"Tell me everything." Lila's voice cut through the morning stillness like a blade. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed, her eyes locked onto Lucas and Jake. Lucas hesitated, but she didn’t give him the chance to stall. "No sugarcoating, no half-truths. Just tell me what happened." Jake exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Your impersonator screwed up. Big time." Lila’s stomach twisted. "What did they do?" Lucas met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "They tried to hack into Rikkard’s systems." The words sent a chill down her spine. Rikkard wasn’t just a threat—he was the kind of monster who didn’t forgive. If someone had attempted to breach his security, there would be consequences. Deadly ones. "And?" she pressed, her voice tighter now. Jake grimaced. "They failed." Lila inhaled sharply. Of course, they had failed. Rikkard wasn’t someone who let his systems be easily accessed, let alone infiltrated. Lucas’s jaw clenched. "Now he’s hunting fo
The drive back was tense. Lucas remained absorbed in legal documents, barely speaking. Jake tapped his fingers against the car door, occasionally glancing at her. Lila, however, couldn’t stop staring at the screen in front of her. The message from the impersonator—the one hidden in the server—mocked her. She had memorized every letter, every space, every possible pattern. Yet, it refused to make sense. She frowned. “Lawrence,” she murmured. Jake shifted. "What?" Lila exhaled, shaking her head. "I don’t know. It just keeps standing out to me." Lucas finally looked up. "You think he’s real?" Lila bit her lip. "I think if he is, he’s in just as much danger as we are." The car slowed as they approached their destination. Jake stretched. "We should probably focus on surviving this trial first." Lila smirked. "What, you’re not confident?" Jake grinned. "Oh, I am. I just like having backup plans." Lucas shut his laptop with a click. "Then let’s make sure we don’
Lila barely noticed the sound of the front door opening. Her fingers moved feverishly across the keyboard, her mind racing as she pieced everything together. The moment she cracked the final sequence, her breath caught in her throat.“Lila?” Lucas’s voice snapped her out of her trance. She turned sharply, heart still hammering. He stood in the doorway with Jake beside him, both looking exhausted but alert.“You’re back.” Her voice was hoarse from lack of use.Jake raised an eyebrow. “You sound surprised. What, you think we were gonna let the lawyers handle the trial while we ran off on some mission?” Lila blinked. “You mean… you didn’t?” Lucas sighed, rubbing his temple. “It was a formality. The trial was never going to be a real issue. We were more concerned about what you’d find while we were gone.” His gaze sharpened as he took in the state of the room—papers scattered, multiple monitors running different analyses, lines of code flashing on the screens. “And judging by the look o
LILA POV I told them about Arika—what little I could remember. Honestly, there wasn’t much, and what I did recall wasn’t great. Arika had always been trouble.She was three years older than me and never missed a chance to make my life miserable. I still remember the relief I felt when she disappeared and never came back. But now, staring at her face on the screen, I felt uneasy. The same way she always made me feel."Is she a hacker too?" Jake asked."I don't know… but she was good at taking things that weren’t hers," I admitted. I remembered how she used to steal from everyone in the orphanage, always shifting the blame onto others. More often than not, I took the fall. She enjoyed watching me struggle."I'll have my men look for her," Lucas assured me. I nodded, but deep down, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to track her down."But for now, you need rest," Lucas added firmly. "You’ve had a long day, and I won’t hear another word about it."I narrowed my eyes at him, tempted to argue. B
Lila felt a wave of sadness when they declined to give her their full attention simultaneously. Nevertheless, once Jake finished his interaction, she sat on Lucas's lap as he continued his. It brought her a feeling of comfort for the rest of the evening, and Jake took care of her by providing food. Lucas seemed reluctant to part ways, and she found herself spending the night with him following their meal. He escorted her to his sleeping quarters for the remainder of the night."So persistent," Lucas remarked, his voice soft and low as they embraced in the bed."You seem unwilling to move," Lila noted as he remained close."It's not my intent to stay," Lucas responded, gently attempting to ease her, but his efforts proved ineffective. Instead, Lila gave him a playful nudge."If you don't intend to stay, then why are you holding onto me so tightly?" she teased, tilting her head slightly to meet his gaze.Lucas exhaled softly, brushing his fingers through her hair. "You're warm," he adm
"This is a terrible idea," Lucas muttered, rubbing his temple as he read Rikkard’s email for the third time. His hands clenched into fists."We don’t have much of a choice, do we?" Jake countered, leaning against the doorway.Lucas’s jaw tightened. "I’d rather burn Rikkard’s entire empire to the ground than ask for his help.""And yet, here we are," Jake said with a sigh. "Lila’s safety comes first. You know that."Lucas growled under his breath. His wolf stirred violently at the mere thought of Rikkard being anywhere near Lila. It was a struggle to suppress the possessive, raging part of himself."You think I don’t know that?" Lucas snapped, his golden eyes flashing. "But trusting him? After everything? It makes me sick."Jake crossed his arms, unfazed. "It’s not trust—it’s necessity. Someone’s targeting us, Lucas. And unless you plan on ripping through an entire underground network by yourself, we need Rikkard’s resources."Lucas exhaled sharply, trying to steady himself. His hatred
