The Lie

Tears welled in my eyes, and I turned to look out the window, my entire body felt like ice. 

Lucan’s voice dropped. “Just… be careful. Some of your enemies are closer than you think.”

He unlocked the door. “Go. Before he finds out you’re gone.”

“Emily,” Lucan called out, I turned “Think about what I said, I love you Em.” 

He said and without waiting for a response zoomed off. 

I walked slowly back into the house, not even noticing the guards returning to their posts.

Marco was sitting in the living room, scrolling through his phone. When he saw me, his brow furrowed.

“Where were you?”

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. What Lican said made sense, I had to observe thi ga first and I figure out which side of the war I was really standing on.

I looked at Marco and smiled, “I just stepped out for fresh air. The air here was becoming stuffy.” 

Marco patted a spot on the couch for me, I walked to the couch and sat down. 

He placed one hand on my forehead and felt my temperature. “Your body is warm” he hugged me. 

I was taken aback by the hug, but I hugged him back, would Marco really hurt me? I couldn't help but think about that.

MARCO'S POV 

I looked at Emily as she sat beside me, watching a show that was airing on the TV. 

My phone rang, drawing my attention from Emily, without looking at the caller, I picked up. 

“Yes,” 

“Hello boss,” Jonathan said from.the other end of the line. 

“You need to see this.” 

I knew Jonathan, he wouldn't call unless it was very important. 

I stopped up and placed a kiss on Emily's forehead and left for the security office. 

On getting there, Jonathan sat in front of the screen. 

“Here, boss” he turned the screen to me. 

I watched the CCTV footage in silence, as the scene played out in front of me, my hands clenched tightly into fists on the table. The timestamp was from this morning. I left briefly to handle some business in the study, trusting that she was resting like she said she would.

But there she was, Emily.

Dressed simply, walking down the garden path, her hair tied in a loose ponytail. She looked over her shoulder a few times, almost nervously.

Just few blocks from the house a car was packed there and Emily headed towards the car. 

Then a man that I had loathed for a long while, Lucan.

The bastard stood just beyond the gates, in the shadows, like the snake he was. 

Emily entered the car, I didn’t need to hear the conversation. 

I already knew enough, She had lied to me.

She had gone to see Lucan, and who is he to her by the way?

Why did she have to lie to me? 

I turned to Jonathan, he also watched the screen confused. “Tell Emily I need to see her in my study now.”

I left the security post to my study and waited for her. When she finally came in, humming softly like she hadn’t done anything wrong, my patience nearly snapped.

"Emily," I said, trying to sound as calm as possible, but my voice still came out harsh. 

She froze, looking up at me from the doorway. "Yes?"

"Where were you thiz morning t?"

She blinked, then stepped in. "I was home. I went to bed early. You know that."

"Really?" I raised the remote in my hand and clicked play.

She stared at the screen. Her face was drained of color. I watched the exact moment the lie died in her throat.

She didn’t say anything for a long time.

"Why did you lie to me?" I asked quietly.

"Marco, I didn’t mean to lie. I just... I didn’t know how to tell you."

"Who is he to you?"

"He’s..." She swallowed. "He’s my best friend. Lucan’s my best friend. I just found out he was the leader of a rival mafia faction. He came to tell me. That was all."

"That was all?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"So you snuck out to meet a rival don early in the morning and didn’t tell me, and lied about it afterward. But it was nothing?"

"He wanted to warn me. He said... he said some of your enemies are after me. That things will get worse."

My hands clenched tighter. I leaned forward. "He could have been behind the attacks, Emily. You thought about that? He could be trying to get in your head."

"No!" she said quickly. "Lucan wouldn’t hurt me."

That was it. The wrong words.

"Oh, so now you’re sure? You trust him more than me?"

"That’s not what I—"

I held up a hand, I didn’t want to hear another word.

The jealousy, the betrayal, the worry. It all swirled together into a storm I was barely holding back.

"I need to step out before I say something I regret," I muttered.

And I left, bcause if I stayed, I might say something that couldn’t be unsaid. Something that might shatter the fragile thing growing between us.