Chapter 249

Chapter 249
Lily's POV

I felt my heartbeat quicken as I stared at Nathan standing in the doorway. His face was a mask of stone, but his eyes—those familiar green eyes—found mine instantly. Alex stood beside him, expression unreadable, while Tyler and Joseph flanked them. The sight of them made my breath catch in my throat.

"N-Nathan?" I whispered, instinctively starting to rise from my chair.

Jake's fingers wrapped around my wrist, pressing firmly as he leaned close to my ear. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he murmured, his breath warm against my skin. "Sit down while you still can."

Something in his tone made me comply immediately. I sank back into my chair, my eyes darting between the four men who'd just entered. I searched their faces for some explanation, some sign of what was happening, but none of them looked at me. Not even Tyler, my own brother.

Zane broke the silence with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Ah, Nate! Our guest of honor today!"

Nathan finally glanced my way, and the look in his eyes made my heart clench. Disappointment. Pity. As if he were saying, If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here right now.

I swallowed hard. Of course he was angry. He had every right to be.

"I see you've brought my son, Lily's brother, and... Joseph?" Zane continued, his voice oddly cheerful as he addressed Joseph. "You've grown quite a bit." He tilted his head. "I heard about that foolish thing Antonio did to you—such a shame."

"Yes, quite," Joseph replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I shuddered inwardly. If Antonio was a monster, Zane was something far worse.

Jake stood up and gestured toward the empty seats. "Please, sit down," he said, his tone surprisingly formal. "Nathan, you can sit here. Alex, there. And Tyler, right there."

They moved toward their assigned seats, seemingly resigned to following instructions. Nathan sat directly across from me, with Alex to his left and Tyler to his right. I tried to catch Tyler's eye, then Joseph's, but they ignored me too. The rejection stung more than I expected.

Zane yawned theatrically. "Doesn't this feel nice? A meeting without weapons?"

"I didn't come to—" Nathan began, his voice tight.

"No, no, no," Zane cut him off, raising his hand. "We eat first!"

The room fell silent as servers brought in more food. No one spoke as we were essentially forced to eat. I couldn't even taste what was on my plate.

"What kind of meat is this?" Joseph finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Despite everything, I almost smiled. Joseph always knew how to stay relaxed, even in the most terrifying situations.

"Human meat," Zane answered without missing a beat. His face remained serious for a moment before he continued, "It's the meat of the maid I shot dead!"

Everyone around the table set down their forks. I felt bile rise in my throat.

Zane burst into laughter. "I'm just kidding! You should see your faces!"

His joke fell flat, and we all—even Jake—ate in silence after that. I stole glances at Nathan occasionally, but he refused to meet my gaze. I couldn't blame him. I'd been nothing but trouble since the moment I'd entered his life.

"So," Zane said, breaking the silence once more, "how is Richard doing?"

Nathan's hand trembled slightly, his knuckles white as he gripped his fork. "Dying," he said through clenched teeth. "And you're not making things any easier."

A flash of genuine pain crossed Zane's face before he quickly masked it with a frown. "Aren't we all?" he asked, then turned to Alex. "Isn't that right, son?"

Alex clutched his fork tightly, his eyes dark. "Yes," he answered simply. "Everyone dies eventually."

I still didn't understand why we were all here. They clearly weren't happy to see me—not that I'd expected them to be. All I wanted to know was if Eleanor was safe, if my daughter was okay.

"Well, since we're all here," Zane announced suddenly, "let's play a game." He smiled broadly. "I call it... answer or die!" His eyes locked with mine.

Fear coursed through me, and I lowered my head, unable to hold his gaze. I felt Zane move behind me, his cold hand coming to rest on my shoulder. The touch made my skin crawl, but I forced myself to stay calm. Panicking wouldn't help anyone.

"Alex, you first," Zane said, his hand still on my shoulder. "Everyone will get a turn, don't worry—"

"Let's just get this over with," Alex muttered dismissively.

"Do you love Lily?" Zane asked bluntly.

I gasped, looking up at Alex. Was Zane trying to provoke Nathan?

Alex turned his head slowly, his eyes meeting mine. There was something dark and dull in his gaze. "No."

My heart sank. Had my actions made him hate me that much?

"That's clearly a lie," Zane laughed. "If you didn't love her, you'd be attacking me right now—but you're restraining yourself because you're concerned for her safety." He grinned. "You can't fool your father."

Alex coughed once, giving Nathan a desperate look, but Nathan seemed indifferent.

"Alex used to beg me not to hurt you," Zane whispered to me. "'Kill the Sullivans, I don't care, but please don't touch Lily.'"

My heart raced, not from happiness but from guilt. I'd played with Alex's feelings, put him in danger, broken his heart. The weight of it all pressed down on me.

"Now, Donovan boy—your turn," Zane announced, turning to Tyler. "Who would you like to see your sister with?"

"As her brother, I'd rather not see her with anyone," Tyler replied quickly.

I felt a brief moment of relief, but it vanished when Zane laughed.

