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Chapter 12 - Lilac
Huling Na-update:
2025-03-24 18:22:25
BryantWell, that game went to shit. Hopefully, Makayla will get out of her conspiracy theory thoughts and see Lilac isn't her enemy here.
Kaugnay na kabanata
Troubled Heart Chapter 13 - Makayla
I shut the bedroom door behind me with a quiet click, pressing my back against the wood as I exhaled sharply. My lungs felt too tight, like I couldn’t quite get enough air like the walls of this damn cabin were finally closing in around me. Lilac Ray. Lilac Sherbourn—except, no. She wasn’t a Sherbourn. She was a Ray. Why? I rubbed my hands over my face, forcing myself to breathe slowly and evenly. I had been thrown into impossible situations before. Hell, I lived in impossible situations, but this? This was the universe laughing in my face. Lilac was Stacey’s sister. Stacey. The woman I had spent the last several months meticulously gathering evidence against. The woman I had once loved, trusted, defended—only to discover she was capable of things I couldn’t ignore. The woman who had looked me in the eye and lied so convincingly that I’d doubted myself for weeks before I finally woke up to the truth. And now, her little sister had been the one to pull me from the wreckage. The w
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-25Troubled Heart Chapter 14 - Lilac
I sat frozen, my fingers tracing the edge of the worn photo album in my lap, my heartbeat steady but heavy. Across from me, Makayla stood stiffly, her arms crossed tightly as if physically holding herself together. Her breaths were slow and controlled, but I could see the conflict raging beneath the surface—see how her fingers twitched and her jaw flexed like she was trying to bite back the storm of emotions inside her. She was unraveling, and I didn’t blame her. I had spent years untangling myself from the damage Stacey had done, from the betrayal of realizing my sister had erased me, erased our father, and rewritten our entire existence to suit the perfect, untouchable image she wanted to project. Makayla was just now discovering that the woman she had once trusted, maybe even loved, had been playing God with her own history. She let out a sharp, bitter breath, shaking her head. “This…” she exhaled, voice shaking before she forced control back into it. “This doesn’t make sense.”
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-26Troubled Heart Chapter - 15 Makayla
I needed air. Not that it would help—trapped inside this cabin, buried under who knows how many feet of snow with no escape in sight—but I needed something. Space. Distance. A way to clear the suffocating pressure building in my chest. But there was nowhere to go. The cabin walls felt smaller than before, and the flickering firelight was too warm and still. I sat rigidly on the couch, my pulse a slow, heavy drum in my ears, and my fingers curled into the thick fabric of my sweatpants. I had spent the last few months digging into every skeleton in Stacey’s closet, unearthing corruption, lies, and betrayals. I had prepared myself for the worst—backroom deals, criminal connections, and the skeletons I knew she had carefully hidden. But I never expected to find out she was the skeleton. The perfectly polished politician. The daughter of a man I’d shaken hands with at campaign dinners. The woman who had spoken about her father with such certainty, such ease. All that to find out by co
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-27Troubled Heart Chapter 16 - Lilac
Pockets let out a soft whine, curling against my leg as I sat motionless on the couch, staring at the closed bedroom door. The cabin was too quiet, and the air felt thick with the weight of everything that had just happened. I had meant to distract her, not throw her deeper into the storm raging in her mind. I exhaled slowly, raking a hand through my curls. Damn it. I had been so careful, trying not to add more to the tangled mess of emotions Makayla was already battling. But then she’d asked that question, and what was I supposed to do? Lie to her? No. Stacey had done enough of that. Still, that didn’t make it hurt any less. Makayla looked gutted, like I had reached inside her chest and ripped something vital out of her. And maybe, in a way, I had. The Stacey she had known, the one she had convinced herself she understood, had been slipping through her fingers since the moment she crashed into my world. But now? Now, she was realizing she had never known her at all. I glanced at
