Chapter 91 Lucas Support
Lila POV
We stood facing each other far longer than what would be considered polite the music and chatter from the guests faded into a dull hum in the background, yet the silence between us felt loud thick, almost tangible.
Mirabel’s eyes rested on me in a way that made my skin prickle.not because there was judgment in them and not because she disliked me but it was quite the opposite. I actually liked her there was something warm and refined about her presence, it made me remember my Mara my friend, I haven't thought about her or even school, they didn't even know my parents they probably will report me as a missing person to the cops, my mind came back to Mirabel, her gaze…
It felt as though she could see past my carefully composed expression, past the silk dress and the soft smile I wore for appearances. It felt as though she was staring directly into me and into the secret I carried, into the uncertainty, into the emotions I tried so desperately to contain.
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, suddenly aware of how tightly I was holding my champagne flute. “I’m going to go find Nico,” I said, needing distance from that perceptive stare. I stepped past her, but before I could put more than a few feet between us, her voice stopped me.
“Lila.”
The way she said my name was gentle, almost maternal. “Yes?”
I turned back and without a word, she reached out and carefully removed the glass from my hand, her fingers brushed mine briefly before she held the champagne at her side, studying me with a knowing look. “Don’t try to understand him,” she said softly. “Trust him instead. Men like Nico are impossible to fully understand.”
A faint smile curved her lips. “But they are very easy to love.”
The warmth in her expression unsettled me more than anything else could have. It was not mockery not warning but what I saw was certainty. She gave me one last reassuring smile before walking back toward the other guests, blending seamlessly into the elegant crowd but I remained rooted to the spot long after she left.
There was something about her that stirred an ache inside me. The way she carried herself with quiet sophistication, the effortless grace in her posture. Even her blonde hair was so similar to my mother’s and it made my chest tighten unexpectedly.
For the first time since that terrible, life-altering day, I felt a sharp, almost painful longing to see my mother again and my friends.
When Nico and I first arrived here after everything fell apart, we had spoken about my family only once. I had gathered the courage to ask what would happen to them and his answer had been simple, calm and final.
“Nothing. Nothing will happen to them as long as they know nothing.”
I never asked what story they had been told and I never asked what explanation had been given about me and about my father but I didn’t want to know.
Ignorance felt safer especially now and even if I did know the truth now would I be able to return to my family? Could I ever go back to who I was before as a student? Back to my normal?
I glanced across the terrace. Nico stood with Uncle Lucas, deep in conversation, his posture relaxed yet commanding.
No, whatever normal had once meant, it no longer belonged to me. Nico Moretti had become my new normal as if sensing my thoughts, he looked up and our eyes met.
His dark gaze held mine steadily, and I felt the memory of his earlier whisper curl around my senses like smoke asking me to stay wet for him. Heat pooled low in my stomach despite the cool evening air.
Nico POV
“Lila looks better tonight,” Uncle Lucas remarked casually, his eyes drifting toward where she stood. “She does,” I replied.
But I didn’t glance away from her, I rarely did actually. Earlier, I had noticed her speaking with Mirabel and they seemed deep in conversation before Mirabel excused herself. Even while my uncle and I discussed business, my attention had remained divided and Lila demanded it.
“She hasn’t been asking about her mother or brother?” Lucas asked, his tone curious but observant. I lifted my champagne flute and took a slow sip, suppressing a faint grimace. I had never cared for champagne. Beer suited me better because it was stronger and darker.
“No,” I answered. “Not since we arrived.”
Lucas hummed thoughtfully. “Strange. I assumed she was close to her mother.”
I gave a small shrug. “I think she was but Lila…” I paused, choosing the right word. “She’s layered and complex. I don’t think she ever truly fit within her old life.”
Lucas studied her, then looked back at me. “From where I’m standing, she seems to be fitting into this family rather well.”
The look he gave me was deliberate. It pulled our earlier conversation back into the present.
“Marriage isn’t my priority right now,” I said evenly. “But she is?”
“Yes.”
“Then how can marriage not stand beside her at the top?”
I didn’t answer immediately, Uncle Lucas would never fully understand what bound Lila and me together and what we shared wasn’t gentle or conventional. It wasn’t soft romance built on predictable foundations, we were forged in darkness.
We collided like two predators circling each other, pushing boundaries, testing strength. When we came together, it wasn’t delicate. It was intense and demanding and tonight…
Tonight I had something planned for her something that would test the depth of her trust in me. It wasn’t cruelty, it was necessity. If she was to survive beside me, she needed to trust me completely. His voice pulled me back. “Perhaps we revisit this conversation another time.”
His knowing smile irritated me slightly, he saw too much. “Is there something else on your mind?” I asked. His expression shifted, growing serious. “I trust you know what you’re doing with her.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“You’re hardening her,” he said bluntly. “Shaping her into something stronger. Something sharper.”
“It’s necessary.”
“There will be consequences, Nico.”
“I’m aware.”
“Are you?” he pressed. “If you make her hungry for revenge, you narrow this road to only one destination.”
I remained silent, “In the end,” he continued, “you will have to choose Lila or the only brother you have left. You cannot keep both.”
A faint smile tugged at my mouth. “You underestimate me.”
“On the contrary,” he replied calmly. “Only a fool would.”
I stepped closer. “I’ve considered every possible outcome. I know where this path leads for her and for me and I’m very much prepared.”
I exhaled slowly. “Our world isn’t large enough for Damon and me, It never was. Eventually, only one of us will remain standing.”
Lucas nodded slowly, almost approvingly. “As long as you understand that.” He placed a firm hand on my shoulder. “You have my support. Always.”
“Thank you.”