Alexander turned the phone over in his hand and finally spoke in a quiet, unreadable tone.
"So," he said, his voice low and steady, "You told her you loved her."
Quinn blinked. "W-well, yes. I an—not obviously, sir! I only said what I thought you would say, so she wouldn’t worry. You told not to tell her the truth, rember?"
Alexander’s gaze didn’t move from his face.
"And you thought writing things I never said was helping?"
"I... I-I thought it would comfort her. I thought you’d appreciate it later. She was asking questions—if I hadn’t said sothing—"
"You thought pretending to be was a smart idea?" Alexander interrupted, not raising his voice, but the dangerous silence between his words carried the weight of a gun being loaded.
The air in the hospital room turned cold.
Quinn’s breath hitched. "I—I only ant—"
"You should have said nothing," Alexander said, his tone like steel, "You should have trusted her instincts. Instead, you gave her false hope. You made her wait for soone who was gone. For a man she didn’t even know was in a coma."
"Sorry, sir," Quinn said, his voice trembling.
Alexander glared at him before turning back to his screen.
Alexander typed Lilith Parker into the search bar. A row of headlines popped up imdiately—so bold, so dramatic, so dripping with sensationalism.
"Newcor Actress Lilith Parker and Veteran Star KK Attacked at Promotional Event—Shots Fired, Chaos Ensued."
A photo followed beneath the headline. It was of Lilith in that glittery dark dress, standing in front of the venue, one arm slightly extended as if she had just pushed soone aside.
His grip on the phone tightened.
Another photo loaded: Lilith shielding Krystal, her face partly turned, but her eyes clear—sharp, protective.
Quinn saw the vein on his boss’s temple twitch.
Alexander didn’t speak for several seconds. But the silence was far worse than shouting.
"Sir..." Quinn finally said, voice hesitant, "No one was hurt... Miss Lilith took KK to the hospital. It was just... shock. The bullet missed. She’s safe. I made sure to monitor everything closely—"
Alexander still didn’t look at him. His eyes remained locked on the screen, scrolling. One article speculated the attack was ant for KK. Another suggested it was Lilith, due to her rising fa and the unknown background she ca from. So headlines were absurd, but the images were real.
"Quinn."
"Y-yes, sir?"
Alexander finally turned, his eyes cold but awake—completely awake.
"Tell Atlas to prepare everything. I’m returning to the company by the end of the week."
Quinn blinked. "But sir, your health—"
"My health?" Alexander scoffed. "She was nearly shot in public, and you’re worried about my health?"
He took one last look at Lilith’s photo on the screen.
"She didn’t deserve any of this."
Quinn was quiet.
"Also..." Alexander added, a hint of steel returning to his voice, "I want a full report. Who planned that event, who was in charge of security, who failed her. Every detail. Nothing missing."
"Yes, sir..." Quinn nodded quickly.
****
Krystal’s apartnt was bright, modern, and full of subtle elegance. The walls were painted in soft whites and greys, and sunlight poured in through large glass windows that gave a perfect view of the city skyline.
Every corner was tastefully decorated—minimalist but warm, with cozy throws over the couch, books neatly stacked on floating shelves, and a faint scent of lavender in the air from a diffuser on the side table.
She led Lilith into the bedroom. It was just as beautiful—spacious, with a soft beige bedspread, a round mirror near the window, and long curtains that swayed gently in the breeze.
Without saying anything, Krystal walked toward the chest, opened it gently, and reached inside. From the very bottom, she pulled out a small envelope, slightly yellowed from age but neatly preserved. A little heart-shaped sticker sealed the flap—faded pink but still intact.
She turned and handed it to Lilith.
"Here," Krystal said quietly.
Lilith took it carefully, her fingers brushing the soft paper. "Thank you," she said, her voice calm.
She gave Krystal a faint smile and then walked with her to the living room.
They sat down on the soft ivory couch, a round glass table in front of them. The room was still, as if even the air was waiting.
Lilith stared at the envelope. Her fingers hovered over the heart sticker before she slowly peeled it off. She unfolded the letter with care, and the handwriting appeared before her—small, slightly shaky, but filled with emotion.
It was her mother’s.
And the first line caught her breath:
[ To my Lil’ Bug, my sweet Lee Lee,
If you are reading this... then your mama is no longer in this world. But my love—my love is still wrapped around you like a soft blanket, even if you can’t see anymore.
I want you to know, from the deepest part of my heart, that being your mother was the most beautiful thing I ever experienced. You were my sunshine, my softest morning, my reason to keep breathing even when life hurt too much. I’ve made a whole photo album for you, filled with mories of our short ti together—please look at them and rember, mama was happiest when you were in her arms.
I always hoped you would grow into a strong, beautiful young lady with fire in your heart and grace in your steps. And I believe you did.
But there are truths I never got the chance to tell you while I was alive. Truths I buried deep because they were painful.
When I was in college, I fell in love for the first ti. He was charming, mysterious, and no one knew back then that he was the heir of a powerful royal family. Not even I. I didn’t fall in love with his wealth or his na—I fell for the way he made feel. I gave him all of , thinking we were ant to last.
And from that love... you ca into this world.
—To be continued...
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