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-28Troubled Heart Chapter 17 - Makayla
The moment Lilac’s lips touched mine, my brain short-circuited. I should have stopped her, but I didn’t. I kissed her back, not thinking, just feeling. Her fingers tangled in my hair, tugging, sending me a slow, burning ache. I should have pulled away, but instead, I leaned in, craving the solid realness of her. Her body pressed against mine, soft yet insistent, kissing me like she meant it. Like she wasn’t afraid. And God help me, I needed this. I needed her to anchor me, to pull me from the spiral my life had become. Her lips were softer than I expected, but nothing was soft about how she kissed. She kissed purposefully, like she had decided she wanted this and wasn’t about to hesitate. A small, involuntary sound escaped my throat, and Lilac took that as encouragement. She deepened the kiss, parting her lips just enough to brush her tongue against mine, tasting me, teasing me, setting every nerve ending in my body on fire. My fingers dug into the fabric of her sweater, pulling h
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-29Troubled Heart Chapter 18 - Lilac
I didn’t know what I expected when I kissed her. Maybe a slap. A shove. A bitter reminder of who she still technically belonged to. But instead, I got her mouth. Hot. Needy. Honest in a way that words could never be. And when I took her there—slow, aching, deliberate—when I pulled those sounds from her lips and left her trembling under me, I realized something that terrified me more than anything else: it wasn’t just sex. Not for me. Not anymore. I didn’t move right away. I couldn’t. Kneeling between Makayla’s legs, I stared down at her—completely unraveled, stunning, and utterly real. Her rainbow hair fanned out across the old blue sofa like the chaotic halo it was. Her eyes were half-lidded, dazed in that post-release haze that made her look almost ethereal. Her lips were parted, still kiss-swollen and wet, cheeks flushed, freckles dusted across them like constellations I wanted to map with my fingertips. Her chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven breaths, breasts bare and beautifu
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-31Troubled Heart Chapter 19 - Makayla
The cold hit me first. A sharp, biting chill dragged me out of sleep as something wet and cold nudged the bare skin of my lower back. I yelped, jerking upright on instinct, only to realize I was completely naked and very much exposed. “Shit! Pockets!” I hissed through chattering teeth. The little menace gave a soft huff, his wet nose twitching as he backed up a step, utterly unbothered by the chaos he’d just caused. Meanwhile, I stumbled off the couch with all the grace of a half-frozen newborn deer, wrapping my arms around myself to trap what little body heat I had left. The blanket we’d fallen asleep under was bunched awkwardly behind me on the sofa, mostly covering Lilac—who stirred at my outburst, her brows furrowing as her lashes fluttered open. “Makayla?” she murmured, her voice low and hoarse from sleep. “What happened?” “The dog assaulted me,” I said through chattering teeth. “With his nose. And also, the fire’s dying, the lamps are out, and these candles are about to com
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-01Troubled Heart Chapter 20 - Pockets
The energy in the cabin had changed. Not in a bad way—not like before, when fear clung to the walls, and Makayla’s scent was laced with panic and pain. No, this was different. Softer. Sweeter. Like the calm after the worst storm, the world felt quiet again when the wind stopped screaming. I curled up near the fire, after doing my business in a corner where Lilac had set out old newspapers. It wasn't my puppy pads or actual grass, but beggars cannot be choosers. Just like getting to finish off their bowls of soup wasn't my usual kibble, I was hungry, so I tolerated the liquid meal of human food. By the fireplace had beclme my favorite spot. It was warm there, and the floor smelled faintly of cinnamon from something Lilac had spilled weeks ago. But I wasn’t sleeping. I couldn’t, not really. My ears twitched with every crackle of the firewood and every weight shift on the couch behind me. My two favorite humans were lying there, breathing in sync under the big quilt Lilac liked to st
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-02
Pinakabagong kabanata
Troubled Heart Epilogue - Pockets
