Chapter 37

Lilith's POV

The morning sun streaked through the curtains, playing across the great parlor in gentle rays. Lilith stood by the large window, her gaze turned out toward the garden as she drew a deep breath into her lungs. Today, Finn would be coming to tea. A thought that twisted her stomach in uneasy kinks. Finn was an old friend, one from her past, but his visit now made her apprehensive. It was a long time since they'd seen each other, and while she knew him well, this coming together somehow felt different. She quickly ignored the quiver of unease, knowing she couldn't let it blight the afternoon.

Moving to the long table in the center of the room, Lilith began to prepare the tea. She chose the best from her assortment of fine teas: delicate cups and saucers in white porcelain, with intricate patterns of flowers. She laid the silver spoons out neatly beside the cups, their forms gleaming. The smell of rich loose-leaf wafted in the air as she expertly measured the leaves and set the teapot to brew. It all had to be just so: a small dish of sugar, a tray of finger sandwiches, and delicate pastries-just the way Finn liked it when they were younger. With a whistling teapot, signaling the water had reached the correct temperature, Lilith turned to a nearby servant.

"Please, invite Lord Finn in when he arrives," she said as calmly and composedly as possible, though her stomach quivered a little. She smoothed her dress, running her fingers through her hair one last time before taking her place at the table.

She bowed and turned to see to her request. Lilith's mind started to wander back to the times when she and Finn had shared afternoons just like this, so simple in tea and conversation. But now, an underlying tension existed between them that she was not quite sure she could define.

The door creaked open, pulling her back to the present.

"Lord Finn," the servant said, and Lilith turned toward the doorway.

Finn stepped into the room, his tall frame casting a shadow across the floor. He was as elegantly attired as ever; his dark hair combed neatly back from his face. His eyes locked with hers, and he offered a smile that was both warm and faintly guarded.

"Lilith," he greeted her, his voice smooth, almost like a caress. "It's been far too long."

"Too long indeed," she replied, offering him a polite smile, though she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. "I'm glad you could make it."

His eyes scanned the room, settling for a moment on the ornate details of the parlor: the gilded frames on the walls, the fine silk curtains, and the gleaming marble floors beneath the sun. He stepped farther into the room, taking it all in with a glint in his eye.

Lilith, busy with the final preparations, didn't notice the sharp look of something akin to jealousy flicker across his face as his gaze swept over the lavish room. He always had a way of admiring things, but now his attention seemed a little too intense, a little too possessive for her comfort. She had seen that look before, but at the time she had been too young to understand its meaning.

"Quite the nice house you have here," Finn said, his voice even, but underneath, his tone was strained. "It's. impressive."

Lilith smiled wryly, an uncomfortable knowing flickering across her face. "Yes, it is," she replied simply, trying to shrug off the feeling. "I'm grateful for all that I've been given."

Finn's eyes grazed over the paintings that hung upon the walls, the furniture that was placed thoughtfully around the room, and the large windows that let in a view of the estate's gardens. She noticed how his gaze stopped just a little longer on the over-sized portrait of her father above the fireplace before he moved his eyes onto the next item of interest.

"It must be nice," he continued, a hint of something she couldn't quite decipher in his tone. "To have so much."

Lilith blinked, a frown pulling at her lips. She was unsure how to respond, unsure if he was complimenting her or something else entirely. She turned away from him, gathering the tea cups onto a tray to bring over to the table.

“I’ll have the tea served now,” she said briskly, trying to change the subject. She placed the tray down carefully, then began to pour the tea into their cups, her hands steady despite the growing unease in her chest.

“I’ve prepared your favorite blend,” she said with a forced smile, trying to bring some lightness to the situation. “I hope it’s to your liking.”

Finn smiled, though his expression seemed a bit strained. “I’m sure it will be,” he said, though his eyes never left her. He sat down at the table, carefully smoothing the fabric of his trousers beneath him, as though the weight of his thoughts was settling over him, making him heavy.

She set a cup before him, and he reached for it, his hand hovering over the handle. His eyes caught hers again, and this time, there was something deeper, something darker in the gaze that held hers.

"So," he said, his tone low, almost hesitant, "tell me, Lilith. What has been happening here? What is going on with you and him?

The question hung in the air between them, and Lilith froze, her breath catching in her throat. For a moment, she didn’t understand what he was asking.

“Him?” she asked, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

“Kent,” Finn clarified, his voice edged with something she couldn’t place. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with him, haven’t you?”

Lilith’s heart skipped a beat. “We’re just friends,” she said quickly, almost defensively. Her fingers gripped the edge of the teapot a little too tightly, and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Finn watched her carefully, his lips curving into a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Just friends, huh?” he murmured, clearly unconvinced. “You seem closer than that to me.”

The weight of his gaze felt heavy upon her, almost like an added pressure that made her at a disadvantage. She looked down at her hands, fiddling with the fine China cup before her.

"We have our moments," she said, trying to make her voice sound nonchalant, though it slightly quavered. "But there's nothing more to it."

Finn leaned back in his chair, studying her, his eyes calculating. "I see," he said softly. "You say that now, but I can see how it is, Lilith. I've known you long enough to know when something's not right.

The stirrings of discomfort rose in her, like a dark cloud threatening to engulf her. "There's nothing to talk about," she said, her voice more forceful than she intended.

Finn's expression darkened, though he masked it quickly with another smile. "If you say so," he said, taking a sip of the tea she'd made for him.

An awkward silence fell over the room, with the only sound being the small clinking of teacups and the soft rustle of the wind outside. Lilith could feel the tension swell in the air, and wondered if she had blundered, inviting Finn to join her today. He wasn't the same as she remembered. There was something about him; an edge that hadn't been there before.

Suddenly, he clattered his teacup down a little too forcefully, and Lilith's eyes snapped up to meet his.

"You can't keep hiding from it forever, Lilith," he said, now much colder than a moment before. "You need to come home."

Her heart skipped in her chest, and she blinked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I've come to bring you back," Finn said, his voice calm, yet somehow full of underlying intenseness, that had Lilith's stomach drop. "You belong with your family, Lilith. You know that."

"I belong here," she replied, her tone firm as she shook her head. "This is my home now."

But Finn did not waver. The narrowing of his eyes was the only warning before he reached out and grasped her wrist with surprisingly firm force.

“You don’t understand, do you?” he said through gritted teeth. “You don’t belong here. You’re wasting your time with him.”

A shiver ran down Lilith’s spine as she tried to pull away, but Finn’s grip only tightened. "Let me go," she snapped, panic rising in her chest.

Just when she was about to call for reinforcements, the parlour door slammed open with such force that the cups rattled. Kent's tall figure with eyes as dark as coal seemed to fill the doorframe.

"Finn, let her go," Kent's voice thundered. "Now."

Finn's eyes flickered toward Kent but he didn't let go of Lilith. "This isn't your fight, Kent," he sneered.

Kent didn't waste any time. In two long strides, he was across the room, clutching Finn by the collar, yanking him clear of Lilith.

"I said, let her go," Kent snarled, his fingers biting deeper.

Finn stumbled backward, shock lighting in his face for barely a second before his defiance fell into place. "You think you can stop me?" he spat, but Kent's strength didn'

t budge.

"I know I can," Kent replied icily. "Leave. Now."

Finn hesitated for a moment, but