Lahat ng Kabanata ng Always Her, Never Me: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 8

I didn't get what he meant. Before I could ask, he kept going."And here I thought you'd actually learned something. Turns out you're just fake-apologizing while stabbing her in the back.""You know damn well Sienna and I are innocent. I'm marrying you. But you keep bringing up the license thing, you give back the Donna ring—what's your angle?""Are you trying to make people think there's something gross going on between me and my sister? Make everyone look at her like she's some kind of homewrecker?"Every word hit like a punch to the chest. My heart was splitting open, but I couldn't stop the bitter smile tugging at my lips.Of course. Of course he only cared about Sienna's reputation.I yanked my arm free. A hundred retorts sat on the tip of my tongue, but I was too tired to say any of them.So I just closed my eyes and sighed. "Fine. Whatever you say."Lucas looked like he'd just swung at thin air. His throat tightened.And then his eyes dropped to my face—to my red, swollen eyes—a

Lucas's hand was shaking around the phone."What... what are you talking about?""I'm about to expose Marco for what he really is.""Expose... what? Marco was my father's most trusted lieutenant. That night, when the arsonists came, he ran into the fire and pulled me out. He didn't make it out himself.""He was a hero. After he died, his wife fell into depression and passed away too. That's when my mother adopted Sienna. What part of that is wrong?"The old man let out a cold laugh. "Marco was no hero. It was all calculated. He planned to have your father killed, then save you, so he could take over the Williams family in your father's place.""The only problem? He miscalculated. That's why he died. And his wife? She never died at all."Lucas's brain went blank."That's impossible." He was practically shouting now. "I saw her grave with my own eyes—""That grave has someone else in it."The old man cut him off, his voice flat, almost cruel."She's been alive this whole time, Lucas.""E

The hospital hallway lights were still on. But when Lucas pushed open the ward door, the bed was empty.The sheets were folded perfectly. Not a single crease on the pillow.On the nightstand, a discharge form with Claire's signature—time-stamped at 4:00 AM.Lucas gripped the paper until his knuckles went white.He ran to the nurse's station. "Room 302—the patient who came in with hypothermia, the woman—where is she?"The nurse on duty looked up. "Ms. Moore checked out this morning. Signed herself out. Walked out on her own.""She wasn't fully recovered—""She insisted. We couldn't stop her." The nurse sighed. "And... when she left, there was a team waiting for her. Looked like they were from the medical school. Had paperwork with them."Lucas froze.Medical school.It hit him like a freight train—That fellowship.When Claire graduated, Harvard Med had sent her an invitation for a closed-door neuroscience research program. Six months. A private research facility three hundred miles out

Three months later.I got a call from James.James was my only real friend from college. We'd stayed in touch off and on over the years."Claire, did you hear?""Hear what?""Lucas... he's gone missing."I sat down on the balcony chair, phone in hand."What do you mean?""A month ago, the Williams family assets got hit with a full investigation. Brought up some old records from his father's... you know, underworld days. Lucas was called in for questioning a few times. And then... he just disappeared.""Some people say he couldn't take it. Killed himself.""Others say the old enemies got to him. Mob justice.""And some say he ran. Went underground."I listened. Didn't say anything.James asked carefully: "Claire... are you okay?"I looked out at the sunset over the balcony and let out a small laugh."I'm fine, James.""I'm just... I don't know. Processing."I didn't tell James that when I heard the news, the only feeling that surfaced was relief.Relief that I hadn't actually died in th