Chapter 4

Lilith's POV

Cassian's question kept on throbbing in my head.

'Was it really worth fighting for?'

My marriage, Theo, a space in his heart once more. I kept thinking over it on my way back home, maybe when I got back I could sit and have a talk with him. Maybe there could be a way to sort this out.

The driver pulled up outside our gate and I stepped down from the cab, tipping him a satisfactory amount and making my way in. The house was quiet, even though I saw Theo's jacket on the couch. He was in.

I moved upstairs quickly, the eerie silence making my footsteps echo louder than it should. Then I heard giggling, soft, playful, feminine noises.

Alarm shot through me as I climbed the remaining steps two at a time. The door to our bedroom was half-closed. I pushed it open without thinking.

There he was. Theo, and Selene. His secretary.

They had no clothes on. Not a single sheet covered them. The room reeked of sex. Her head tossed back in laughter until she saw me, until they both did.

My nails dug into the doorframe.

"You absolute piece of filth!" I snapped.

Theo sat up, startled, his expression flipping between amusement and surprise. Selene made no move to hide herself, she just dragged the sheet lazily over her chest, like I was the one intruding.

My eyes burned, but I refused to cry.

"Theo," I said, voice trembling. "You couldn’t even pretend to work this out, could you?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but I had already turned.

I was done.

______

The streetlights blurred past the car window as I sat in the backseat, my arms crossed tightly, bags and suitcases in the boot. I didn’t even remember calling the cab, my mind had gone numb after storming out of that house. That house I once called a home.

Cassian’s question echoed again, Was it really worth fighting for?

No. Not anymore.

By the time the driver pulled up to Cassian and Nolan’s place, my legs were trembling. The door opened before I could even lift my hand to knock, Cassian stood there, shirt wrinkled, hair tousled, like he hadn’t slept since I left.

His brows drew together in concern. “Lilith?”

I stepped in and the tears finally slipped.

Cassian caught me before I could fall to my knees.

“I saw them,” I whispered, barely able to speak. “He was with her. In our bed.”

Behind him, Nolan appeared, a blanket draped over his arm. His expression turned grim as his gaze shifted between Cassian and me.

“Come in,” Cassian murmured. “You’re not going back there. Not tonight. Not ever, if I have a say in it.”

Cassian led me inside like I was made of glass. I could feel Nolan watching me, but he said nothing and just shut the door softly behind us. The warmth of the house made everything inside me finally collapse.

Cassian helped me to the couch. “Sit. I’ll get you water,” he said gently.

I nodded, unable to speak, clutching my arms to my chest. The silence between us wasn’t awkward, it was protective. A bubble I hadn’t realized I needed until it formed around me.

Nolan returned a moment later with the blanket, wrapping it around my shoulders without asking.

Cassian came back with a glass of water, crouching in front of me. His eyes searched mine, and for the first time in years, someone really looked, not past me but rather through me.

“I’m sorry, Lilith,” he said softly.

I stared down at the floor. “I gave him everything. And he threw it away like it meant nothing.”

“You gave it to the wrong man,” Cassian replied. “That doesn’t make it worthless.”

I blinked, my lips trembling, but I nodded anyway.

He stood up and offered his hand. “Come. We prepared a room for you."

I hesitated.

“How did you guys know that I would be coming back?"

Nolan smiled sadly.

"It was just wishful thinking."

The guest room was soft and quiet. I sank into the bed enjoying the comfort it offered. For the first time in what felt like years, my heart wasn’t racing with anxiety. The blanket Nolan had wrapped around me earlier still held some of his warmth.

Cassian knocked gently and peeked in. “Need anything?”

Theo laughed awkwardly, but before he could step in, Nolan and Cassian flanked him like bodyguards.

“Time to go,” Cassian said coolly.

“Unless you want to end up thrown into the trash bin like your loyalty,” Nolan added.

Theo scoffed, backing up with mock offense. “I only came to talk.”

Cassian and Nolan guided him out the door.

But before he could walk off, Theo turned around, his smile turning smug.

“Just so you know,” he said, “I’ve still got control over your properties, Lilith. All of them. Let’s see how far that confidence gets you.”

My face was drained of color.