Semua Bab SUBSTITUTE BRIDE, I WANT YOU BACK LILA: Bab 31 - Bab 33

Chapter 31 – The ReckoningLILAI never thought I’d step foot in this city again. The memories alone were suffocating, but I had come back stronger, smarter. This time, I wasn’t the naive girl who let love blind her. I adjusted my sunglasses as I walked through the airport, my heels clicking against the polished floor. Olivia walked beside me, pushing the luggage cart, her expression unreadable. "You sure about this?" she asked for the hundredth time. "Positive." My voice held no hesitation. "It’s time to face them." I wasn’t here for closure. I wasn’t here for Lucien. I was here to take back everything that was stolen from me—starting with my career. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t just business. My heart still carried the weight of betrayal, the echoes of his voice when he called me a liar, a gold digger. I clenched my fists. I wasn’t that weak, lovesick girl anymore. The moment I stepped outside, a cold gust of wind hit my face. New York hadn’t changed, but I had. I h

**Chapter 33: Uninformed **Lila**I paced the living room, my arms crossed tightly over my chest. Lucien sat on the couch, his elbows on his knees, watching me with an unreadable expression. The weight of everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours pressed down on me like a boulder."We need a plan," I said, stopping to face him. "If Lily is behind the leaks, then she's not going to stop until she destroys everything."Lucien sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know. And that’s why I need you to trust me." hope you canTrust? That was a word that had lost all meaning between us. I scoffed, folding my arms. "Trust? You think trust is something you can just demand after everything?"He exhaled sharply. "Lila, I get it. I do. But this isn’t just about us anymore. It’s about our kids. And if Lily has even the slightest inkling about them, she won’t just sit back. She will come for them."My stomach clenched at the thought. I had spent years shielding my babies from