Chapter 25: Cracks in the Armor

Ivy

I wasn’t sure whether to feel angry, betrayed, or just utterly exhausted. There was a dull, gnawing ache in my chest that I couldn’t shake, no matter how many times I tried to breathe through it. 

Watching Lila, so calm and composed, put on this act of concern, pretending to offer help when all I saw was manipulation, felt like a slap in the face.

But I wasn’t going to break. I refused to let her see it. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction.

I had thought she wouldn’t bother me again after the last time, but here she was, filling me in with her sorry stories.

And Connor? What sick game are they both playing? They think I’m the same weak helpless girl?

As she leaned in, her voice soft, almost too soft, I could feel the subtle pressure building in my skull. She was good—too good. Every word that left her mouth, every look she gave me, was calculated. She knew exactly what buttons to push. I could feel her fishing, prodding for a crack, and I refused to give it to her.

"You're wrong, Lila. I’m not going to fall for this," I said, my voice more confident than I felt. Her eyes, though, were always on me. They watched, studied, like she could see through every little armor I put on.

When she mentioned my fiancé, Leo… That was a line crossed.

A flush of warmth rose to my face, not from embarrassment, but from something deeper, something darker. Lila knew what she was doing. She wasn’t just attacking me—she was testing my loyalty to Leo. And I hated it. Leo and I had been through hell together, and for her to imply he wasn’t trustworthy? It was infuriating.

I clenched my fists under the table, trying to suppress the anger that threatened to burst through. “You don’t know him,” I spat, my voice low but laced with a venom I couldn’t contain. I wasn’t about to let her tear apart the one thing that had been my anchor for so long.

Lila's lips curled into a smile that was anything but reassuring. “Don’t I? Because I’ve heard things, Ivy. Things that make me wonder if you’re really as safe as you think you are."

The mention of Leo—of his secrets, of what I already knew he was hiding—sent a shiver down my spine. She had me there, but I wasn’t about to show weakness. Not to her. Not to anyone.

As I stood up, my mind raced after she had stormed off with Connor hot on her trail. I didn’t have time to entertain their games. I needed to focus. I needed to get back to work, to pretend like I had control over everything. Because if I let myself stop, even for a second, I knew I’d fall apart.

I walked back into my office after my driver dropped me off, slamming the door behind me with more force than necessary. My mind was reeling, but I couldn’t afford to show it. Not here, not now.

The buzzing of my phone interrupted the silence, a message from Leo flashing on the screen. My heart clenched for a moment, and I quickly pushed the thought of Lila’s words away. I couldn’t let her get to me. Not when I had so much at stake.

“Meet me later?” the message read. It was short, simple, and yet there was an underlying urgency in it that caught my attention. Was he sensing my distraction? Was something wrong?

I typed back quickly, trying to erase the heaviness that had settled in my chest: "Of course. I need to clear my head anyway."

The rest of the day passed in a blur of meetings, reports, and phone calls, none of which I could focus on for more than a few minutes. I could feel the weight of Lila’s words pressing on me, chipping away at my resolve. I tried to shake it off, but it wasn’t easy.

My mind kept drifting back to Leo, to his secrets, to the way I still couldn’t fully trust everything he said. And as much as I hated to admit it, Lila was right about one thing—there were things I hadn’t fully understood. There were pieces of Leo I hadn’t yet figured out. But I couldn’t let it consume me. I couldn’t let her be right.

That evening, I finally met Leo at one of our usual spots—a quiet little bar tucked away from prying eyes. The moment he walked in, his eyes locked onto mine, and for a split second, everything else in the world faded away. I’d missed him, even if I knew there was still a lot he wasn’t telling me.

I had woken up that morning to an empty bed. I didn’t hear him leaving but he did leave a note which had me blushing all day until I met the two nightmares from my past.

As he slid into the seat across from me, his eyes softened, but there was a hint of concern there, too.

“Hey,” he said, his voice low. “You okay?”

I forced a smile. “Yeah, just a long day.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either.

He studied me for a long moment, his brow furrowing. “You’re not fine. What happened?”

How did he know that? Am I giving it away too much?

The weight of everything—the conversation with Lila, Connor, the doubts about him, the secrets—I felt it pressing on me. But I couldn’t voice it. Not here. Not now.

“I just need some space to breathe,” I replied, my voice thick with something I didn’t want him to read. “Work’s been a lot, and I just… I don’t want to talk about it.”

Leo didn’t push, but the way his gaze lingered on me told me he wasn’t convinced. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, a gesture of comfort, as if he wanted to close the distance between us and offer reassurance.

“I’m here for you, Ivy. Always,” he said softly, and it almost worked like magic. I felt lighter and more relaxed.

But somewhere during our conversation, the thoughts returned. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Lila’s words were true. Maybe Leo wasn’t the person I thought he was.

And maybe, just maybe, Lila was right: I couldn’t trust anyone.