.“Is there a problem, sir?” I asked, straightening in my seat.He tapped his wristwatch pointedly. “It’s 9:05 AM. You do realize that means it’s almost time for you to fetch Lucian’