Killian's Pov Walking out of that café, I was furious. No—furious didn’t even cover it. I was burning. My body was on fire, my chest felt tight. I had never been this angry before. I didn’t even know why I was so angry. But I was.I stormed to the car. Yanked the damn door open so fast, I swear, if it was some regular car, the handle would’ve come off. I didn’t care.I threw myself into the backseat. Slammed the door.“Drive,” I said.The driver just sat there, still turning the ignition like he had all the time in the world.I growled, “I said, drive! What the hell is this?”“Sorry sir, sorry sir,” he stuttered.God. He was already getting on my nerves. Everything was getting on my nerves.I sat back. Legs bouncing. Tapping. Rubbing my jaw. My eyes—still looking through the window. And there she was.Lilith. Still talking. Still smiling. Didn’t even glance at me once. Not once.Why? Why the hell couldn’t she just look at me? A second. That’s all I needed.What were they still discus
Killian’s PovI buttoned up my shirt, the last piece of my morning routine, and for whatever damn reason, my thoughts drifted—again—to Lilith.She didn’t come home last night. Maybe she slept at her place. Maybe not. I don’t know. And truthfully? I shouldn’t care.This is someone who barely flinched at her mother’s death. So why should I bother worrying about where she lays her head?I brushed it off, grabbed a bite downstairs, then headed straight to the office.As usual, my day was packed—meetings, documents, calls. We’re expanding, so I had to sit through interviews. Tedious, but necessary.It was halfway through the day when I paused.Something in me—call it curiosity, call it madness—made me reach for my phone.But I didn’t call her. Of course not. That would send the wrong message. That I care.And I don’t.I called her father instead.He answered. Dry pleasantries. I said sorry—again—for the loss. Then I got to the point.“Is Lilith with you?”Silence. Then he said, “I’ve disow
Lilith’s PovI hadn’t laughed this much in forever.Nolan wasn’t even the type of person to laugh out loud, but the jokes he made? So dry, so serious—but somehow they always made me laugh like a crazy person. And all he ever did in return was chuckle, just a low chuckle that somehow made my heart feel warm.I felt so... safe around him.I didn’t know why. I shouldn’t.I mean, this is Nolan. Killian’s brother. A man with a fiancée.And yet here I was, standing in his shirt, cooking with him in his kitchen, and feeling like... this was okay?No, it’s not okay.I have no business feeling anything.I’ve been broken enough. I don’t need anything else that will crush me again. Not now. Not ever. That’s what Killian did to me. That’s what I swore I’d never go through again.So maybe, just maybe, I’ll stay here for like three or four days.Just to breathe. Just to exist.And when I go back, I’ll avoid Nolan. Completely.That’s how the feelings will die.That’s how I’ll stay safe.Maybe I’ll s
Nolan’s PovThe moment her palm touched mine, I paused.It was soft. Warm. Delicate. And for a second, everything slowed.Was this a green light? Was she… opening up to me?Maybe she’s starting to feel something. Maybe I don’t even need to tell her anything about my brother anymore. Not like Killian was a monster, but to her? He was the worst.She held onto my hand, and we walked out together.We got into the car and the drive to the store was silent but not awkward. Just… calm. Like we were settling into something familiar. Something real.When we got there, I gave her a quick nod, and she followed me in. We picked up everything we needed—juice, wine, a few basics, and of course, everything for pancakes.By the time we got back, I said, “I’ll just place everything in the kitchen.”She nodded. “Yeah, I’ll just go pack my hair real quick. I forgot something earlier… I need a change of clothes. Something comfy. You know… to cook in.”I raised a brow. “That won’t be a problem. Go to the
Lilith’s Pov I stood there, frozen. My ears heard the words, but my mind refused to accept them.Disowned?My father—my own blood—just said he has disowned me.“You… you can’t do that to me, Dad,” I said, my voice cracking, barely more than a whisper. “I need you right now. You’re the only family I have. I don’t have anyone else to turn to.”He stepped closer, his face hard and unforgiving. “You only care about yourself, Lilith. That’s all it’s ever been. Now my wife is dead. Because of you.”“No!” I gasped. Tears fell freely now. “She shouldn’t have done that. If she knew the truth, she wouldn’t have killed herself. Not for nothing—”“For nothing?” he thundered. “Did you just call your sister’s death nothing?”“You don’t know the truth!” I shouted, the pain bubbling out of my chest. “None of you do! You all keep blaming me, and if the truth ever comes out—none of you will point fingers again!”My father began to clap slowly. Clap. Clap. Clap.“Oh, now you’re trying to rewrite the st
Lilith’s PovThe old me would have reacted. She would’ve lashed out. Maybe screamed, maybe cried, maybe thrown something across the room just to feel something other than this awful stillness. But now? Now there was only silence.I stood there, staring at him—this man I once thought I could hate more than anyone else. He looked so sure of himself, like his words didn’t just punch through my chest.I took a slow step forward, and then another. I stopped inches from him, my voice low, almost whispering. “Is that what you want, Killian? To keep me close?”He didn’t answer. Not a flinch. Not a blink. Just that cold, unreadable stare.“Fine,” I said simply.And then I turned and walked away—back to my room, back to where I could break without him watching.I didn’t want him to see how vulnerable I was. How every word he threw at me tonight cut deeper than the last. How I wanted to scream. How I wanted to shout and tear this whole place down just to feel like I mattered again.But I kept wa