156

156
Laila’s POV:

I couldn’t stop the whirlwind of thoughts racing through my mind as I stepped into Nolan’s house. The door clicked behind me, and I couldn’t help but feel like a stranger in my own skin. A part of me still couldn’t believe what had just happened—what Hamilton had just said to me. Her words echoed in my mind, harsh and biting. “You are nothing but an imposter. This is not your home. You don't belong here.”

Her words felt like daggers, but they didn’t hurt as much as I thought they would. I had been through far worse. I had spent years of my life buried in confusion, struggling to grasp the truth of who I was. Now, standing here, I was beginning to see just how deep this entire game went, and the rules were shifting faster than I could keep up.

I tried to push away the lump in my throat, but it was hard. I had never felt so alone in my life. As Hamilton dragged Mara—her daughter, not Lila—out of the house, I watched them leave. I knew something wasn’t right. There was a history here that no one wanted to admit, and I was tangled up in it whether I liked it or not.

My hands clenched at my sides, fists so tight my nails dug into my palms. I won’t let them win. Not like this. I didn’t have a home anymore, not the one I had fought so hard for, but there was something else gnawing at me, something bigger than all of this. The company. I couldn’t let them take it, couldn’t let Hamilton manipulate everything.

I walked out the front door, ignoring the questions from the staff and the others who had once trusted me. They didn’t understand. They couldn’t. I didn’t even fully understand myself.

As I wandered the streets, my mind spun, faster and faster, until the ground beneath my feet felt unsteady. I wasn’t sure where I was going, but it didn’t matter. I had no destination now. The life I had built was slipping away from me, and all I could do was keep walking, empty-handed. The air felt thick, like something was about to happen, something I wasn’t prepared for.

I was barely aware of the car that pulled up beside me until the window rolled down, and I saw Nolan’s familiar, comforting face staring at me. His smile softened the weight in my chest for just a moment.

“Lila,” he said softly, “I believe in you.”

His words, simple as they were, brought a strange warmth to my chest. “And since you have nowhere else to go,” he continued, his voice thick with concern, “I don’t want you to be out here alone. It’s dangerous, and you’re better off at my house for now. At least until you figure things out.”

I didn’t hesitate. There was no reason to. Nolan was a constant in the chaos of my life. Even when things felt impossible, he never judged me. He never treated me like an imposter. He just was.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice soft, and yet, there was so much more I wanted to say. But I was scared that if I opened my mouth, the words would just tumble out in a jumbled mess. So, I settled for a grateful smile, and before I knew it, I was in his car, heading to his house.

When we arrived, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude mixed with guilt. What am I doing here? Nolan didn’t owe me anything, yet here he was, taking me in like some lost cause. The reality of it settled deep in my gut, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself feel something other than dread—warmth.

He asked one of his men to show me to a room, and once I was settled, they gave me water, food, and a hot bath. It felt strange, taking care of myself like this. After everything, after all the years of being forced to fight for every scrap of respect, being given this kind of kindness felt like a luxury I didn’t deserve.

But I took it anyway.

Once I finished, I walked downstairs, and there he was, sitting on a cushion with a glass of wine in his hand. He looked so relaxed, so at ease, and it made me feel small in comparison. I had no idea how to handle this situation, how to handle the way he was looking at me like I mattered. Like I was worth something.

“Come,” he said as I entered the room, his voice steady. He held out the glass to me. “You should have some wine. You’ve had a long day.”

I hesitated but took the glass. The red liquid swirled inside the crystal, deep and dark, much like the confusion swirling inside me.

“Thank you,” I said quietly, taking a sip, savoring the warmth that spread through my chest.

We were silent for a moment, just two people trying to find some semblance of peace in the middle of chaos. Finally, he spoke again, his eyes intense as he studied me.

“Who are you, really?” he asked. “You can tell me anything. I just want to know. Are you really Lila?”

His words hit me like a brick. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I set the wine down, trying to collect myself. Am I really Lila?

Why was he asking?

The question, the doubt, the suspicion... it made me uncomfortable, yet I wasn’t sure why. Maybe because, for the first time in my life, I had started believing the lie too. I had convinced myself that the truth didn’t matter, that if I kept playing along, no one would notice.

But now, here was Nolan, pushing me to confront it.

I looked at him, my emotions rising to the surface, untamed and wild. How can I explain to him that I don’t even know who I am anymore?

“Why are you doubting me?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. “If you doubt me, why did you even help me? Why not let me stay out there, lost and alone, with nowhere to go?”

Nolan’s expression softened, and he leaned back in his chair, letting out a quiet sigh. “Because… because I don’t think you’re the person Hamilton is making you out to be. And I’m sure that the woman she’s with, the one she claims is Lila, isn’t you either.”

My breath caught in my throat. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged, his face troubled. “Hamilton’s moves… they’re too suspicious. I’ve seen enough to know something isn’t right. You… you don’t deserve to be treated like this.”

I stared at him, my mind racing. Nolan had always been there for me, but his words now felt like a lifeline I wasn’t sure I could grab onto. My emotions were tangled, confusion clouding my thoughts.

“And above all,” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, “I care about you. I don’t want to see you mistreated.”

His words hit me hard. My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, the room seemed to shrink around us. Does he really mean it? I wondered.

But the question that slipped out of my mouth next surprised even me.

“If the woman with Hamilton turns out to be the real Lila…” I started, my voice shaking just a little, “Wouldn’t you be betraying your father—my father—for trying to marry me instead of her?”

The tension in the room thickened, and I could see the way Nolan’s face darkened, his jaw tightening. His emotions were hidden beneath the surface, but I could feel the weight of the words.

“Laila…” he said, his voice low and almost pleading. “I don’t care about my father’s will. I care about you. And I’ll stand by you, no matter what.”