Lila crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her elbow as the screen remained dark. "How long is this going to take? We’re sitting ducks here.""Patience, kitten," Jake murmured, leaning back in his chair with an infuriating smirk. "You’re acting like you have somewhere better to be.""I do—literally anywhere but waiting on Rikkard," she shot back. "And don’t call me kitten."Lucas exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the screen. "If this is going to work, we need to be prepared for anything. Rikkard doesn’t trust easily, and neither do I.""That makes two of us," Lila muttered. "Three, actually."The tension in the room thickened as the screen flickered. Static hummed for a brief second before Rikkard’s face appeared. His sharp, calculating eyes swept across them, lingering on Lila longer than she liked."Well, well," Rikkard mused, his voice like velvet laced with steel. "Quite the interesting gathering. Lucas, Jake, and…?""Lila," she answered flatly, unwilling to let him steer
A Breach of Trust“What is she doing here?”Rikkard’s voice, thick with disdain, filled the silent space as his image flickered onto the screen. His dark eyes narrowed, scanning the trio before him. Lucas sat rigid, his jaw tightening. Jake leaned back, arms crossed, a smirk playing at his lips. And Lila? She held her ground, unfazed by the obvious hostility.“She’s here because she needs to be,” Lucas responded curtly. “We agreed to talk. So talk.”Rikkard scoffed, barely concealing his contempt. “I agreed to speak with men of power, not a woman who has no place in this conversation.”Lila arched a brow, unimpressed. “And yet, here I am.”Jake chuckled under his breath, clearly enjoying the tension, while Lucas remained coldly silent. Lila refused to look away from Rikkard, her expression unwavering. If he thought a condescending tone would make her cower, he had another thing coming.Rikkard exhaled sharply, as if already exhausted. “Fine. Let’s get to the point.” He leaned forward,
The evening stretched on, the tension slowly melting into something softer. Lila found herself nestled between them on the couch, their quiet presence providing a comfort she hadn’t known she needed."You know," Jake mused, "I think God knew exactly what He was doing when He put the three of us together. You balance us out, Lila."She arched a brow. "Oh? How so?"Lucas smirked. "You keep us on our toes. And you remind us what real strength looks like."Lila scoffed. "Strength? You two are the warriors here."Jake shook his head. "No, Lila. Strength isn’t just about fighting battles. It’s about endurance. It’s about getting back up, even when life knocks you down. And you’ve been doing that your whole life."Warmth spread through her chest at his words. "I never thought of it that way."Lucas leaned in, his voice softer. "Because no one ever told you. But we see you, Lila. And we won’t let you forget your worth."She blinked, her vision blurring slightly. "Thank you. For being patient
Lila clenched her fists, her chest tightening as a storm of emotions swirled within her."I don’t understand why you’re both so patient with me," she muttered, looking away. "I keep pushing, keep hesitating, and yet… you’re still here."Jake stepped closer, his voice gentle yet firm. "Because we love you, Lila. That doesn’t change just because you’re struggling."Lucas exhaled, crossing his arms as he studied her with knowing eyes. "You think you’re hard to love, don’t you?"Her throat tightened, but she refused to answer. The truth sat heavy in her chest, too raw to admit. She had spent most of her life proving she didn’t need anyone, that she could survive alone. But now, with them, she found herself wanting more—terrified of wanting more.Lucas sighed, stepping forward. "Love isn’t about perfection, Lila. It’s about choosing each other, even when it’s hard. Even when fear tries to convince you to run."Her hands trembled, and she clenched them tighter. "I don’t want to be weak."Ja
Jake leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching Lila with narrowed eyes.“You’re doing it again,” he said.Lila didn’t look up from the holographic display, fingers rapidly tapping through a sequence of security feeds. “Doing what?” she muttered.“Overworking. Stressing. Wearing yourself down to the bone,” Jake listed, pushing off the doorframe. “And you know exactly what I’m talking about.”She sighed but didn’t slow down. “I don’t have time to take a break. We’re running out of leads, and I need to know what Arika is planning next. If we wait too long, she’ll be ten steps ahead of us.”Jake exhaled through his nose, crossing the room in a few long strides. He reached out, gently placing a hand over hers, stilling her movements. “Lila,” he said softly. “We can’t do any of this if you collapse on us. You haven’t slept. You barely ate. You’re pushing yourself too hard.”Lila finally met his gaze, something unreadable flickering in her eyes. For a moment, it looked like she migh
