บททั้งหมดของ The Devil's Game: บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

Lucian left Ayra’s room with his hands tucked in his pockets and let the door click shut behind him. He leaned back against the wall, eyes closed, exhaling a long, shuddering breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. Relief coursed through him like a drug. He took a deep breath, and his shoulders sagged as if he had been holding himself upright through sheer willpower for days. Which he had been, in a way. The relief coursing through him was almost palpable. He had finally found her - or at least, someone he was now convinced was Isa.There was no one thing that convinced him, and perhaps he had rushed to a conclusion, but heaven knows he believed it with all his heart. His lips quirked upward in a rare, unguarded smile - small, almost imperceptible, but simply happy. He ran a hand through his dark hair, pushing it back as his thoughts raced. Every moment they’d just shared replayed in his mind like a precious memory he wanted to hoard.Ayra was so much like Isa it wasn't e

The car hummed softly as it cut through the quiet, winding roads. The early morning sunlight danced across the sleek hood of the vehicle. It glinted like liquid gold as they sped past rolling fields and sparse woodlands. Ayra glanced out the passenger window, the world beyond passing by in a blur. She felt oddly relaxed.Lucian was focused, his hands steady on the wheel. He hadn’t said much since they left the safehouse, which wasn’t unusual for him, and it wasn’t like it was uncomfortable either. Lucian had this way of making silence seem less awkward and more deliberate. Like it wasn’t just an absence of words but a space to breathe.Ayra wasn't sure how that worked or why those words popped into her head either. She stole a glance at him, taking in his sharp profile. His jaw was set, his expression unreadable, but there was a calmness to him that she hadn’t noticed before. He looked... almost at peace.“Do you ever talk while you drive, or is this some kind of meditative thing

As the sound of Lisbeth’s footsteps faded, Ayra sank back onto the bed, her body trembling with the effort of holding herself together. The room felt suffocatingly quiet now, the echoes of their argument still ringing in her ears.Her hands shook as she rubbed her face, trying to steady her breathing. Every word Lisbeth had said replayed in her mind, cutting deeper with each repetition.For the first time, Ayra felt a burning hatred toward her sister. It wasn’t just anger or frustration - it was something darker, something more final.She thought of her mother. Of the quiet strength and teachings she’d tried to pass on to Ayra; of the way she’d always managed to keep her safe even when everything was falling apart.She thought of her mother's death. Her cold, stiff corpse lying forlornly on the asphalt, blood pooling beneath her.And now Lisbeth had trampled all over her memory, reducing her to nothing more than a failure.And Ayra found within herself a rapidly blooming hatred and d

Ferdinand's face darkened, his shoulders tensed, and for a moment, she thought she’d gone too far. But he didn't lash out. “Your mother made her choices,” he said evenly. “Just as you’re making yours. And she paid the price.”The weight of his words hung in the air, suffocating her. She stared at his back, a mix of rage and despair swirling in her chest."I'm not mum," she said quietly."No," he said, glancing at her over his shoulder. "You're not. But if you keep down this path, you'll end up just like her-forgotten and a dozen feet under. Get some sleep, Ayra. You'll feel better in the morning."With that, he turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Ayra standing, shaking with anger and sorrow. The glass of milk she had set down some time ago now felt like some sort of judgment against her, and she fought the urge to throw it against the wall.She sat there for a very long period of time, staring at the half-full glass of milk on the counter. For the very first time in her li

Ayra’s phone buzzed on the nightstand, jolting her out of her quiet thoughts. For a moment, she considered ignoring it—it was probably another useless notification. Nothing important.But curiosity got the better of her, and she reached for the phone, unlocking the screen to reveal a message from an unfamiliar number.Unknown: Still awake?Her brows knit together as she stared at the message, her thumb hovering over the screen. After a moment’s hesitation, she typed back.Ayra: Who’s this?The reply was almost immediate.Unknown: Lucian.Her heart skipped a beat. She blinked at the screen before carefully typing her response.Ayra: I am. Awake, that is. What do you want?Lucian: That’s not very friendly. Can’t a guy check in on you?Ayra rolled her eyes, unable to suppress her irritation.Ayra: You’re not exactly my favorite person.Lucian: Oh, but I should be.A scoff escaped her lips before she could stop it. She could practically hear the smugness in his tone.Ayra: Bold of you to