Leila’s POV:
Who would have thought that a day which started with such peace, sharing breakfast with my mate and savoring the quiet monts, would end with confined in the very room where we had eaten together? And all of this, because I was being accused of sothing so vile—of trying to harm an innocent baby, my mate’s child.
It started so normally. After breakfast, Drake left to tend to his duties, and I settled into the comfort of the book I had found the day before. The words drew in, distracting from the world for a while. It was a quiet reprieve, one I welcod wholeheartedly after the whirlwind of emotions I had been dealing with lately.
But then, I heard a commotion downstairs and went to check it out. Lucas and Nelly had returned from the hospital, bringing Lily with them. Apparently, she had been discharged. I watched from the top of the stairs as they helped her into the house.
As much as I didn’t want to deal with Lily’s theatrics, I knew better than to refuse to help. Nelly and I began preparing the room where Lily would be staying. Nelly smiled at , as if to say thank you for stepping up. She even promised to make up for ditching during breakfast. I smiled back, despite the unease building in my chest.
Lily settled into the bed, but even as I helped, I could see through her act. She lay there looking weak and frail, but I knew better. Wolves were strong, and the doctor had made it clear that Lily’s wolf had already healed her from her fall. I had seen my own mother carry my younger brother with the strength of a warrior. Lily’s weakness wasn’t real. She was faking it, I was sure of it. But I kept my thoughts to myself. I didn’t want to cause trouble, not while the air in the house was already so heavy with tension.
Once Lily was settled, Lucas left, and Nelly suggested that we leave Lily to rest. She wanted to catch up with . My heart ward at that. Even after reconciling with Lily, Nelly still cared for . I had missed her, and spending ti together felt like a balm to my soul.
We moved to the porch, where we talked about everything under the sun. We giggled over silly mories, and for a brief mont, I felt at peace. For the first ti in what felt like forever, things felt normal again.
But then Lily appeared, as if on cue, claiming she was bored and wanted to sit with us. I saw the way Nelly imdiately agreed, and I couldn’t argue. Even though I desperately wanted ti alone with Nelly, I couldn’t be cruel. I didn’t want to be seen as the bitter woman who wouldn’t let bygones be bygones.
So Lily joined us, and as expected, she took over the conversation. Nelly, trying to be polite, engaged with her, and soon enough, I was entirely cut out of the discussion. They began reminiscing about their childhood, their shared mories alienating from the conversation. I sat there, feeling like an outsider in my own life. The warmth I had felt monts ago was quickly replaced by a familiar ache in my chest.
After so ti, Lily said she was thirsty and asked Nelly if she could get her so juice. Nelly, ever the kind soul, agreed and headed to the kitchen, leaving alone with Lily. I braced myself the mont Nelly was out of earshot.
Lily wasted no ti. Her deanor shifted instantly, the kind smile slipping from her face like a mask being removed. She turned to with that wicked smirk that I had grown to hate.
"See?" she began, her voice dripping with malice. "I told you I would get back everything, and there’s nothing you can do to stop . If I were you, I’d be packing my things right now. Oops, don’t worry though—I’ll take care of your mate while we build a family together."
Her words hit like a punch to the gut. I tried to remind myself that her threats were empty, that she couldn’t actually win Drake’s heart. But deep down, fear gnawed at . She had already managed to manipulate so many people, including Nelly. What if she could pull this off too?
I stood up, not wanting to argue with her. I had no energy left to fight, and the last thing I wanted was to give her the satisfaction of knowing she had gotten under my skin. I decided to leave, hoping to find solace at the orphanage where I had always found peace.
But as I turned to leave, Lily stepped in front of , blocking my path. "Where do you think you’re going, you bitch?" she hissed, her voice laced with venom. "I told you to pack your things and go back to the filth where you ca from."
I stood there, frozen in place, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel Nelly returning, her footsteps growing closer. And then, as if on cue, Lily switched back to her fake persona, her voice suddenly soft and sweet. She spoke loudly enough for Nelly to hear her clearly.
"Please, forgive ," Lily said, raising her voice just enough to be overheard. "I don’t want any bad blood between us because of the baby."
And then, with a skill that only a master manipulator could possess, Lily took my hand and raised it toward her chest, making it look like I was pushing her. In that mont, everything happened so fast that I barely had ti to react. If I wasn’t in my own shoes, I would have sworn I had actually pushed her.
Lily staggered back, her body moving as if she were about to fall off the porch. Her act was flawless. She even managed to look panicked, as if I had just attacked her. And to my utter horror, the one person she had wanted as her audience had arrived—Drake.
