Signed in Blood: The Price of Secrets

Pt~6 A Casket

LILITH'S POV

Everyone sat around the table, the air thick with tension—curious, bewildered, shocked, and above all, awkward. So incredibly awkward. The club was still pounding with music, but in our little bubble, it felt like the sound had been sucked out of the room. For the first time, I saw Ronan short of breath, sweat beading on his forehead.

Since we had laid Caleb back in the car, Ronan had been lost in thought, stealing glances at Adrian, who seemed to be having an entire conversation with him through sheer eye contact. Noah, on the other hand, was staring at the floor like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"I need to know these guys a hell of a lot better," I thought to myself.

RONAN'S POV

Damn, I'm making a fool of myself. This is beyond embarrassing. The weight of everything I wanted to say was crushing me. I could feel Adrian silently warning me to shut up while the others stared, waiting. Lilith didn't even know what was coming.

"I'm only saying this because Caleb isn't here," I finally admitted. "Mira's case was closed by my parents. They were the ones who had the house set on fire that night."

A single tear escaped down my cheek.

Silence. Mouths hung open.

"Could've been a bit less... direct," Adrian muttered, leaning back with clenched jaws.

"What...?" Lilith's voice barely registered. "Holy shit." Her eyes widened in realization. "You knew, Adrian?"

Adrian ignored her, unable to form words.

Ronan continued, his voice hollow. "Nicolai—one of our own—works for my mother as her assistant director. Being close to her, he found out about the plan. My parents plotted for years to kill my sister—burn her so thoroughly that even her remains wouldn't be found."

A heavy breath.

"Nicolai tried to clean up the mess, to keep me from getting caught in it. He forced me to leave the country, predicting my parents would dump the entire company on me. I didn't believe it at first, but guess what? It happened."

He laughed. A bitter, hollow sound.

"You wanted to pursue music," Lilith said, her voice measured as she stared into Ronan's dead eyes. "So they got rid of the real talent—Mira."

Noah blinked. "Wait, how do you know he studied music?"

"I had my brother dig into him. Rumors."

"I used to be the perfect son. The 'good guy,'" Ronan mused, shaking his head. "Then I found out my sister wasn't just dead—she was murdered. And I wasn't allowed to attend her funeral. So I did everything my conservative, sexist, piece-of-shit parents despised. Tattoos, drugs, alcohol. Anything to drown out the reality."

His face was devoid of emotion. The only thing left was regret.

"I visited her grave after a whole fucking month. New Year's Day brought me a belated gift—ruining my third month of grieving. That entire month? A blur of substances and self-destruction."

He chuckled, but there was no joy in it.

"Two days after Mira's death, I met someone. A guy who got me through that first month. He inked my skin, made me feel seen—stayed by my side without judgment. He reminded me of you guys."

Adrian's lips twitched into a rare, brief smile, his eyes glistening.

"Did you know about this?" Lilith asked Adrian.

He shook his head. "No."

Ronan exhaled. "Then he left. Like everyone else. My parents? Dead to me. My sister? Burned alive. My friends? Scattered. Caleb? Things will never be the same. Nicolai? Can't even contact me directly, thanks to 'Mom.' After visiting Mira, I spent a year and a half hiding in South Australia. When the media frenzy died down, Dad found me. And here I am."

They all let the weight of his words settle, drowning the bitterness with shots of alcohol.

"No wonder Cross didn't pass my vibe check," Lilith muttered to Noah, who nodded before frowning. "Why are you telling her all this?" he asked Ronan.

"Yeah," Adrian added. "Last I checked, you were a complete dick to Lilith."

Lilith elbowed Adrian. "First of all, it's Miss Hawthorne to you. Second, don't mess up my job."

Ronan smirked. "Your background connects to this case."

Lilith stiffened. "What? No way. You must be mistaken."

"Your dad was the officer in charge of my sister's case," Ronan said. "I found out that he—"

Lilith's face turned red. "Were you stalking me?"

Adrian's eyes widened in horror. He turned to Ronan and silently mouthed, You're dead.

"I got your file by mistake today," Ronan replied, unfazed. "That's where I read it. And by the way, you snooped on me too. You know more about me than these guys."

Lilith huffed. "What do you want from me?"

"I need information on the case. Clues. Your father was removed from the investigation thanks to my father's political connections. I want to reopen it. Maybe he can help—off the record. Your brother can take the case, or I'll hire a lawyer."

Lilith exhaled sharply. "I'll have to ask my dad first. He's retired. And I'm not letting this destroy my family—or my career. I've spent half my life surviving by one principle: Earn money. Trust no one. I'm still here, aren't I?"

Ronan swirled the liquid in his glass before setting it down. "You didn't die. But you never really lived, either."

Lilith flinched.

"We're in the same place," Ronan said, almost to himself. "We just need to understand one thing: trust."

Adrian smirked. "There's the Ronan I know."

Ronan stood, adjusting his jacket. "If you won't help willingly, I have ways to persuade you." He waved lazily before walking off.

Adrian shook his head with a chuckle while Lilith stared, trying to decipher his final words.

"I'm not telling Caleb," Noah muttered. "I don't have the guts."

Lilith sighed, taking back her car keys. "I need to get Caleb home. And I need to figure out how to keep Ronan from dragging me into his mess."

Adrian leaned forward. "So, what do you think of him now?"

The others perked up, eager for her answer.

Lilith exhaled, a bitter smile playing on her lips. "He's been through hell, but he's still optimistic. I lost everything and tried to fight back—only to become a pessimist who doesn't even bother trying anymore. We're different, yet the same. But one thing's for sure..."

She grabbed her coat, turning to leave. "We are not going to get along."

And with that, she was gone.