Craved by the Wrong Volkov Chapter 402: Died with a smile

Alia thought she was special because Lucien had helped her that day. Lucien was known for being cold, the kind of person who barely spared a glance for anyone outside his circle, yet he had stepped in for her. To her, that mont was not random. It ant sothing. It had to she convinced herself.

That night, there was a race. It was an illegal club, the place was loud, and full of reckless energy. The kind of place Lucien belonged to.

Alia stood at the edge of the crowd, dressed in her best outfit. She had taken hours getting ready, fixing her hair, redoing her makeup until it was perfect. Her lips curved into a soft smile as she imagined everything that would follow after tonight. She could already see it so clearly in her mind. A confession, a relationship, a future where he would look at her the sa way she had always looked at him. She even thought of the nas of their future children.

.She was completely wrapped in her world. She naively believed the reason Lucien had never had any real relationship was because he was waiting for her to confess.

The night air was cold but filled with thrill and excitent. Lucien was barely 17 and was a top racer. It was an illegal ring so no one cared

The engines roared, snapping her attention back. Her eyes locked onto the red sports car weaving through the track. Even that felt like a sign to her. Red had always been her favourite colour, and she convinced herself that he had chosen it for that reason.

The race ended in a blur of noise and smoke. Lucien ca in second, which only made the crowd louder. People rushed toward him as soon as he stepped out of the car. Amber got there first, throwing an arm around his shoulder, while Joey laughed beside them, already saying sothing that made Lucien smirk.

Alia stayed where she was for a mont, watching. Her heart pounded against her chest as she waited for the right ti.

When the crowd thinned and they moved toward the bar, she finally gathered the courage to walk up to them.

"Hi," she said softly.

Amber turned first, her sharp gaze was assessing her. She gave Lucien a light push on the shoulder. "Another fan," she teased, her lips curling slightly.

Lucien barely reacted, brushing her off with a quiet sigh.

Alia forced a smile, her fingers tightening around the gift bag she had been holding all night. "Can I speak to Lucien in private?" she asked.

Amber’s expression changed instantly. "Who do you think you are?" she snapped.

"Relax," Joey cut in, raising a hand. He looked at Alia for a second before glancing back at Amber. "Let her talk."

Lucien leaned back against the counter, watching the whole thing with a faint look of amusent. "Say whatever you want here," he said. "If you can’t, then bounce."

The words cornered her. Alia swallowed, her throat dry. There was no way out now.

She stepped forward and held out the gift bag with both hands. "I like you, Lucien," she said, her voice trembling despite her effort to keep it steady. "I have liked you since that day you helped ."

She lowered her head, too scared to look at him. There was a pause, then a quiet chuckle.

Her heart skipped as she slowly looked up, hope flickering in her chest.

"And you are?" Lucien asked. The question hit harder than any insult.

Alia froze, unsure if he was serious or just mocking her.

"Alia Sinclair," she said quickly. "I am a junior from school."

Lucien’s expression did not change. He stared at her for a second before asking, "Are you Natasha’s friend?"

The question felt wrong, like she had been pushed into the wrong place in her own mont. Still, she nodded.."Yes."

"Okay," he replied simply. He turned away, already losing interest. Her hand was still stretched out with the gift bag.

Joey leaned in and whispered sothing into Lucien’s ear. Lucien clicked his tongue and waved a hand. "If you want it, take it," he said, not even looking back.

Amber grinned and snatched the bag from Alia’s hand. "Let help you throw this away, or do you still need it?" she said, her tone dripping with mockery.

Alia shook her head quickly. Her fingers curled into themselves.

"Lucien, you haven’t answered yet," she said, her voice smaller now.

He exhaled, clearly irritated. "Alia, I barely know you. What do you expect to do?" the words struck deeply.

Amber scoffed. "What are you still doing here? He doesn’t want you. You really have the nerve. You are Natasha’s friend and still decided to confess to him?"

Alia stood there, unable to move.

Joey’s expression softened. He reached out and gently took her arm. "Co on," he said quietly, guiding her away before she could completely fall apart.

When they were far enough, he let go and rubbed the back of his neck. "Don’t take it too seriously," he said. "Lucien’s been in a bad mood. Natasha crashed his car recently and they fought. He is just irritated."

Alia barely heard him. Her ears rang. Her chest felt tight, like sothing inside her had cracked.

She did not rember how she left the place. One mont she was standing there, and the next she was on a rooftop, staring down at the empty space below.

The cold wind brushed against her face, but she felt nothing. Lucien hated her.

That thought repeated over and over again, louder each ti.

Her fingers trembled as she pulled out her phone and called Natasha. She did not even know why. Maybe she just needed soone to hear her before she disappeared.

She sat at the edge, her legs hanging over, tears falling without control..The door burst open.

"Alia!" Natasha rushed toward her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back from the edge. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"Natasha questioned her rapidly.

Her voice shook as she checked her over, her hands moving quickly as if she was afraid Alia would vanish if she let go.

Alia could not answer..Her eyes shifted past Natasha and landed on the figure standing near the door.

Raphael, he was the one who drove Natasha over..He stood there in a hoodie, quiet, watching everything without saying a word.

For the first ti, Alia really looked at him.

The resemblance struck her imdiately. The similar features, the sa presence, just calr and more controlled. If Lucien was fire, Raphael was sothing steadier, sothing that did not burn everything it touched.

Her thoughts twisted. If Lucien would never look at her, then maybe...

Raphael was loyal. Everyone knew that. Even to a fiancée he barely knew, he stayed committed.

What if that kind of loyalty was directed at her The idea settled into her mind, taking root.

Alia smiled faintly through her tears.

Back in the present, blood continued to seep from her head, pooling beneath her. Her cellmates had backed away, their earlier cruelty replaced with unease.

Alia’s eyes remained open, staring at nothing..So this was how it ended.

A bitter thought crossed her mind. Lynn had been the one to take everything. The attention, the love, the place Alia believed was hers.

Her chest tightened with a final surge of anger.

It felt unfair.

Everything felt unfair.

Her breathing grew shallow as the world around her blurred.

The noise faded, the pain dulled, and the darkness slowly closed in.

Alia did not close her eyes in the end. She died with a smile.