Ray gasped as he opened his eyes, chest heaving. He was no longer on the cold stone floor, he was back in bed, wrapped in warm blankets, the soft sll of Lilith’s perfu calming the storm inside him.
"Hey, hey... don’t cry." Lilith’s voice was low, gentle. She was so close, her forehead nearly touching his, her thumb brushing away the tears that clung to his lashes. "It was just a nightmare, Ray... you’re safe. You’re with ."
He wanted to speak but all he could do was cling to her wrist with trembling fingers, trying to ground himself in her warmth...
"It’s just a nightmare..." Lilith whispered softly, brushing Ray’s hair back from his forehead. He looked at her with those tired, watery eyes and gave her a small, trusting smile as she stroked his head until he fell asleep again like a child in her arms.
Lilith stayed awake for a few monts, frowning slightly.
She pressed her lips to Ray’s forehead one last ti before sighing and curling back into the blankets. Her eyes drifted shut again.
*
*
*
The next morning was quiet. Lilith didn’t feel like going out. Neither did Ray..he was curled up on the sofa, flipping through so book Rose had left lying around before she went off to school. The house felt still and warm, the winter sunlight slipping through the curtains just enough to keep it cozy.
Lilith sat at the table with her laptop open, checking the latest updates for ESE. She felt a spark of pride seeing the responses–more investors showing interest, students sharing clips of their testing. It made her lips curl into a small, satisfied smile.
Once she finished, her eyes drifted to another open tab. The familiar dark logo stared back at her: Devil’s Play. Once, the thrill of running it made her feel alive. Now, it just looked like another web of secrets she was too bored to care about today.
She sighed and pushed back her chair, heading to the washroom. The tab was still open on the screen, the admin page blinking softly like it was waiting for her command.
Not long after, Gray took over. He’d been pacing in the back of his mind, needing to talk to Lilith about sothing serious. But when he stepped out, she wasn’t there — only the laptop sat open on the table.
Gray moved closer, his brows furrowing when he saw the website. That na... Devils Play
Asher website!
His gaze beca aningful, deeper than his usual calm.
When Lilith stepped out of the bathroom, towel in her hands, she paused at the sight of Gray standing there by the window. He looked so stiff — hands fisted by his sides, shoulders tense, eyes locked on her like he was bracing himself for sothing.
"What’s wrong?" Lilith asked, her voice light but her brow furrowed as she walked toward him. The late afternoon light fell across his face, making the shadows under his eyes look darker than usual.
Gray turned to her fully, his jaw tightening before he spoke. "Lili... I want to say sothing to you — I’ve been wanting to say it for months." His voice wavered, like it hurt to push the words out, but his eyes didn’t leave hers.
Lilith blinked at him, brows raised, her towel now forgotten in her hands. "What?" she asked casually, though her heart gave a tiny squeeze at the look on his face. She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed She tilted her head up at him, waiting.
Gray took a small, shaky breath, like he had to steady his whole soul to speak. "Your brothers... I’ve t them."
*****
Kai had finally stopped stalking Lilith. He lost interest anyway she never even looked at him properly, never gave him a single glance that he could hold onto. He realized she was too untouchable for soone like him to even try and disturb her.
Besides, he was too busy now. The old man in his family had been trying to join hands with the Brook family, hoping to expand their hold. But that turned out to be bad news. The Brook group looked shiny on the outside, but inside they were already hollow. Their fake deals and empty promises ended up dragging Blake’s investnt down badly, a heavy loss no one saw coming.
Kai didn’t even care enough to argue with the old man. He knew the mont he looked at the contracts — all fake glamour, no real substance. He dropped the papers and walked away without another word. Let them bla each other.
He booked a ticket and flew back abroad without a second thought. His mind was only on one thing — his best friend.
No one knew this about him. All these years, he pretended to be a playboy, always surrounded by won, parties, careless fun. But it was just that– a mask to hide what he couldn’t face.
Because the truth was, Kai had always been in love. Deeply. Stupidly. Painfully in love with the one person he thought he shouldn’t love. His best friend.
Years ago, that friend had confessed to him. He had laughed it off, pretended he was straight, told him he wasn’t into n — not realizing back then how much it hurt him. Not realizing how much he’d regret those words.
It was only after he left that city, surrounded himself with empty people and fake parties, that he finally saw the truth. He was always looking for him in other faces, other smiles, other hands.
And now, when he got the call that his best friend was in an accident, he didn’t waste a second. He left Blake, the old man, the broken deals — all of it. Nothing else mattered.
He knew the mont he saw him again, unconscious on that hospital bed, that he’d never let him go again.
So Kai turned his back on the city, the dirty money, the fake won, the drama. He didn’t care about Lilith anymore — maybe he never really did. She was just a distraction, an unreachable spark that made him feel alive for a while.
But real love? That was waiting for him in that hospital room. That was worth everything.
So this ti, Kai promised himself, he wouldn’t run away. He’d stay by his side — even if the whole world burned down.
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