Novel & Cerita Stephen Tell Me Lies

“Careful, Lucien.” Lucien didn’t even look his way. Camera flashes bounced off the glass at the end of the hall. Reporters’ voices carried up the stairwell. “Is it true the hospital falsified records?” “Was there a cover-up?” “Is this about the Cole family trial scandal?” Her stomach flipped. This wasn’t private anymore. Her grief had become a headline. Lucien leaned in, barely above a whisper. “If you don’t trust me, fine. But trust this—Daniel doesn’t want the truth clean. He wants it to blow up.”

The recording began. For several seconds Stephen could barely speak through the panic tightening around his throat, but eventually desperation forced the words out of him in broken pieces as he begged shakily into the camera, his voice cracking harder each time he mentioned his family. “Please… please just let me go,” he said tearfully. "I didn't do anything to anybody.” Sebastian stepped slightly into the frame then, though not enough to reveal his full face. "That's exactly why this works," he said quietly.

I shot upright so fast that water splashed into my eyes and nose. “What the fuck?” Stephen couldn’t possibly be serious. Bold of him to assume we were ever getting back together. “Miserable, I know,” Hera said. “It’s barely been a day since I left Chicago and he’s already spinning stories.” I huffed a breath. “That man has an impressive talent for embarrassing himself.” “It’s been happening for a while now,” she said lazily. “According to Reed, Stephen’s nearly fallen out with the rest of his family.” What—

she said in her sugary voice. Macie shouldered past me on her way out, sending me sprawling to the floor. I crashed down, tears streaming uncontrollably. Adrian loomed over me, tilting my face up to his. "Liliana, this little scene? It's nothing compared to the hell I went through. Remember the divorce papers I got in jail?" I was drowning in tears, but I had to try one more time. "Adrian, I swear I didn't know about those papers. It was my mother—"

"That you've been screwing my fiancé behind my back? That you've been lying to me for God knows how long?" Jake moved toward me, arms outstretched like he thought I'd let him touch me. "It just happened," he said, pleading. "It was a mistake. I didn't mean to hurt you." "A mistake?" I laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. "This isn't a mistake, Jake. This is betrayal. You destroyed everything." The room spun, I stared at the floor, the shards of glass from the whiskey bottle catching the low light, I felt numb and unable to move. My stepmother stepped forward, her voice low.

I leaned back in my seat and added, "I'm giving you a chance now. Say the magic words. Break up with me. Don't worry. If anyone asks, I'll tell them that you were the one who dumped me so that won't hurt your ego anymore, right? Now, come on, say it. Say we're done so I can finally go home and sleep."

Darien paused, as if anticipating her question, his gaze falling to the floor. He dropped his legs, smiled at her, and nodded, preparing to answer her question. “I… I am not who you think I am,” he explained, his voice barely above a whisper as he scratched his scalp awkwardly. “ There is something I have not been truthful about, but I will not tell you what it is until the time comes. We have only just met, so I do not think it is a good idea to start spilling such personal information. It is up to you to decide whether you should trust me in the meantime."

“Will you tell me what happened now?” “Hun?!” Avery looked up in shock. She feigned a smile, lying, “I slipped on the floor and hit my head on the bed,” Layla fixed her eyes on Avery, and noticing the look, Avery knew Layla didn’t believe her. “Believe me, Layla, that’s what happened. I am not lying.” “Did I accuse you of lying?” Layla said calmly. She took Avery’s hand and caged it warmly in her hand. “Talk to me, Avery. Tell me the truth.”

Sab says. We are about to walk but I spoke when I noticed that Steph is not around. "Wait, guys. Where is Steph?" I ask. She is nowhere to be found. "Alex too," Von added. "Err? Where did they go?" Sab added a question. --- STEPH's POV "Haven't we already talked about this? I thought you will stop bothering him? Then what is this?" "I'm sorry. I... I can't help it." "So, you lied to me?"