جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 68

Lily’s POVMia left earlier than usual today. She didn’t even wait to eat breakfast.I got ready for class as normal and walked downstairs.“Goodbye, Mom.”“Take care, Lily. You are my strong girl. Always remember that,” she said, waving at me with a soft smile.When I arrived at school, I found Lucian already waiting by my classroom door. My heart skipped.“What are you doing here, Lucian?” I whispered.“To see you,” he said quietly. “I miss you. I miss you so much.”He didn’t give me time to reply. He took my hand and pulled me down the hallway into one of the old abandoned classrooms. The door clicked shut behind us.“Lucian…” my voice came out as a soft whisper the moment his lips found my neck.“We can’t do this here,” I breathed.“I know, Lily… but I miss you. I miss you so much. I don’t know how…”I didn’t let him finish. I pulled his face down and claimed his lips with mine. Our kiss was desperate and full of everything we had been holding back.“I miss you too, Lucian,” I whi

Mia’s POVLily and Sophia are nothing to me.I just have to get rid of Sophia first. Once Lucian’s mother fully believes me, everything else will fall into place.I thought about going to school, then decided against it. Skipping was better. I went straight home, careful not to be seen by Mom, and succeeded. I locked myself in my room and eventually dozed off.I woke up to the sound of Lily’s sweet, obedient voice greeting Mom downstairs like the perfect daughter she always pretended to be. I almost hissed out loud.“Where’s Mia?” Mom asked, sounding worried.I quickly jumped out of bed and hurried downstairs before Lily could open her mouth and say something useless.“I’m here, Mom. I left school earlier. And don’t ask Lily about me. We don’t go to school together, and we don’t leave together either.”“Mia…” Mom called my name gently, her voice full of concern. Or maybe it was for someone else. Whatever. I waved the thought away and turned to go back upstairs.“Mia… come down here.”

Lily’s POVI could see the exact moment Mia’s face twisted.Was it fear? She looked like she had just seen a ghost.Before Mom could reach me, Mia rushed forward.“Lily!” she cried, her voice fake and full of forced tears. “I thought… I thought something bad had happened to you!”She pulled me into a tight hug and whispered against my ear, so only I could hear:“Don’t you dare say anything to Mom.”I smirked slightly.“Don’t threaten me,” I replied in an equally low voice.“Lily!” Mom called from behind, her voice breaking. She pulled me into her arms the next second, tears already falling. “My daughter, are you okay? You look so pale. I thought I lost you. Where were you? Where did you go? You left us panicking.”“I’m okay, Mom,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected. I glanced at Mia, who was watching me with barely hidden panic, then smiled at Mom. “I just got lost.”Mom let out a long breath of relief. “Thank God you’re safe. Why are you sleeping on the couch? Go to your room

Lucian’s POVMy fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles cracked and turned bone-white. I could feel the tendons straining under my skin, the sharp bite of my own nails digging into my palms. My jaw locked hard enough to ache; teeth grinding together until the sound scraped inside my skull. Every muscle in my body was coiled, ready to snap.I stared at my mother across the living room like she was a stranger wearing a familiar face. Sophia sat rigid on the edge of the sofa, eyes wide, hands folded too neatly in her lap. The air felt thick, heavy with the lies that had been floating around us for days.“Mom,” I said, and the word came out low and rough, scraped raw. “I have some questions to ask you.”She opened her mouth, but I didn’t give her the chance.“One. Why did you lie to me?” My voice rose with every syllable. “You said you were in the hospital. Do you have any idea how fast I drove there? How many red lights I ran thinking something terrible had happened to you? I was read