Twisted Paradise

Chapter 17

Lily barged into the penthouse, the sleek obsidian door ricocheting off the wall. Maybe her bloody hands left an imprint on the door but the dark colour made it hard to distinguish.

Just like the bleeding wound deep inside her battered and bruised heart.

How come she was so shaken up?

Wasn't she already used to betrayal by now? Didn't she disillusion herself long ago with fairy tales where people were sincere and true?

So why the hell was she so shaken up?

She found Selene in the living room, for once, not curled up delicately on the sofa while reading a book. Rather, pacing on the floor like nothing short of wearing a hole to it would calm her down.

Her body stiffened as she detected her presence.

As Selene swiftly turned to face her, Lily thought her eyes looked frostier than usual but more brittle, as if the ice would crack by the slightest bit of force, intentional or otherwise.

"So she finally remembers to come back." If Lily didn't know Selene better she would think there was a biting edge to her tone. But Selene wouldn't be that upset over this.

If Lily died, wouldn't it only free her from debt?

"How did you know?" Lily asked, referring to the millions of text messages warning her against the upcoming intruders.

"How did you not see my texts?"

"Iclyn," she said, her voice taking on an almost desperate tone.

It must be rare to see her in such a pathetic state, for Selene - stubborn, unmoving Selene - gave way. "I had a bad feeling the moment you left. So I hacked into the cameras inside the Giovanni mansion... guess who I saw lazily reclining on the armchair as if he owned the place."

Selene looked away from her, slim fingers toying with her platinum locks and continued, "I don't know why I did not get anything when I hacked in before. How could I not find out his involvement with Santano..."

"It was all done it paper. There was nothing you could've done," Lily interrupted before Selene could go down a path of self-doubt. Selene had always been pretty proud of her particular skill so this was a huge blow.

Sharp, cold eyes locked in with hers immediately. "And you know that because...?"

Lily sighed. "You asked me about the texts. Well, I didn't realise my phone was in silent mode."

Selene's round blue eyes widened a negligible amount but to those who knew her, that slight widening was a milestone reached. "You met him there? You met Blaise Roosevelt with your hands dripping with the blood of his subordinate?"

With her huge icy eyes and puffed squishy cheeks, Selene at the moment looked like a cuddly doll anyone would want to squeeze. Her tiny clenched fists only added to that effect.

But Lily couldn't feel anything beyond the uncomfortable churning in the pit of her stomach.

Why was Selene getting so worked up? Why wasn't she calmly reading her novels, as usual, and scolding her with disdain in her cold blue eyes?

Why did she change?

Why did everyone in her life change these days?

But perhaps Selene was only worried because she herself might become collateral if Blaise decided to come for Ruby Wraith, now that he knew who she was.

Surely, the reason behind her getting so worked up was due to deep-seated instincts of self-preservation.

That made more sense.