Chapter 46 46
STEVE POV
I looked down at Mark’s hands—his weak, shaking fingers bunching up my shirt. I didn’t flinch. I didn't even move to strike him. I just felt a cold, dark satisfaction. He had given me the excuse I needed, I have never forgiven him for hurting Freya the last time.
“I have been looking forward to seeing this miserable face,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. I leaned in until our foreheads almost touched. “I’m glad you crossed the line again.”
With a sudden, violent shove, I threw him back. Mark hit the floor hard, his limbs tangling with the chair he had just kicked over. I didn’t wait for him to find his feet. I turned on my heel and walked toward the exit
“Wait! Where are you going? Who are you?!” Mark screamed with a panicked voice
I reached the door and stepped through. Before he could scramble off the floor and chase me, I slammed it shut to his face.
I could hear Mark fist hitting the door, followed by his throat-tearing scream as he realized he was truly trapped.
“I’m just getting started” I murmured
Victor was waiting right there at the entrance, his arms crossed, He looked at the door, then back at me.
“He said he didn’t do it,” I said, pulling my shirt straight.
Victor scoffed, a bitter sound. “He’s a bloody liar. He was there, the knife was there—Steve, the man is a fucking liar, maybe -.”
“I believe him,” I cut him off. My voice was flat, leaving no room for argument.
Victor’s eyes widened. He stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “No way. No way you believe that scumbag. Steve, look at what he’s done to Freya, look at what he was doing to Lila. He’s playing you!”
Victor kept going, his voice rising as he tried to explain why Mark had to be guilty. He was talking too fast, his hands moving, his breathing uneven. He didn’t sound like my right-hand man anymore or that dangerous, level-headed enforcer who usually stood at my side. He sounded desperate. He sounded... hurt.
I stopped and looked at him. The way his jaw was tight, the way he was defending a woman who shouldn't mean anything to us.
“Are you falling in love with that bitch?” I asked.
Victor’s mouth hung open. The words seemed to die in his throat. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. He squeezed his face into a grimace, turning away to hide the truth, but it was written all over him.
I’m sure it is not true love but it’s definitely one thing..
He’s enjoying her pussy…I guess... What a mess. I thought, disgusted. Victor had let a woman get under his skin, and now his judgment was clouded with her blood.
“I need to see her,” I said, my tone shifting to business. I needed to see Lila for myself. If Mark didn't do it, I needed to know who did.
“She’s at Divine Rose Hospital,” Victor muttered, his voice low and defeated.
I didn't say another word. I headed for the exit, and Victor followed silently behind as we headed out
We reached Divine Rose Hospital and walked straight in. Victor led the way through the sterile corridors, heading toward the private ward where they were keeping Lila.
I watched through the small glass window of the door before we entered. Lila was lying in bed, but she wasn't resting. She was staring at her phone with a wide, genuine smile on her face. She looked happy—too happy for someone who had supposedly just been gutted by an ex-. The second she heard the door handle turn, her expression shifted. She shoved the phone under her pillow and rearranged her face into a mask of pain.
"Babe," she whimpered, her voice cracking as she saw Victor. She groaned, trying to push herself up against the pillows as if every movement was agony.
Victor stopped in his tracks, his body stiff. He hesitated, looking between her and the floor, clearly torn. I didn't have time for his internal conflict. I gave him a sharp, heavy look, signaling him to get over there and play the part.
He took a breath and moved to her bedside, reaching out to take her hand.
I stayed by the door, leaning against the frame with my arms crossed. I didn't say a word. I just watched her. I wanted to see how long she could keep up the act now that I knew she had been smiling at that phone seconds ago.
"It hurts so much," she whispered to Victor, clutching his hand.
I looked at the pillow where she had hidden the phone. Mark said he didn't do it. Lila was smiling at the screen.
"Glad you're awake," I said, my voice flat. "Because we have a lot to talk about."
“Who are you” she asked
"Someone very interesting," I replied when she looked at me with confusion.
Lila ignored my answer and turned her eyes back to Victor. "Babe, who the fuck is he?" she asked, her voice high and demanding.
The way she flipped the switch from smiling at her phone to playing the victim made me want to laugh. She was a content creator for kids—I guess she thought everyone around her had the brain of a child, too. She thought the act was working.
"About Mark," I said, cutting through her drama.
Lila’s expression sharpened. She looked back at Victor, her grip on his hand tightening. "Yes? What about him? Did you get him arrested? Is he going to rot in prison?"
I let out a short, cold smirk. The greed in her eyes was easy to read. "Actually," I said, "it looks like you might end up in prison instead."
The mask shattered instantly. The weak, pretending-to-be-sick voice disappeared. Lila sat bolt upright, the fake pain forgotten as rage took over her face. She glared at me, her eyes darting with venom.
"Who the fuck are you?" she screamed right at my face.
I didn't flinch. I reached out, pulled a nearby stool over, and sat down directly in front of her. I made myself comfortable, crossing my legs while Victor stood there looking uncomfortable.
"Babe," I said, mocking the way she called him.
I looked at the pillow where she’d hidden the phone. "Why don't we start with what was making you smile so big before we walked in?"