Drake rushed forward, his face a mask of fury, and caught Lily before she could fall. I stood there, my heart sinking into my stomach. He looked up at , his eyes blazing with anger and confusion.
"What the fuck are you doing?" he shouted, his voice sharp and biting. "Why would you push her off the porch? Can’t you see she’s pregnant with my child?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words wouldn’t co. My throat was dry, my mind racing. What could I possibly say to defend myself? The scene was perfectly crafted. If I tried to explain, I knew it would only sound like desperate excuses. And so, I stood there, silent, as Drake’s anger washed over .
Then, Lily began to cry—loud, pitiful sobs that echoed through the air. She clutched her stomach, her face twisted in fake agony. "She confessed to oiling the stairs," Lily whimpered, her voice trembling. "She wanted to lose the baby. She told that no one else was allowed to carry your child except her."
My eyes widened in shock. What? When had I ever said such a thing? Her lies were coming so fast and so confidently that for a mont, even I started to doubt myself. Had I done sothing wrong? Was I the monster she was painting to be?
I glanced at Drake, hoping—praying—that he wouldn’t believe her. But the look in his eyes shattered whatever hope I had left. He believed her. He actually believed her lies. The betrayal cut through like a knife, and for the first ti, I felt tears threaten to spill over. But I refused to let them fall. I would not give Lily the satisfaction of seeing break.
Drake turned to , his expression hard. "Is this true?" he demanded, his voice cold and unyielding.
I remained silent. What could I possibly say? How could I convince him that I was innocent when every piece of evidence seed to be against ? I could feel my heart breaking, shattering into pieces with every second that passed.
Then, to make matters worse, Lily’s cries grew louder. She clutched her stomach tighter, as if she feared for the life of the baby inside her. "She hates ," Lily sobbed, her voice filled with fake despair. "She hates because I’m carrying your child, and she’ll do anything to take it away from ."
Drake’s fury deepened, and he turned to Lucas, who had just arrived on the scene. "Take her," Drake ordered, his voice like ice. "Confine her to my room until we figure this out."
I looked at Lucas, hoping—begging—with my eyes for him to say sothing. But Lucas looked just as torn as I felt. He glanced between and Drake, his expression filled with pain and regret. But in the end, he nodded.
Lucas stepped forward and gently took my arm. His grip was soft, almost apologetic, but firm. He was doing what he had been ordered to do, even though I could see how much it hurt him.
I didn’t resist. There was no point in fighting back. What could I possibly say to defend myself against such well-crafted lies? So I allowed Lucas to
lead away, back to the room where this nightmare had begun.
Leila..." Lucas whispered as he led away. "I’ll figure this out. Just... just hang in there."
I didn’t respond. What was there to say? I felt like a prisoner in more ways than one. Confined to Drake’s room, sure, but even more so, I was trapped by the weight of accusations I could barely comprehend. The truth seed irrelevant when no one was willing to hear it.
Once inside the room, Lucas locked the door, his expression filled with regret. "I’m sorry," he said softly, almost pleading with to understand. "Just... stay here. I’ll try to talk to him."
I nodded once, feeling like I was floating outside of my body. Nothing felt real anymore. This morning, I had shared a al with Drake, wrapped in the warmth of his presence. Now, I was locked away, painted as the villain in so twisted drama orchestrated by Lily.
As the door clicked shut behind Lucas, the silence in the room pressed down on like a heavy blanket. The air felt thick with tension, and I could feel my heart racing, though I had no reason to move. I simply stood there for a long ti, staring at the walls, unable to process how my life had spiraled out of control in such a short span of ti.
I could feel the tears welling up again, but I fought them back with everything I had. Crying wouldn’t solve anything. It wouldn’t make Drake believe . It wouldn’t undo the damage Lily had caused.
Eventually, I moved to the bed, sitting down on the edge, my hands clasped tightly in my lap. My mind raced with a thousand thoughts, each one more frantic than the last. How could I prove my innocence when all the evidence seed to be stacked against ? How could I convince Drake that I would never harm his child, that I would never harm anyone?
And most of all... how could I make him see that Lily was playing him for a fool?
The minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. I tried to calm my breathing, to center myself, but the panic gnawed at my insides, relentless and unforgiving. I thought back to every mont with Drake—every smile, every touch, every promise we had made to each other. I had thought our bond was strong enough to weather anything. But now I wasn’t so sure.
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