Lilah couldn’t believe her parents were doing this. Forced to share a meal, not just with her childhood enemy Ethan Montgomery, but with his entire family? It was too much to take. Even as she sat stiffly at the long dining table reserved for their very special joint dinner, her insides were tightly wound with dread.
The memories of what Lilah and Ethan had gone through in their childhood had never fully left her. Every time they laid eyes on each other, the past came roaring back to the surface. It had been a toxic relationship – full of rivalry and spite – that had left them both feeling betrayed and broken.
Yet here they were, reconciled and begrudgingly sharing a meal in a forced show of respect. On the surface, it was a very civilized affair. But diving deeper, the bubbling resentment between the two of them never fully went away.
Lilah was also trying her best not to give away how much her parents’ alcoholism had taken its toll on her. She had been struggling with an eating disorder for a long time, and the atmosphere of fear and distrust that pervaded inside the household further fuelled her anxiety and depression. She wanted to disclose her struggles to her old enemy, but the unavoidable tension between them prevented her from doing that.
On top of it all, she had a dark secret she’d never told anyone. A few months ago, she had gone out on a particularly reckless mission and killed 10 bad guys. Though it had been for the greater good, Lilah wasn’t the same since she’d made that decision. With guilt and shock still lingering in her heart, she knew she could never fully regain the innocence she’d once had.
Though it pained lilah to the core, she knew she could never reveal her secret to anyone – especially not to her parents or Ethan Montgomery. Even as the dinner trudged along, conversation was forced and every gaze was measured. In the end, Lilah felt utterly exposed and completely unsafe – both psychologically and physically.
When the night was over, lilah collapsed into bed, exhausted but still traumatized.
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A web of deception
RomanceIn the quiet town of Thurmont, a gripping tale of intrigue and forbidden love unfolds. "A Web of Deception" delves into the captivating life of Lilah Harper, a young girl who finds herself entangled in a dangerous game of secrets and emotions. Lilah...
