جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 80

Lila’s POVI stay still, my hands gripping each other tightly at my side as Aurelia’s heels click once more, slicing through the silence. She takes a slow step forward, every movement deliberate. The scent of her perfume curls through the air — something expensive, intoxicating, and sharp enough to sting the back of my throat.Her lips curve, painted and perfect, but her eyes gleam with something darker — amusement, cruelty, a quiet kind of madness.“Hope you like my warm welcome?” she says, her tone sweet and venom-laced, like honey hiding poison.I say nothing. My voice, my body, even my breath, betray me — frozen.Aurelia tilts her head, studying my silence. A low laugh spills from her lips, soft but chilling. “Just a heads-up,” she says, voice light, almost playful. “You might want to sit tight, because there’s more coming. I’m going to drain your will to live, piece by piece, until you become nothing but a shadow of who you were — a forgotten name in mine and Lior’s story.”Her w

Lior’s POVI thought not picking her calls would be enough. I thought silence would shield me—that if I didn’t answer, I wouldn’t have to hear whatever she had to say or give her a glimpse into whatever truth she was inching to uncover.But I was wrong.Because now she’s here. Not just in calls or threats filtered through Dave. She’s here—flesh and blood, standing right in front of me like the storm I’d pretended wouldn’t come.And whatever it is that brought her all the way down here herself, it’s strong. Strong enough to have cracked whatever barriers I built.My face tightens, jaw locking with tension. My eyes stay on her, unmoving, as I try to piece together how the hell she’s here without me knowing. But the shock hits harder than I expect. There’s no mistaking her voice—or the way my stomach knots in her presence. The word slips out before I can stop it.“Mom?”The word feels strange in my mouth — too small for the weight it carries.Lila shifts beside me. I feel it, even before

Claudia’s POVI sink deeper into the couch, my body melting into the soft cushions as a wave of calm sweeps through me. The air feels different here—warm, familiar, right. It feels good to be home again. Liam’s house. My place. The one place I’ve always belonged, no matter what anyone else says or thinks. And this time, I’m not letting anyone take it away from me. Not Lila. Not anyone.A smile curls on my lips as I bite into the juicy apple in my hand, the sweet tang exploding across my tongue. My other hand drifts over my belly, a shiver of triumph running through me at the perfection of my act. I can almost feel the thrill bubbling in my veins. It worked. My perfect act worked. I gave the performance of my life, and he bought every single word. Poor Liam, so easy to sway when his heart is tangled in guilt and care.I chuckle softly, shaking my head in amusement. “I really should’ve taken acting as a course, shouldn’t I?” I whisper to myself, grinning as I bite down again, this tim

Lior’s POVThe second Dave parks, I’m already out of the car. I don’t wait for the engine to go quiet or for him to open his door—I just step out, the flower still clenched in my hand. A single, pale-pink ranunculus. I picked it up on my way back from the office, hoping it might ease the tension from last night.And maybe because I was relieved she stayed away from the office today, especially with the whole news still spreading.Rena had tried convincing me to eat. To sit with Lila. Said she’d waited. That the table was set. All she wanted was for me to have dinner.But I couldn’t.Not when my mother’s voice was still ringing in my head. Not when guilt sat heavier than hunger ever could.I didn’t know how to face Lila after everything that had been said.So, I stayed in my room. Cowardly, maybe. But honest in my confusion.That’s why I stopped at the flower shop today. Just one flower. Something simple. I scoff lightly as I stride toward the house, a faint, humorless smile tugging a

Aurelia’s POVClaudia and I stand by the side, watching Venessa’s fury tear through the space like a storm. Her voice cuts through the air, sharp and merciless, each word slashing at Lila who stands trembling before her. I can almost taste the tension, the way it thickens the air around us.Beside me, Claudia leans close, her tone dripping with sweetness. “I think this is going to be the end for Lila,” she whispers, her eyes gleaming. “I doubt she’ll survive Venessa’s wrath this time.”A thrill runs down my spine. I lower my voice to a hush, my lips curving. “Yes, Claudia. I told you my plan would work. Lior won’t dare go against his mother now. And as for Lila, she has no chance. She’s already on Venessa’s bad side.”Our tiny giggles blend, soft and cruel, rising like a secret melody only we understand. Victory tastes close, almost sweet, until the sound dies suddenly—silence falls over the room.I stop breathing for a second. My gaze follows the stillness and lands on him. Lior. His