All Chapters of Beneath the Surface : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Lila’s POVThe moment Drew stepped into my apartment, it was like the ground shifted under my feet.It wasn’t just that he was there, tall, broad, filling the doorway like some immovable force. It was how he was there. His face was pale, tight, his eyes scanning until they locked on me.And then it was like nothing else in the room existed.The officers, Mrs. Williams, the notebook lying half open on the table, even the echo of Max’s venom still clinging to my walls didn't matter. None of it mattered.His gaze pinned me. Raw, unblinking, burning with something I didn’t recognize.He didn’t ask about Max. He didn’t ask about the broken picture frame on the floor that broke when Max pushed me or the bruise forming on my wrist.He only asked one thing.“Are you alright?”It wasn’t casual. It wasn’t rehearsed like when people toss the phrase into conversation. It was stripped bare, like the words had been carved out of him against his will.And for a heartbeat, I forgot how to breathe.Th

Lila’s POVDrew didn’t let me carry my bag.The moment I stepped out of my bedroom, still rattled and still half holding myself together, he was there by the door. Tall and immovable like a presence that filled the room. His hand came out, palm open towards my bag and though he didn’t say a word, I knew what he wanted. I hesitated for half a second. It was my bag, my space and my life packed into that small bag. It didn't feel like I was only handing him my bag and I wasn't sure if I was making the right decision. But his eyes, dark and unyielding, left me no room to argue. He took it from me without asking when he saw that I was hesitating, like it was the most natural thing in the world, and slung it over his shoulder with a sharp motion.Then he turned away from me and started checking everywhere. First it was my bedroom door. The lock clicked once and then the second time. He still tugged the knob twice and hard, until the door rattled in its frame and this was because he was tr

Lila’s POVThe sound woke me before the light did.It wasn't the quiet city hum drifting through skyscrapers. Neither was it the faint buzz of my phone. This was sharper and deliberate. I could hear a low shuffle of footsteps, the faint clink of glass and the zip of a bag.For a moment, my brain lagged, still heavy with sleep, and I didn’t recognize it. My body thought I was home. But the bed beneath me was too soft and the sheets too smooth. The faint scent of expensive detergent clung to the pillow, threaded with something deeper, faint cologne and leather.And then it hit me.Drew’s penthouse.My eyes snapped open. The digital clock glowed red on the bedside table, stabbing its numbers into my vision.7:27a.m.“Oh God,” I gasped, shooting upright.I was late. I was already past the time I usually left for work. Panic tightened my chest as I stumbled out of bed, tugging on the cardigan I had dropped over the chair. My feet hit the floor, carrying me too fast toward the door, as if s

Lila’s POVSilence.It became the fourth presence in Drew’s penthouse, thick and heavy, pressing down on me like a fog I couldn’t escape. After that night in his office, after the way he caught me holding the frame that contained the sonogram, everything shifted. It wasn’t loud, it wasn’t violent. No, Drew was far more ruthless than that.He shut me out completely.The next morning, when I woke up, I expected maybe some kind of conversation. Maybe anger, maybe questions, maybe even a demand for me to leave. But when I stepped out into the living room, the penthouse was empty. His briefcase was gone, I checked around and his shoes were also gone. He was gone. Just like that, without a word.He had left before I even opened my eyes.And when he returned that evening, the only sound was the quiet thud of the door and the low echo of his footsteps. I stood from the couch, relief rushing through me at the sight of him, and forced a smile.“Welcome back,” I said softly.Nothing. Not even a

Lila’s POVDrew’s confession sat heavy between us. His words still echoed in my chest, resounding like they had etched themselves into my bones.I could hardly breathe. The air in the room felt thick, charged with something far too raw to name. I stared at him, his face shadowed by grief and fury that had clearly lived in him far too long. He wasn’t the Drew Sinclair the world knew right now, he wasn’t the ruthless CEO or the untouchable tycoon. He was just a man. A man with a wound so deep, I could see it bleeding behind his eyes.I stood there staring at him, my breath uneven, my fingers digging into the fabric of my sweater as though it could hold me steady. Drew wasn’t looking at me anymore. His elbows rested on his knees, his head bowed, hands clasped so tightly that his knuckles were pale.I wanted to speak, to ask him what he meant, but the air between us felt fragile, like the slightest movement might shatter it completely.Still, I forced the words out. My voice trembled.“D