It started with boxes. So many boxes. And tape. And that loud, evil screeching sound the tape makes when Makayla yanks it across a box. I hated it. I barked at it. She didn’t stop. Lilac kept saying things like “fresh start,” “more space,” and “better for the baby.” What baby? I’m the baby! Meanwhile, Makayla grumbled about how the penthouse echo messed with her audio setup. I didn’t understand any of it. The apartment in the sky was our home. My home. The only one I’d ever known in all my two glorious years of life. I had a routine here—a rhythm. I knew which floorboards creaked, which elevator made a weird noise, and which neighbors gave me treats. I also knew exactly where the sun hit the rug every morning, so I could stretch dramatically and ensure everyone noticed. And Central Park? It was right there. Just a few blocks away. Prime walking territory. Squirrel central. I’d marked every important tree, bush, and trash can between our building and there. That was my kingdom. My pe
Troubled Heart Epilogue - Lilac
Spring in New York didn’t smell like the mountains, but it felt just as sacred that morning. The rooftop air was soft and full of life—honeyed light filtering through string and flowering vines overhead. Laughter drifted from somewhere behind me, punctuated by the unmistakable sound of a corgi barking in protest—probably Pockets voicing his opinion about something. My hands trembled, but not from nerves. Not really. It was unfiltered, unapologetic wonder at how far we’d come. From a firelit cabin in the Rockies to this rooftop, where the skyline bowed slightly to make space for love. I stood in front of a full-length mirror in a quiet corner of the venue, taking in the dress I had designed and stitched with my hands—ivory silk, scattered with embroidered lavender and wildflowers, delicate vines curling up the hem like memory. A dress meant to root me here, in this moment, in this forever. I stood just inside the floral archway leading to the aisle, my hand resting on my father’s. H
Troubled Heart Epilogue - Makayla
There’s chaos, and then there’s Frost-family-holiday chaos. And honestly? I loved every second of it. Eduardo Alfonso Nikolaidis, all eleven pounds of one-and-a-half-month-old chubby cheeked cuteness, had already stolen every heart in the room. Clay cradled his son with more care than I think he's ever held anything, while Xenia kept brushing her fingers through his dark curls like she couldn’t believe he was real. Between her and Clay, their son would grow up with the wildest stories, the best genetics, and more love than he’d know what to do with. Reese and Don were wrangling their almost-three-year-old twins—Nik and Leo—who were tag-teaming a mission to dismantle the Frost Christmas tree ornament by ornament. The triplets were trying, and failing, to keep a straight face while scolding their twins, the mischievous duo Saki and Akio, who kept sticking bows on everyone’s backs like walking presents. Hikari was reading peacefully in the corner, while little Ryū, at four, was already
Troubled Heart Chapter 42 - Lilac
The apartment smelled like cardboard and shipping tape a week after moving in. Boxes were stacked in the hallway, the dining room, and beside the front door, and one particularly stubborn box served as a makeshift coffee table. Fabric bolts leaned like sleepy giants against the wall in my studio space, and my sketchbooks were scattered across the couch. And somehow, it still felt like home. Pockets trotted past me with a sock he stole— Makayla’s sock, of course — and disappeared upstairs like he was on a top-secret mission. I smiled and let him go. We had all fallen into our roles around there. He was the guardian of snack time and chaos. I was the hurricane in leggings and paint-splattered sweatshirts. And Makayla was the gravity holding the whole thing together. She was in the kitchen, half-dressed in one of her favorite hoodies — her rainbow curls tied up in a bun as she typed one-handed on her laptop and drank coffee with the other. I could tell by the set of her jaw she was
Troubled Heart Chapter 41 - Makayla
By the time we pulled up in front of the building on East 83rd, the city had shaken off winter like it never happened. Sure, it was still cold, it’s fucking January, after all, but it’s not like winter in Colorado. It was bright, loud, alive—everything Aspen wasn’t. My doorman greeted us before we even made it through the revolving doors, and I felt Lilac’s hand tighten in mine. She didn’t say anything, but I could read it in how her gaze swept upward, eyes tracing the limestone façade with equal parts awe and apprehension. It was a world away from the cabin, Colorado, and Four Pines. It was also home. Inside the elevator, I leaned into her shoulder and whispered, “Don’t let the marble floors fool you. I still eat instant noodles barefoot in the kitchen.” Lilac laughed softly, nerves unraveling just a little as the elevator ascended. I felt the shift when the doors opened to the penthouse floor. The air up here was still but not sterile. “Okay,” I said, typing in my keycode and s
