Strangers To Lovers

Chapter Fifty-Five

My mother was standing at the door at midnight, her eyebrows shooting up as I walked up the stairs to Isabelle’s home. Her sharp eyes scanned me from head to toe as if she could sense the tension pulsing through my veins. "Where would I go?" I said, not caring about the snark in my voice. I pushed past her without waiting for a response, the scent of her perfume following me into the house like a suffocating fog.

"You came back." Her voice followed me like a viper’s hiss.

"I wasn’t supposed to?" I shot back, not turning to look at her, already regretting stepping foot back in here.

"I thought you’d try to run away," she said casually, as though the words didn’t cut like knives.

My chest tightened. "Do I have to stay here tonight?" I asked, hoping she'd catch the desperation in my voice, but knowing she wouldn't care. She trailed behind me, her heels clicking loudly in the quiet of the house. Every step echoed, each one reminding me of the control she still held over me.

"Why wouldn’t you want to spend the night with your soon-to-be wife?" She stepped closer, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. Her nails clicked against the banister, a subtle reminder of the claws she had sunk into everything I cared about.

I stopped abruptly, turning to face her. "I don’t feel safe in other people’s homes," I said through gritted teeth. "And let’s be real—if I trusted you, none of this would be happening."

Her face remained stone cold, but the slight twitch of her lips told me she didn’t like my honesty. "Luke, dear," she began, "you think this is about trust?" She let out a soft, almost pitying laugh. "This is about control. You don’t seem to realize that."

I could feel the blood boiling beneath my skin. "Control? Over what? My life?" I threw my hands up in frustration. "You’ve already got that! What more could you possibly want?"

She stepped forward, her presence looming like a dark cloud over me. "What more could I want?" she repeated, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "I want to know you understand your place. That you’re not stupid enough to cross me."

I could feel my pulse quickening, the walls of the hallway closing in on me. "I’m not your puppet," I said, each word sharper than the last. "You don’t get to dictate my life."

Her eyes glinted in the dim light, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, but there was no humor in it—only danger. "Oh, Luke... You’ve always been so naive." She tilted her head slightly, assessing me like a predator might assess its prey. "Do you really think you’re strong enough to escape this?"

I clenched my jaw, refusing to back down. "I’ll find a way," I spat. "I always do."

"Is that what you think?" she sneered, stepping even closer, her face inches from mine. "Do you think you’re some kind of hero? That you can just waltz in and out of this family’s legacy as you please?" Her voice was venomous, and her breath, hot against my skin, made my stomach churn.

"I don’t want any part of this legacy," I snapped. "I don’t want any part of you."

Her smile widened, a twisted mockery of maternal love. "That’s where you’re wrong, Luke." She tapped her manicured finger against my chest. "You’re already in it. There’s no turning back now."

I could feel my resolve crumbling, but I refused to let her see me break. "I’m walking away," I muttered, turning sharply toward the door.

"Walk away, then," she called after me, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction. "But don’t expect to come crawling back when everything falls apart. Don’t think I’ll save you when your world crashes down around you."

I stopped dead in my tracks, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air. "What are you talking about?" I turned slowly, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

She stepped forward, her smile gone, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. "You really think you’re safe, don’t you?" she whispered. "You think you’re free. But you’re wrong. I still own you."

My blood ran cold as the realization hit me like a freight train. "What did you do?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her smile returned, this time more sinister than ever. "Do you really think Troy got out of jail by sheer luck?" she asked, tilting her head mockingly. "Do you really think that was all by chance?"

My heart skipped a beat. "What did you do?"

"I made sure he was released," she said with a casual shrug, as if she were discussing the weather. "And I can just as easily make sure he goes back."

"You... what?" My voice trembled as the truth began to sink in.

"Levi may have been the scapegoat, but I can always change that," she continued, her voice dripping with malice. "I can put Troy back in that cell if you step out of line. I can ruin Levi’s career with a snap of my fingers."

I could barely breathe, my chest tight with panic. "Why?" I croaked. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because," she said, her eyes narrowing, "I will not let you or anyone else destroy what I’ve built. You will fall in line, Luke. Or I will destroy everything you care about."

I staggered back, my heart pounding. "You’re insane," I whispered.

Her laughter echoed through the hallway, cold and hollow. "No, Luke. I’m just doing what needs to be done. Something you’ll never understand."

I wanted to scream, to yell, to hit something, but I knew it wouldn’t change anything. She had me trapped, and she knew it.

I turned and bolted for the door, my mind racing. I needed to get out. I needed to find Ella, to get away from this nightmare.

As I pushed open the front door, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, my hands shaking, and saw a message from Ella.

Everything’s going to be okay, Luke. Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out together.

A tear slipped down my cheek as I read the message over and over again. How did she always know exactly what to say? How did she manage to be my anchor in the storm?

I’m coming for you, I texted back, my fingers trembling as I typed. This ends now