(Diane)Archer was smooth—too smooth. The kind of smooth that made me suspicious, like a knife slicing through silk without making a sound.He stepped forward, the crowd still parting around him like the Red Sea, but now there was something else in the air—expectation. Lila straightened, lifting her chin in that way spoiled girls did when they thought they were about to be pacified. Maya folded her arms, her smirk sharpening. They thought they’d won something.And then Archer smiled.It was slight, just a flicker of movement at the corners of his mouth, but it was enough. The tension shifted again like he was about to play some sort of game. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, perfectly wrapped box—a pristine silver bow on top.“Lila,” he said, voice rich and even, the way a diplomat might smooth over an international crisis. “Apologies for my wife’s… enthusiasm.”A calculated pause. A gentle incline of his head. Just enough condescension to make Lila feel super
(Diane)I took the envelope handed to me, turning it over between my fingers. The wax seal was smooth and cool, the contents deceptively light.Beside me, Selene accepted hers with a blank expression, but I caught the way her shoulders stayed tense. Archer, of course, took his with that effortless charm of his, already spinning it between his fingers like he was considering angles, outcomes. Calculating.As the room buzzed with excitement, guests peeling open their envelopes with eager fingers, I exhaled slowly.This is about to get messy.Charles’ grin widened as he addressed the crowd. “Each of you has just received an envelope,” he said, letting the suspense build. “But there’s a twist—these aren’t secrets.”A ripple of intrigue passed through the guests.“Inside those envelopes are lists of rumors,” he continued. “Your job is to figure out which guest each one belongs to. Keep your own hidden while uncovering everyone else’s. Since this is a masquerade party, you might not even kn
(Diane)I didn’t even glance at Savannah. She wasn’t worth the energy. Instead, I turned to Victor, fixing him with a knowing look.“You wouldn’t happen to be the one behind this little game, would you?” I asked, my voice light but sharp enough to cut.Victor’s smirk didn’t waver. “Tempting theory, but no. I enjoy a well-placed knife to the back, but this?” He gestured vaguely at the slips of paper. “This isn’t my style.”I studied him, searching for any tell, but Victor was too well-practiced. Too careful. If he was lying, he was doing a damn good job of it.He tilted his head slightly. “So your secret is something only I know? Interesting.”Before I could respond, I felt Lucian’s hand tighten on my waist—just the slightest pressure, but enough to make my breath hitch. A silent warning? A claim? A reaction he didn’t even realize he was having?Savannah, meanwhile, looked like she’d been slapped. Her face twisted, and without another word, she spun on her heel and stormed off.Victor
(Diane)I immediately turn to Lucian. My heart slams against my ribs as my eyes lock onto his face, searching for—hell, I don’t even know what I’m looking for. Guilt? Regret? A whoops, my bad shrug?But Lucian doesn’t look guilty. He doesn’t look… anything.His expression is unreadable, a careful mask of indifference. The only tell is the faint, almost imperceptible tightening of his jaw. He doesn't shift, doesn’t blink too much, just stands there like a damn statue.I expect him to say something—to explain, to deny, to breathe—but he doesn’t. Instead, he just watches me. Not in a waiting for judgment kind of way, but like he’s taking notes on my reaction. Like he’s assessing me, seeing how much I can handle, how much I already know.It pisses me off.“You killed someone?” My voice comes out a little higher than intended. “Like… actual murder? Not an ‘oops, they slipped on a banana peel, and I didn’t stop it’ kind of thing?”Still nothing. Lucian just cocks his head slightly, his eyes
(Diane)The ride home had been mostly silent, except for the occasional sound of the engine humming beneath us. I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, my arms crossed, still gripping that damn paper like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. The weight of what I’d read pressed down on me, but the real weight—the one I couldn’t shake—was the presence of Lucian beside me.He hadn’t said much, and I wasn’t sure if that was better or worse. His hands gripped the wheel firmly, his jaw tight, eyes fixed on the road ahead like he was avoiding looking at me altogether. He hadn’t denied what I’d accused him of. He hadn’t even tried to explain.Typical Lucian. Always keeping his cards so damn close to his chest.The city lights blurred past us, casting long shadows inside the car. The streets were quieter at this hour, and yet, my mind was anything but. I wanted to push him, to force him to talk, but something about the way he sat, rigid and unreadable, made me pause. He wasn’t just hiding
(Diane)I wasn’t surprised when, a few days later, I found myself dragged back into the party scene—an old habit I’d never really managed to shake. Despite everything, I’d learned to mask my pain with distractions. And tonight, I was at yet another club event in which Victor happened to be there as well. I pretended to be fine, laughing along with the crowd, letting the music and neon lights drown out the restless questions that kept gnawing at me.Inside the club, everything was pulsating with energy. Basslines thumped so hard that I could feel them in my bones, and the strobe lights made everyone’s features blur into an indistinguishable sea of glitter and smoke. I sat close to Victor, who was in his element—charming, arrogant, and entirely oblivious to the internal war raging in me.I forced a smile and sipped my drink, letting my eyes wander around the club as if I were just another face in the crowd. But beneath the surface, I had a mission: I needed to know more about Victor’s
