Chapter 52 A house full of lies
The front door opened again.
Heavy. Certain.
And just like that, the air in the room shifted completely.
My father stepped in.
His presence always did that. Filled the space without trying, controlled it without saying much. But today…
Today something felt different.
His eyes swept across the room.
Me.
Kylen.
Adrian.
Lilibeth.
And then…
They landed on my grandmother.
A pause.
Not long.
But enough.
“You’re here,” he said.
His tone was calm. Too calm.
“I could say the same,” my grandmother replied smoothly.
Something passed between them.
I felt it immediately.
History.
Kylen shifted slightly beside me, then leaned in just enough for his voice to stay low.
“We should go,” he murmured.
I didn’t argue.
Not because I wanted them gone…
But because I knew this next part?
Was family.
And it was about to get ugly.
I turned slightly. “You guys should leave.”
Adrian frowned. “Lenora—”
“I’ll be fine,” I said quietly, but firmly.
Kylen didn’t look convinced.
“Call me if anything feels off,” he said.
I gave a small nod.
He hesitated for a second…
Then finally stepped back.
Adrian followed, though his eyes lingered a little longer, like he didn’t trust any of this.
And honestly?
Neither did I.
The door closed behind them.
Silence.
Thick.
Uncomfortable.
My father stepped further into the room, loosening his tie slightly like this was just another normal evening.
It wasn’t.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his gaze landing on me briefly before shifting away.
I almost laughed.
Almost.
“Maybe you should tell me,” I replied.
My grandmother let out a soft hum, like she was mildly entertained.
“She’s sharper than you expected,” she said.
My father’s jaw tightened slightly.
“I asked a question,” he said.
“And I answered,” I shot back.
The tension snapped tighter.
Lilibeth shifted on the couch, her fingers tracing lightly along the armrest like she was enjoying every second of this.
“You’re both being dramatic,” she said lightly. “Grandma just came to visit.”
I turned to her slowly.
“Stop pretending,” I said.
Her smile didn’t drop.
“If anyone’s pretending, it’s you,” she replied sweetly.
There it was.
The edge.
The real her slipping through.
My father glanced between us. “Enough.”
“No,” I said immediately.
His eyes snapped to me.
That tone…
I rarely used it with him.
“Not this time,” I continued. “I’m tired of walking into rooms where everyone knows something except me.”
Silence fell again.
My grandmother watched me carefully.
My father didn’t look pleased.
And Lilibeth…
She leaned forward slightly.
“You want to know something?” she said softly.
My stomach tightened.
“That depends,” I replied.
She smiled wider.
“I don’t even know why she likes me more,” she said, gesturing lightly toward my grandmother. “Isn’t that funny?”
The words hung in the air.
My chest tightened.
“Lilibeth,” my father warned.
But she ignored him.
“She’s not even my grandmother,” she continued, her tone still light but her eyes sharp now. “And yet… she listens to me. Talks to me. Trusts me.”
Something flickered across her face then.
Not just arrogance.
Something deeper.
Something… confused.
“I don’t get it either,” she added, quieter this time.
For a second…
Just a second…
She didn’t look like she was playing a game.
Then it was gone.
Replaced by that same polished smile.
“But I’m not complaining,” she finished.
My grandmother didn’t correct her.
Didn’t deny it.
She just watched.
Like this was all unfolding exactly how she wanted.
My father exhaled slowly, running a hand over his face.
“This isn’t necessary,” he said.
“It is for me,” I replied.
He looked at me then.
Really looked.
And for a moment…
I saw something there.
Worry.
Not anger.
Not control.
Worry.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
“You’re overthinking things,” he said.
I almost smiled.
“Am I?”
Because for the first time…
I knew I wasn’t.
Lilibeth stood up slowly, walking toward me with that same effortless confidence.
“You always do this,” she said softly. “Make everything bigger than it is.”
I didn’t move.
“And you always hide things behind that fake calm,” I replied.
Her smile twitched slightly.
There it was again.
The real her.
“You think you’re in control now,” she said quietly.
“I think I’m done being blind,” I answered.
The air between us turned sharp.
For a moment, it felt like something bigger was about to break open.
But I stopped myself.
I had the file.
I had the truth.
And they didn’t know how much I knew yet.
That was my advantage.
So I stepped back.
Calm.
Controlled.
“I’m tired,” I said simply.
All three of them looked at me.
“I’m not doing this tonight,” I added.
My father frowned slightly. “Lenora—”
“I said not tonight,” I repeated.
And this time…
He didn’t push.
My grandmother’s gaze followed me as I turned away.
Sharp.
Knowing.
Like she could see right through me.
But I didn’t stop.
Because for once…
I wasn’t reacting.
I was waiting.
And whatever game they thought they were playing…
I was about to play it better.