LOGINL A N A
"...Hello?" I answer with irritation, and the second his voice comes through the speaker, I can feel the small amount of patience I had left beginning to disappear.
"Lana." Tyler's voice immediately comes through the speaker, sounding irritated. "Why the hell are you ignoring me? I've been trying to reach you."
I close my eyes briefly, pressing my lips together as I sit back in the chair and try to remind myself that I don't have to let him ruin t
L A N A"It will take time for the pain to fade; just don't rush the process. It will hurt for a long time, especially when you believed what you had with him was special." Dante explains carefully as I look at him quietly, waiting for him to continue, and he seems to understand that I'm listening."You spent years building your life around that relationship, Lana. You can't expect yourself to wake up one morning and suddenly feel nothing about losing it. Moving on doesn't mean you forget every good memory or pretend the relationship never mattered. It means you eventually stop allowing those memories to decide how you see yourself."His words make me lower my gaze again.I've never thought about it like that."You don't have to forgive him either," Dante continues. "You don't owe him forgiveness simply so you can move forward. If one day you can forgive him, that's your choice. If you can't, that's your choice too. What matters is that h
L A N ADante stands outside the room, one hand resting at his side as his eyes immediately search my face, and the moment he sees me properly, I know I've failed miserably at hiding what I've been doing in here. His brows pull together slightly, his attention moving across my face before settling on my eyes, and I suddenly become very self-conscious of how red they probably look after everything that just happened.He stands in the doorway, dressed much the same as he was earlier, although his jacket is gone now, leaving him in a simple dark button-up shirt. His physique is still visible through the thin lining of his cotton shirt, and it takes everything I have in me not to get distracted by how muscular he actually is. Seeing him more relaxed also makes him less intimidating to be around, and that thought almost makes me smile, considering who I'm standing in front of, and the fact that this man has spent most of my time here making it very clear that he's capab
L A N A"...Hello?" I answer with irritation, and the second his voice comes through the speaker, I can feel the small amount of patience I had left beginning to disappear."Lana." Tyler's voice immediately comes through the speaker, sounding irritated. "Why the hell are you ignoring me? I've been trying to reach you."I close my eyes briefly, pressing my lips together as I sit back in the chair and try to remind myself that I don't have to let him ruin the rest of my evening, especially after everything that's happened today. I already spent hours surrounded by people who could have had me killed over decisions I had no control over, then I sat through lunch with Ezio while he made one inappropriate comment after another, and somehow Tyler still manages to be the person who makes my chest tighten the moment I hear his voice."You still have the audacity to talk to me like that after everything you've done?" I ask, gripping the phone tigh
L A N AI spend the next few hours in my room, mostly staring at my laptop without actually doing much with it, since every time I try to concentrate on anything else, my mind somehow finds its way back to the meeting, the people sitting around that table, and everything that happened between Dante and Ezio. I keep telling myself that I should probably be getting used to this by now, but I don't think that's possible, not when every new day seems to come with another reminder that the life I've stepped into is far more complicated than I ever imagined. I close the laptop eventually and lean back in my chair, rubbing my hands over my face as I try to clear my head.I haven't checked my phone since I came back upstairs, and honestly, I don't want to.I already know what I'll find.Tyler will have called.Diane will have called.They'll both have left messages asking where I am, what happened to me, why I haven't answered, and
L A N A“Next we meet with Ezio; I pray it’s not on Domenicali’s grounds,” Nico says as we walk back into the house, his expression still showing the irritation from lunch as Amos, Bonnie, Daniella, Dante, and I follow behind him.We finally arrive back at the mansion, and I find myself staying close to Dante while everyone seems lost in their own thoughts. Nobody says much at first, up until we get back, although I can still feel the tension left behind by lunch following us all the way through the hotel corridors. I keep thinking about how quickly Dante's mood changed whenever Ezio pushed too far, and even now, I can still hear their voices in my head.Daniella glances at me a few times, as if she's checking whether I'm alright without wanting to ask again, while Bonnie walks beside Amos with her arms folded across her chest, still looking thoroughly annoyed. Nico seems equally frustrated, muttering under his breath eve
L A N A"You're jealous that Dante didn't have to kidnap me and force me to like him... and it disturbs you so much that I willingly chose to remain with him..." I say, and the moment the words leave my mouth, I feel my stomach tighten, but I refuse to take them back, especially when Ezio has spent the entire afternoon provoking both of us and acting as though I have no right to speak for myself."I'm sick of your mind games; they won't work on me." I try to say as boldly as I can, keeping my eyes on him even though a nervous feeling remains in my chest, and for once, I don't immediately look toward Dante for reassurance, since I want Ezio to understand that whatever power he thinks he has over me isn't the same as it was when he kept me locked away.Ezio studies me from across the table, and his expression slowly changes into an amused smile, almost as though my attempt to challenge him has given him another reason to keep talking, which is exactly what I don't want. Yet, I also know
L A N A“Oh… uhm… o-okay…” I answer, my voice coming out softer than I intend as I feel my cheeks warm almost instantly, forcing me to lower my gaze to the plate in front of me as if the food has suddenly become the most interesting thing in the room, even though I am fully aware that he is still w
L A N AWe are just about to leave for the dining room when Dante suddenly pauses beside me, his attention shifting past me toward Daniella, and I follow his line of sight, noticing that she has slowed her steps and is now moving in the opposite direction. I stop walking as well, unsure if I should
L A N AThe two of us stand there for a moment, staring at each other from across the room. I remain silent, my chest rising and falling slowly as everything that happened today continues to replay in my mind. I'm still trying to catch up to the version of him standing in front of me now, compared t
L A N AI don't think when I run. As my feet hit the pavement faster, my chest burns and heaves as I flee for dear life. I turn corners without checking where they lead, because right now? Anywhere feels better than standing between Ezio and Dante while they decide what to do with each other.I can