(Lucian)I’d been watching Diane all night—from the club’s neon chaos to the quiet street outside where she finally slipped away. I stood in the darkness, hidden in the lingering glow of a streetlamp, feeling a cocktail of relief and irritation churn inside me. It wasn’t that I didn’t care; I cared more than anything—but I couldn’t help but think, she should have carried me along. Now she was leaving me behind, and it felt like she was putting all the blame on me for not being there for her.I mean, really, isn’t it my job to be by her side? I was always there, silently watching her navigate this mess, protecting her from all the chaos—even when she pretended not to need me. But tonight, as I emerged from the shadows and watched her disappear into the cool night air, I couldn’t shake the thought that this wasn’t how things were supposed to work.I shook my head, trying to clear the swirl of thoughts. It wasn’t the time for sulking. I’d made a decision long ago that we’d do everythin
(Diane)When we reached Lucian’s house, the weight of the night’s secrets pressed down on me. Inside his modest but secure home, I sank onto an overstuffed sofa while Lucian spread out a digital layout of Savannah’s sprawling estate on a cluttered dining table. The room was littered with maps, security diagrams, and scribbled notes—our own little war room where every detail mattered.“Diane,” Lucian said, his voice steady yet urgent, “we know Savannah’s locked up her fated mate. That rumor—if it’s true—could be the key to unraveling everything. We need to find out who she’s hiding and why.”I listened, trying to set aside the nagging memories of lost time and the chaos that haunted me. “So what’s our move?” I asked, forcing a smile despite the storm inside me.Lucian pointed to a marked spot on the digital map. “Savannah’s main house is heavily guarded, but there’s a little-used service entrance at the back. My tech friend can disable the alarms for about five minutes. That should giv
(Diane)Freeing my mum was almost too easy—almost as if there were no restrictions, no defiant forces left to stand in our way. As we drove back, the cool night air pressed in on me, and memories began to surge like a long-forgotten tide. I couldn’t help but remember those days when I was 16 or 17, when everything was raw and unfiltered. Back then, life had been simpler, even if it was filled with its own share of heartache. I recalled the laughter and the closeness we once shared, the innocent promises made under starlit skies. It was during that time that I realized I’d known Lucian longer than I ever truly admitted—even if we weren’t as close as we are now, there was a bond there, pure and unadulterated.I leaned back in the driver’s seat, my eyes tracing the dark outlines of the trees passing by. Memories of our younger days flooded my mind—the way Lucian used to tease me relentlessly about my quiet nature, the moments we shared when nothing else seemed to matter. We were diff
(Lucian)I waited. Arms crossed, patience wearing thin, watching the darkness beyond the clearing. The unity charm—an old, unbreakable ward—hummed softly around me, its ancient magic holding strong. Victor and Savannah were coming, and they’d be pissed. Good. Let them rage.I smirked as I imagined Victor’s face when he realized he couldn’t step a single foot inside this place. That alone was going to be worth the wait.And then, finally, they arrived.Victor stormed into view first, looking like an angry CEO who just found out his assistant accidentally deleted his entire empire. His expression? A mix of frustration, rage, and just a dash of arrogance—because of course he still thought he could win.Savannah followed closely behind, though something was different. Her usual confidence was still there, but there was a tension in her movements, a hesitation that hadn’t been there before. I filed that observation away for later.Victor glared at the unseen barrier keeping him out. He ra
(Diane)I scrambled backward as he closed in. His movements were lightning-fast—like he’d been trained in every form of combat. I ducked just in time as his fist grazed where Lucian had been standing. Lucian recovered quickly, his eyes burning with fierce determination as he pulled me to safety behind a large, ornate pillar.“Diane, run!” he shouted, but I knew I couldn’t just leave him to fight alone.He attacked again, launching a series of precise strikes. I could hear the smack of flesh and the grunts of exertion as Lucian met his blows. My heart pounded like a drum as I tried to find my footing in the dimly lit hallway. I caught sight of a heavy, metal lamp lying on a side table—if I could reach it, I might have a chance to defend myself.The attacker moved with the grace and lethality of a predator, his eyes never leaving mine as he advanced. I raised the lamp, swinging it with all the strength I had. The lamp connected with a dull thud against his forearm, sending a jolt of pai
(Diane)I barely had time to catch my breath after my long, tearful call with Selene when my phone buzzed again. It was Lucian. I hesitated for a moment, then answered.“Diane,” his voice was softer this time—almost apologetic. “I’m sorry about earlier. I never meant to hurt you.”I closed my eyes, feeling the raw ache of our last encounter resurface. “I know,” I whispered, though a part of me still throbbed with betrayal. “You really need to explain what happened, Lucian.”There was a pause, and then he continued, “Can I come to your place? I… I want to explain everything face-to-face. It’s important.”I glanced around my quiet apartment, the remnants of last night’s turmoil still echoing in the silence. As much as I dreaded reopening that wound, I also knew I needed answers. “Yes,” I replied, voice tentative. “Come over.”Within minutes, his familiar car pulled up outside, and I opened the door to find him standing there—his eyes searching mine with a mixture of regret and urgency.