"I feel the same way about my sisters," he said. "But that's not a good enough answer." He pointed at each man in turn. "I want you to rank them from one to three, and I want to hear your reasons."

"Just do it," Nathan commanded. "Whatever he wants, just do it."

"Um, I'd put Nathan in third place!" Tyler said hastily.

I stared at Nathan in shock, but he didn't lose his composure. He didn't even look surprised. Zane squealed with delight. "I love this game! Why?"

Tyler shrugged. "No particular reason."

Zane slowly tightened his grip on my shoulder, making me cry out in pain.

"Do it," Nathan said quietly. "Give him what he wants, just do it."

Tyler took a deep breath. "Because he cheated on her with his assistant and betrayed her... it still makes me sick."

I hated this game.

"I did hear something about that," Zane nodded. "Glad to see you're not holding back—continue!"

"I'd put Joseph in second place," Tyler said.

"Ding, ding, ding!" Zane mimicked a bell. "We have our runner-up. Tell me, why?"

Zane's hand moved toward my neck. "A truthful answer!" he shouted.

"He's insane, had me tied up—nearly beat me to death, threatened to kill my sister and niece," Tyler explained. "But deep down, I know he would never hurt Lily—so I'd choose him over Nathan any day."

Zane released his grip. "Thank you for your honesty. So Alex is number one?" He grinned. "Tell us why!"

I gripped the edge of the table, dreading what Tyler might say next.

Tyler sighed deeply. "Look, I could tell you why, but I don't want to push you further."

"Try me," Zane said.

Tyler shrugged. "Alex was able to see through your abnormal behavior and chose to protect my sister."

Zane sneered, his finger tracing the back of my neck. "So you think I'm crazy?"

"Yes, I do," Tyler admitted. "I think we all do."

I inwardly groaned. Tyler never knew when to stop talking. It would get him in trouble one day.

Ignoring Tyler's comment, Zane turned to Joseph. "Joseph? Have you also fallen for this stupid fool? She abandoned her daughter, willingly lives here, and didn't think things through at all."

He's right, I thought miserably. I am a fool.

"Yes, I love her," Joseph answered without hesitation. "I know I shouldn't, but I guess I couldn't help it."

Zane seemed somewhat flustered, removing his hand from my neck. "Well, that was simple." He frowned. "But let me give you all some advice. She's an idiot, not worth any of this."

I repeated Zane's words in my mind, accepting them as truth. This was all my fault. I'd only made things worse.

"Continue. Nate?" Zane prodded.

I tried to catch Nathan's eye, but he continued to ignore me, his gaze dark as he stared only at Zane.

"Uncle," Nathan spat.

"Nate, why did you shoot your cousin?" Zane asked.

The clatter of a plate reminded me that Jake was still present, quieter than usual.

When Nathan didn't give the answer Zane wanted, his hand returned to my neck, gently squeezing.

"I think you should let go of her," Nathan said, drawing in a sharp breath. "She's pregnant."

He does care, I thought.

"You haven't answered my question, Nate," Zane replied.

Nathan met my eyes briefly. "I did it because he deserved it," he said coldly. "And I'd do it again. So maybe it's a good thing we're not allowed weapons in here."

Zane slapped the table repeatedly, cackling with evil laughter. "Did you hear that, Jake?" he asked. "Too bad we're having dinner—I'd love to see that showdown!"

"I bet you would," Nathan replied, leaning back in his chair. He knew Jake was no match for him.

"Jake, do you have anything to say to Nathan?" Zane asked, turning to his son.

Jake swallowed. "Yes, I do," he replied. "I didn't mean to stab you in the back... with a fork."

Everyone looked at Nathan, who shrugged with a mocking smile. "I bet you didn't."

"Son, I think the saying is 'with a knife,'" Zane corrected him. "But continue, I'm enjoying this little reunion."

"At least it was my knee, not my right eye," Jake said quietly, almost making me feel sorry for him. "My right eye... it's my weakness... it runs in the family."

Nathan turned to Alex for confirmation. "Is it?"

Alex nodded with a frown. "Yes, it is," he confirmed. "He's right."

I couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy for Jake. The Sullivans had overlooked him, leading him to betray his family. Maybe if they'd paid more attention...

"He apologized," Zane declared dramatically. "Good boy!" He pinched Jake's cheek before returning to his seat.

Nathan cleared his throat. "Security's not very tight around here, is it?"

"This place is heavily guarded," Zane replied, chewing his food. "But since this was supposed to be a peaceful family reunion today—I sent most of my men away."

"Including the ones who searched us?" Nathan asked.

Zane shrugged. "Yes. They already confirmed you have no weapons, so what use are they to me?"

"Do they work for you?" Nathan inquired.

Zane looked around the table. "No, I hired them," he replied. "Does anyone else have questions, or is it my turn now?"

"Fine, it's my turn," Zane growled. From under the table, he produced an object—a gun—and slowly placed it in front of him.

I wasn't surprised. I was sure none of us were.

I kept my face neutral as Zane waved the gun in the air like a madman.

"My question is—why are you asking me so many questions?" he demanded.