Page 110 of Crown of Lies

I don’t wait for a response, practically running up the stairs. Once in my room, I close the door and sit down on my bed, finally letting out the shaky breath I’ve been holding.

The weight of everything crashes down on me, and I feel my shoulders slump. For a moment, I allow myself to feel completely overwhelmed.

My chest tightens, and I struggle to breathe. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I’ve always prided myself on being strong, on handling whatever life throws at me. But this? This feels like more than I can bear.

I know that’s not true though. I just finished promising myself I wouldn’t let it break me, and I won’t. Even the strongest people need a minute to get their shit together sometimes.

The door creaks open, and I quickly try to compose myself. Nico steps in, his eyes full of concern.

“I thought I said I needed to be alone,” I snap, sounding harsher than I intend.

He gives me a look that says he understands but also isn’t bothered by my stand-offish attitude. “Yeah, I know. But I’ve been where you are. I know it’s a shitty place to be.”

I raise an eyebrow, skeptical.

Nico sighs and sits beside me on the bed. “When I was growing up, after my mom died, my dad… he was lost. In gambling, in grief, in his own selfish world. I got used to dealing with everything on my own. Never bothered sharing anything with him because I knew he wouldn’t care or be able to help.”

His words hit close to home, and I feel a lump forming in my throat.

“But you know what?” Nico continues, his voice soft. “I don’t have to do that anymore. And neither do you.”

I stare back at Nico for a moment, my old instincts screaming at me to put up walls, to push him out, to keep him from seeing any of my vulnerabilities. It’s what I’ve always done. It’s how I’ve survived. But as I look into his eyes, filled with genuine concern and understanding, I feel something inside me start to crumble.

I let out a shaky breath, pushing past those old self-preservation instincts.

“I just… I don’t understand how this is possible,” I say. “My father raised me to be part of his world. He tried to protect me, sure, but he never hid who he was or what he did from me. At least, I didn’t think so.”

Nico’s hand finds mine, offering silent support as I continue.

“But now? I don’t know what to think anymore. I’m doubting everything. Did he really trust me? Did he love me like I thought he did?” The words tumble out, each one more painful than the last. “He let this secret die with him, Nico. He set me up to be targeted. Why would he do that?”

I stand up abruptly, pacing the room as frustration and hurt bubble up inside me. “He could’ve told me all of this. I wouldn’t have been in the dark, searching for answers while someone manipulated and stalked me from the shadows. It doesn’t make sense!”

My voice cracks on the last word, and I stop pacing, wrapping my arms around myself. “I thought I knew him. I thought we were close. But now? It feels like I didn’t know him at all.”

Nico stands up, moving towards me slowly, like he’s afraid I might bolt. “Quinn, I’m sure your father had his reasons-”

“What reasons could possibly justify this?” I interrupt, anger flaring. “What reason could he have for leaving me vulnerable and unprepared?”

I turn away from Nico, staring out the window. The world outside looks so normal, so unchanged. It’s a stark contrast to how I feel inside—like my entire world has been turned upside down.

“I just… I don’t know how to reconcile the father I knew with the man who would keep something like this from me,” I admit softly. “It feels like betrayal. And I don’t know how to deal with that.”

I turn back to Nico, his words about his own father echoing in my mind. A sudden, terrible thought strikes me, and I feel my stomach drop.

“Was my dad… was he any different from yours in the end?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “Did he just not care enough to tell me?”

The possibility tears at my heart, leaving a raw, aching wound. I’ve always believed my father loved me, that he cared deeply about my well-being. But now, faced with this hidden truth, doubt creeps in like a poison.

“I mean, he left me in the dark about all of this,” I continue, my voice growing thick with emotion. “He had to know how dangerous it was, right? How could he just… not warn me?”

I feel a lump forming in my throat, and my eyes are starting to burn. I blink rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay. I don’t want to cry, but the pain is intense. It’s a lot to fucking deal with.

“What if he didn’t trust me? What if he thought I couldn’t handle it?” The words tumble out, each one more painful than the last. “Or worse, what if he just didn’t care enough to bother?”

I wrap my arms around myself, feeling suddenly cold despite the warmth of the room. The thought that my father might not have cared as much as I believed is like a physical blow, leaving me breathless and shaken.

“I just… I don’t understand,” I say, my voice cracking. “If he really loved me, how could he leave me so unprepared? How could he put me in danger like this?”

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