They carried him out quietly without any stretchers or ambulance sounds. There were only quiet black cars and silent movents as they took him away.
Before leaving, a man with silver hair nad Atlas walked up to Quinn and said just one thing:
"Handle everything. No one must know he’s missing. Especially not her."
And Quinn, who had always been loyal, nodded.
Even though it scared him. Even though he didn’t understand what was happening.
He obeyed.
***
From that day onward, Assistant Quinn handled everything.
He replied to every business ssage.
He attended etings. He answered Lilith’s calls.
He sent fake replies in Alexander’s na.
And to the rest of the world, Sebastian Carter was just abroad handling international business matters, working hard as always.
Nobody knew the truth.
That their CEO—the powerful, perfect man was lying in a bed sowhere, his mind shattered, his soul silent, and every part of him lost inside his own broken world.
**
"Miss Lilith... his girlfriend, she started doubting . What should I do?" Assistant Quinn asked, his voice shaky, the stress clear in his tone.
He stood in front of Atlas, whose silver hair glead under the light.
Atlas nodded his head slowly, considering Quinn’s words. Then, he turned his gaze toward him.
"Is she smart?" Atlas asked, his voice smooth, almost amused.
Assistant Quinn didn’t hesitate.
"Yeah... she’s very smart," he said, a chill running down his spine as he thought about Lilith’s icy aura.
Atlas smiled at the response.
"I see..." Atlas said, his smile widening. A small dimple appeared on his cheek, making him seem even more enigmatic. "Well, if she’s as sharp as you say, she might be playing a ga of her own. She’ll test you."
Quinn shifted uncomfortably under Atlas’s gaze. "Test ?" he asked, his voice unsure.
"Yes," Atlas replied, leaning back in his chair with a cool confidence. "But don’t worry. You’ll know if she’s getting close. She won’t let you hide for long."
Thinking about Lilith’s sharp gaze, her cold voice, and the way she could read through any lie, Assistant Quinn felt a chill run down his spine.
His throat tightened with guilt.
He looked down, then whispered quietly, "But... I think it’s better to tell Miss Lilith."
He didn’t say it loudly. It ca out like sothing he wasn’t sure he was allowed to say but it was weighing heavy on his heart.
Atlas, who had been leaning back in the chair calmly, slowly shook his head.
"No," he said, voice firm but calm.
His silver hair caught the light, and his eyes grew serious.
"Seb called ," Atlas continued. "The day before he collapsed."
Quinn looked up in surprise.
"He said sothing felt wrong inside his head. He felt like... sothing was shifting. Sothing he couldn’t control anymore."
Atlas paused for a mont, then his voice softened just a little.
"He told , if anything happens to him, don’t tell Lilith. Not right away."
"Why?" Quinn asked quietly, almost afraid to know.
Atlas looked toward the window, his tone low.
"Because she’s working hard. Building her na. Making sothing of her life. He said he didn’t want to disturb her... or bring his darkness into her world again."
Quinn swallowed hard, eyes heavy.
"So... he made it clear?"
Atlas nodded once, his face calm.
"Don’t tell her anything," he said. "Not until he cos back... or until there’s truly no choice."
Quinn nodded slowly, heart sinking.
"...Okay."
Deep down, Quinn wasn’t sure how much longer he could hide the truth.
Especially from soone like Lilith.
***
"Bah! You shouldn’t believe that, Lily..." Ava said on the phone, clearly fuming.
Her voice ca through the speaker loud and fast, filled with frustration. Lilith had her phone resting beside her on the bed, speaker on, as she sat at the edge with her legs crossed, her expression calm as always.
"That girl had the nerve to steal my project idea!" Ava continued, her tone rising. "And then she had the guts to tell the manager it was hers and tried to take credit like I wouldn’t notice!"
Lilith raised an eyebrow slightly.
"But thankfully," Ava went on, still talking fast, "Nova was there. he recorded the whole thing on her phone. Every single second. I swear, my boy is an angel."
Lilith gave a small nod to herself, her voice cool. "Great."
She leaned back against the headboard, adjusting her pillow. Her eyes were half-tired, but she kept listening.
"Hey... you okay?" Ava asked gently, her voice beco softer now.
Ava could tell sothing was off. Her tone wasn’t sharp. Not cold. Just... tired.
Lilith leaned back on the bed, eyes staring at the ceiling.
"I’m fine," she replied, but even she knew her voice didn’t sound convincing.
There was silence for a few seconds on the other end before Ava spoke again.
"Lily," she said more firmly this ti, "I know you."
Her voice dropped slightly, filled with worry.
"Is the entertainnt industry just like people say? Rotten from the inside?" she asked slowly. "Is soone trying to ss with you?"
Lilith didn’t reply.
Ava kept going. "If sothing’s wrong, tell . and Nova will co get you right away—no questions. We’ll snatch you out of there like so rescue mission, I swear."
Lilith smiled slightly at the thought.
But Ava wasn’t done.
"Though... I also believe boss is strong enough to protect you," she added carefully. "Right? He won’t let anyone touch you... right?"
Lilith’s smile faded.
Her fingers slowly curled around the edge of the blanket.
"Yes," Lilith said quietly.
She spoke to Ava for a few more minutes, just enough to calm her down. She told her not to worry, said things were okay, and thanked her for always checking on her. Ava said a few more sweet things, promised to visit soon, and finally, they said goodbye.
Lilith ended the call and slowly placed the phone down on the bed.
But even after the screen went dark... she didn’t move.
There was sothing in her chest that felt heavy like a quiet storm was building inside her, pressing against her ribs.
She couldn’t explain it, but she felt it.
Sothing was wrong.
Her instincts were sharp, her senses stronger than normal people’s. And when it ca to him, her human doll, it was different and even more powerful.
Their bond wasn’t ordinary. It was like they were tied by invisible threads. Even in silence, even in distance, she could feel him.
And now? She felt... nothing.
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