“You’re overthinking this.”“I am not.” Lila’s voice was sharp, her eyes flashing with irritation as she paced the room. “Rikkard isn’t telling us everything. There’s something bigger going on, and if we don’t figure it out soon, we’ll be caught in the middle of it.”Jake exhaled heavily, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe. “I get it, Lila. But you’re pushing yourself too hard. You need to slow down.”“I don’t have time to slow down,” she snapped, raking a hand through her hair. “Arika could be orchestrating something even worse, and Rikkard might be hiding more than he’s letting on.”Lucas, who had been silent up until now, stepped forward. “Lila, we hear you. But your stress isn’t helping. It’s making everything worse.”Lila shot him a glare. “So what? You want me to just sit back and do nothing?”“No,” Jake said, pushing off the doorframe. “But I do want you to breathe, maybe sleep for more than three hours a night. You’re running yourself into the ground.”She clenche
“You’re overthinking this.”“I am not.” Lila’s voice was sharp, her eyes flashing with irritation as she paced the room. “Rikkard isn’t telling us everything. There’s something bigger going on, and if we don’t figure it out soon, we’ll be caught in the middle of it.”Jake exhaled heavily, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe. “I get it, Lila. But you’re pushing yourself too hard. You need to slow down.”“I don’t have time to slow down,” she snapped, raking a hand through her hair. “Arika could be orchestrating something even worse, and Rikkard might be hiding more than he’s letting on.”Lucas, who had been silent up until now, stepped forward. “Lila, we hear you. But your stress isn’t helping. It’s making everything worse.”Lila shot him a glare. “So what? You want me to just sit back and do nothing?”“No,” Jake said, pushing off the doorframe. “But I do want you to breathe, maybe sleep for more than three hours a night. You’re running yourself into the ground.”She clenche
Lucas turned to face her fully. "Arika."Lila’s fingers drummed against the table, her jaw tightening. "I’d bet my life on it."Jake nodded. "It makes sense. If she wanted to throw everyone off her trail, pinning it on Lawrence would be a smart move. But why steal military secrets? What’s her endgame?"Lila shook her head. "That’s what we need to find out."Lucas’s expression darkened. "We also need to consider another possibility—Rikkard might already know Arika is involved. He could be playing us."Silence filled the room. The thought sent a cold ripple down Lila’s spine. "You think he’s using us to clean up his mess?"Lucas nodded. "Wouldn’t be the first time he’s manipulated a situation to his advantage."Jake sighed. "So, what’s our next move? We can’t just sit here and wait for Rikkard to feed us more half-truths."Lila straightened. "The Weddard witches."Jake frowned. "What about them?""They talk," she said simply. "Loose tongues, eager ears. If Rikkard knows something about
A Breach of Trust“What is she doing here?”Rikkard’s voice, thick with disdain, filled the silent space as his image flickered onto the screen. His dark eyes narrowed, scanning the trio before him. Lucas sat rigid, his jaw tightening. Jake leaned back, arms crossed, a smirk playing at his lips. And Lila? She held her ground, unfazed by the obvious hostility.“She’s here because she needs to be,” Lucas responded curtly. “We agreed to talk. So talk.”Rikkard scoffed, barely concealing his contempt. “I agreed to speak with men of power, not a woman who has no place in this conversation.”Lila arched a brow, unimpressed. “And yet, here I am.”Jake chuckled under his breath, clearly enjoying the tension, while Lucas remained coldly silent. Lila refused to look away from Rikkard, her expression unwavering. If he thought a condescending tone would make her cower, he had another thing coming.Rikkard exhaled sharply, as if already exhausted. “Fine. Let’s get to the point.” He leaned forward,
Lila crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her elbow as the screen remained dark. "How long is this going to take? We’re sitting ducks here.""Patience, kitten," Jake murmured, leaning back in his chair with an infuriating smirk. "You’re acting like you have somewhere better to be.""I do—literally anywhere but waiting on Rikkard," she shot back. "And don’t call me kitten."Lucas exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the screen. "If this is going to work, we need to be prepared for anything. Rikkard doesn’t trust easily, and neither do I.""That makes two of us," Lila muttered. "Three, actually."The tension in the room thickened as the screen flickered. Static hummed for a brief second before Rikkard’s face appeared. His sharp, calculating eyes swept across them, lingering on Lila longer than she liked."Well, well," Rikkard mused, his voice like velvet laced with steel. "Quite the interesting gathering. Lucas, Jake, and…?""Lila," she answered flatly, unwilling to let him steer
"This is a terrible idea," Lucas muttered, rubbing his temple as he read Rikkard’s email for the third time. His hands clenched into fists."We don’t have much of a choice, do we?" Jake countered, leaning against the doorway.Lucas’s jaw tightened. "I’d rather burn Rikkard’s entire empire to the ground than ask for his help.""And yet, here we are," Jake said with a sigh. "Lila’s safety comes first. You know that."Lucas growled under his breath. His wolf stirred violently at the mere thought of Rikkard being anywhere near Lila. It was a struggle to suppress the possessive, raging part of himself."You think I don’t know that?" Lucas snapped, his golden eyes flashing. "But trusting him? After everything? It makes me sick."Jake crossed his arms, unfazed. "It’s not trust—it’s necessity. Someone’s targeting us, Lucas. And unless you plan on ripping through an entire underground network by yourself, we need Rikkard’s resources."Lucas exhaled sharply, trying to steady himself. His hatred