All Chapters of His Tears, My Freedom : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Lila’s POVLior pulls the car to a smooth stop in front of one of the most exquisite places I’ve ever seen. If I’m not mistaken, it can easily pass for a luxury mall—though ‘mall’ feels too casual a word for this. It’s all glass walls and silver edges, clean-lined architecture gleaming under the glow of soft amber lights, like a polished diamond waiting to be touched. I sit frozen in the seat, staring up at the building, my heart racing. Why would he bring me here? He said something about getting me ready, but I don’t understand what that has to do with a place like this.Panic curls inside me as I glance at the glass doors where people in tailored outfits stroll in and out. I’ve never stepped foot in a place like this. And every time Madam Elara would ask Liam if he ever took me shopping at the mall, he’d lie right through his perfect teeth and say he had. I had no choice but to smile, to play along. What else could I do? It’s not like I had the money to get anything for myself any

Lior’s POVI can’t stop smiling.As I step out of the jewelry store, the soft jingle of the door behind me barely registers. My heart beats faster with each step I take, and I glance down at the small, sleek box inside the paper bag swinging gently in my grip. It’s wrapped perfectly, the brand’s logo embossed in silver. Elegant. Just like her.I chuckle under my breath, flipping the bag in my hand, the ribboned handles brushing against my wrist as I walk. My fingers tighten around the box again and I open it one more time, letting the light catch on the delicate pendant.A soft laugh escapes me. “She’s going to love this one,” I say to myself, the corners of my mouth lifting as I picture her face lighting up.A memory drifts in like a breeze.We were tiny then. I must’ve been around nine, and she even younger. Sitting by the dusty steps outside her old foster home. She was twirling a broken beaded bracelet between her fingers like it was the most precious thing in the world.“One day,”

Claudia’s POVI sit on the chair in front of the dressing table, my fingers grazing the polished wood as my eyes lock onto my reflection in the mirror. The image staring back at me seems almost alive, almost mocking, as Liam’s voice from last night plays on repeat in my head: “I want this to remain between the both of us.” What exactly was he referring to? What secret is he hiding that he refuses to let me in on? Liam used to tell me everything—every plan, every worry, every thought—but lately, he’s been slipping away. I notice the subtle ways he deflects, how he changes the subject whenever I try to discuss us. Yet the moment Lila’s name comes up, I see it. The flicker of something in his eyes, a brief tightening of his jaw, a pulse in his hands that betrays him. He can’t hide it.I fix my gaze into my reflection, letting the anger and fear simmer beneath my skin. “I can’t let things continue this way,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. “If I do, I’ll lose my grip on him. An

Lila’s POVI stand in the middle of a private salon, the door clicking shut behind me. The space feels unreal—tall gilded mirrors stretch across the walls, reflecting soft golden light from delicate chandeliers above. Velvet chairs, sleek marble counters, and the faint scent of lavender and warm vanilla fill the air. Everything gleams. Everything whispers money. I blink slowly. This… this is a salon?I turn back in shock. Lior’s leaning casually beside me, smiling as a tall man with a well-trimmed beard and confident steps walks toward us.“I thought you said we were going for an important meeting,” I whisper to him, brows raised.He glances down at me, makes that ridiculous clicking sound with his teeth, then grins. “And we’re right at the venue.” He winks.I scoff. I actually thought this was it—my first serious assignment. I put effort into looking the part, being the part… and it leads me to a salon?Before I can say anything else, the man reaches us. “Lior, darling,” he greets wit

Lior’s POVI see it a second before it happens—the slight sway in her step, the way her ankle falters. My arm moves on its own, catching her waist and pulling her into me. She’s light, soft, and fits against me like she’s always belonged there. I steady her, keeping her close, not because I have to… but because I want to.She looks up at me. Deep brown eyes. And in them, I see a war. Silent. Private. She’s fighting something I can’t see—something I don’t even think she understands herself.And God, how I wish she’d just let me in.If she only knew… all I want is to help her carry it. Every burden. Every invisible weight she walks around with. I’d take it all from her if she’d let me.But before I can say a word, a voice cuts through the moment. Familiar. Controlled.“Young master.”Just like that, I’m pulled back into reality.The flashes haven’t stopped. They’ve only gotten louder, faster, more frantic. And I realize—I’m still on the damn red carpet. Still feeding the media exactly