(Diane)I stared at Lucian, shock and fury colliding in my mind. It was as if the ground had shifted beneath my feet—everything I thought I knew about us, about our past, came crashing down. Before I could react properly, my emotions exploded.“You don’t get to decide what I can handle!” I shouted, my voice raw with anger and hurt. My words were a mix of frustration and betrayal, a plea for him to understand that I wasn’t just some fragile doll to be saved at his whim.The tension between us was electric, charged with every unspoken word we’d held back for too long—anger, longing, and a deep-seated pain that neither of us could fully articulate. For a long, agonizing moment, neither of us moved. I felt a storm building within, a mix of regret and defiance, as though every secret, every whispered lie, was finally boiling over.But then, as if unable to bear the intensity any longer, I turned on my heel and stormed away. I didn’t care if Savannah had caught us or if Lucian was left stan
(Diane)When we reached Lucian’s house, the weight of the night’s secrets pressed down on me. Inside his modest but secure home, I sank onto an overstuffed sofa while Lucian spread out a digital layout of Savannah’s sprawling estate on a cluttered dining table. The room was littered with maps, security diagrams, and scribbled notes—our own little war room where every detail mattered.“Diane,” Lucian said, his voice steady yet urgent, “we know Savannah’s locked up her fated mate. That rumor—if it’s true—could be the key to unraveling everything. We need to find out who she’s hiding and why.”I listened, trying to set aside the nagging memories of lost time and the chaos that haunted me. “So what’s our move?” I asked, forcing a smile despite the storm inside me.Lucian pointed to a marked spot on the digital map. “Savannah’s main house is heavily guarded, but there’s a little-used service entrance at the back. My tech friend can disable the alarms for about five minutes. That should giv
(Lucian)I’d been watching Diane all night—from the club’s neon chaos to the quiet street outside where she finally slipped away. I stood in the darkness, hidden in the lingering glow of a streetlamp, feeling a cocktail of relief and irritation churn inside me. It wasn’t that I didn’t care; I cared more than anything—but I couldn’t help but think, she should have carried me along. Now she was leaving me behind, and it felt like she was putting all the blame on me for not being there for her.I mean, really, isn’t it my job to be by her side? I was always there, silently watching her navigate this mess, protecting her from all the chaos—even when she pretended not to need me. But tonight, as I emerged from the shadows and watched her disappear into the cool night air, I couldn’t shake the thought that this wasn’t how things were supposed to work.I shook my head, trying to clear the swirl of thoughts. It wasn’t the time for sulking. I’d made a decision long ago that we’d do everythin
(Diane)I wasn’t surprised when, a few days later, I found myself dragged back into the party scene—an old habit I’d never really managed to shake. Despite everything, I’d learned to mask my pain with distractions. And tonight, I was at yet another club event in which Victor happened to be there as well. I pretended to be fine, laughing along with the crowd, letting the music and neon lights drown out the restless questions that kept gnawing at me.Inside the club, everything was pulsating with energy. Basslines thumped so hard that I could feel them in my bones, and the strobe lights made everyone’s features blur into an indistinguishable sea of glitter and smoke. I sat close to Victor, who was in his element—charming, arrogant, and entirely oblivious to the internal war raging in me.I forced a smile and sipped my drink, letting my eyes wander around the club as if I were just another face in the crowd. But beneath the surface, I had a mission: I needed to know more about Victor’s
(Diane)The ride home had been mostly silent, except for the occasional sound of the engine humming beneath us. I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, my arms crossed, still gripping that damn paper like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. The weight of what I’d read pressed down on me, but the real weight—the one I couldn’t shake—was the presence of Lucian beside me.He hadn’t said much, and I wasn’t sure if that was better or worse. His hands gripped the wheel firmly, his jaw tight, eyes fixed on the road ahead like he was avoiding looking at me altogether. He hadn’t denied what I’d accused him of. He hadn’t even tried to explain.Typical Lucian. Always keeping his cards so damn close to his chest.The city lights blurred past us, casting long shadows inside the car. The streets were quieter at this hour, and yet, my mind was anything but. I wanted to push him, to force him to talk, but something about the way he sat, rigid and unreadable, made me pause. He wasn’t just hiding