Troubled Heart Chapter 40 - Lilac
The airplane’s hum enveloped me in a soft cocoon, quieter than I had anticipated. Down below, Colorado’s breathtaking landscape melted into an expanse of thick, downy clouds and snowy-ridged peaks whose white tops reflected what was left of light. My forehead was against the cold glass on the oval window, and I watched the familiar landscape drop away, with my breath tracing ephemeral clouds on frost-nipped glass. I didn’t cry. Nor did I feel the restless urge to flee or look back. This was not an escape; it was a bold beginning. Beside me, Makayla slumbered peacefully, arms crossed like a guard, a stray lock of hair spilling across her cheek in a soft curl. Pockets, our diminutive travel companion, was rolled tight between us in his cozy carrier, snoring with all the force of a small beast fighting off the silence of the plane. Across from us, Clay was already asleep, noise-canceling headphones askew and a half-full bag of pretzels clutched in his palm. I pulled my sketchbook out o
Troubled Heart Chapter 39 - Makayla
I didn’t cry when I booked the ticket, I sure the FUCK wasn’t driving back. I thought maybe I would that it might come with some cinematic swell of relief or catharsis. I felt relief, felt like I could breathe easy again. To breathe in a way I hadn’t since before the blizzard. Before the betrayal. Outside the hotel window, Aspen was no longer blanketed in threat. The snow had softened to slush at the curb. The streets weren’t hostile anymore. The mountains didn’t loom. Everything felt like an exhale. We were going home. I rolled the word around in my head again: home. Not D.C., with its sterile buildings and buried truths. Not the political chessboard I’d grown up on, where every move was either weapon or weakness. No. I meant New York to my penthouse in Manhattan near Central Park. Not perfect. Never soft. But honest. It had been the first place I carved out for myself—where I built something not wrapped in the Hopkins name or the Frost legacy. It was my pulse, my grit, my skyli
Troubled Heart Chapter 38 - Pockets
The humans smelled different this morning. Not scared. Not sharp with adrenaline like they’d been the last few days. There was still tension—always was, when Makayla paced or typed or made her voice extra serious—but now it hummed lower. Deeper. Like thunder far away. I stretched on the hotel bed, paws splayed, tail flicking once before curling tighter beside Lilac’s thigh. She was warm, still in Makayla’s hoodie, sipping coffee from the white mug. I don't understand why humans like that. It has such a bitter smell. Yet it makes them smile. Makayla stood by the television, remote in hand, eyes on the screen. I didn’t understand all the words, but I understood other things, like looks of anger and relief, words like justice, and I recognized handcuffs. I'm 3 months old. I probably shouldn't know what those are. It did confuse me to see them being used on the news. I had only seen them when I was little, okay I'm still little, and I still lived with my parents and their humans.
Troubled Heart Chapter 37 - Makayla
I should’ve been sleeping. Lilac was already curled up beneath the hotel blanket, one arm draped over Pockets like she’d always belonged there, like she was woven into the quiet of this room. The folder her father had given her—the deed to their cabin, to the land that started everything—rested on the nightstand beside the laptop, where the screen glowed faintly in the dark. But I couldn’t close it yet. Not until I was sure there wasn’t one more trap waiting to be sprung. A paranoid instinct had kept me alive in systems most people never even realized they were walking into. And that instinct now told me something didn’t add up. The financial patterns in Stacey’s shell companies were too clean. Too rehearsed. And nothing about Stacey Sherbourn was ever that tidy—unless she wanted it to be seen. So, I went digging. Again. I tunneled back into the encrypted backups I’d mirrored weeks ago—deep code packets stored from a corrupted cloud system linked to a Sherbourn asset overseas. Be
