Page 128 of The Obedient Lie
We sacrificed.
But I wasn’t thinking about marriage pacts or legacy mergers or who my family expected me to sit beside at the next gala.
I was thinking about Luca’s mouth.
Bastion’s voice.
And the way they touched me like I already belonged to them.
I stepped inside slowly, the door clicking behind me louder than I meant.
I didn’t see them at first—not right away.
Just the soft edge of Luca’s shadow by the window, Bastion sitting on the couch with his elbows on his knees, head dropped into his hands.
Neither of them looked up.
Not even when I walked farther in.
God, not today.
I’d held it together all afternoon—smiled when I was meant to, nodded when I had to, swallowed every crack in my chest and played the part.
The good daughter.
The perfect dynasty pawn.
And now this.
This coldness.
This silence.
I thought maybe they were angry.
Maybe they regretted everything—the night we blurred lines, the day we shared something too soft, too real.
Maybe they’d spoken about it.
Decided it wasn’t worth the mess.
MaybeIwas the mess.
I dropped my bag by the table and cleared my throat softly. “Hey.”
Luca’s head turned just slightly.
Bastion didn’t move.
“Rough day?” Luca asked.
The question was gentle.Toogentle.
It made my ribs feel too small for my lungs.
I swallowed hard and nodded, trying to smile. “Just tired.”
Still, the silence stretched.
