SCARRED HEARTS

CHAPTER 26: DEPHTS

The following days were a blur of quiet tension and unanswered questions. Sebastian had never been one to openly share his emotions, and now that the threat had become real, he shut down even further. His usual presence in the penthouse was replaced by moments of distant, contemplative silence. He remained protective, hovering over her like a shadow, but the divide between them grew ever wider. The warning had shaken him more than he let on, and Lila could sense the deeper cracks in his resolve.

But Lila wasn't backing down. Despite the looming threats and the uncertainty of everything that surrounded them, her resolve only hardened. She refused to let fear dictate her actions. The man who had confronted her on the street had warned her to stay away, but now that she had seen the darkness that followed Sebastian, there was no turning back.

Sebastian had gone out again that morning, leaving her to her own devices in the penthouse. But instead of hiding away, Lila decided it was time to take control of the situation. She had come too far to be scared off by shadowy figures and cryptic warnings.

Determined, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number she had never thought she would call—Sebastian's trusted associate, Gabriel. He had been with Sebastian for years, and while he always kept a low profile, Lila knew that if there were answers to be found, Gabriel would have them.

"Lila?" Gabriel's voice answered, warm but cautious. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to know more about what's going on," she said, trying to sound confident, despite the weight on her chest. "There's something I don't understand about all of this. I need you to tell me what Sebastian isn't."

Gabriel was silent for a moment before answering, his voice quieter. "You know, Lila, you've already stepped deeper into this world than I thought you ever would. But if you're asking for answers, you're going to need to be prepared for the truth. I'll tell you what I know, but you may not like what you hear."

Lila's breath caught in her throat. "Just tell me," she urged, her voice determined.

There was another pause, and then Gabriel spoke again, this time with a weight that made Lila's stomach churn. "There are things, Lila, things from Sebastian's past that he's never shared. People he's hurt. Deals he's made that have cost him more than he's willing to admit. And there's someone in his past, someone who isn't just an enemy. They're a part of this—someone very close to him."

Lila's heart pounded in her chest as the words sank in. "Close to him?" she echoed. "Who are you talking about?"

Gabriel hesitated again, and Lila could practically hear the hesitation in his voice. "I can't say. Not yet. But I'll tell you this: you're not the only one in danger. There's someone else. Someone who has been watching both of you, waiting for the right moment."

The line went quiet for a long moment before Gabriel continued, his tone softer but firm. "Just stay close to Sebastian. Whatever you do, don't let him push you away. If you want to survive this, you need to be there for him—no matter what."

The line clicked off, leaving Lila with more questions than answers. She stood there, holding the phone in her hand, trying to process Gabriel's cryptic words. What had Sebastian done? Who was the person he had hurt? And why had Gabriel refused to give her a name?

Before she could think too much about it, the front door clicked open, and Sebastian's familiar voice filtered into the penthouse.

"Lila?" he called softly, as he stepped into the room. His gaze immediately swept over her, taking in her tense posture, the phone still gripped in her hand. "What's going on?"

Lila quickly tucked her phone into her pocket, forcing herself to seem casual, even though her mind was racing. "Nothing. Just trying to get a little more information, you know?"

Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly, his sharp instincts picking up on her discomfort. He walked closer to her, his gaze intense. "What did you learn?"

She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. She knew he wasn't going to like it, but she couldn't stay in the dark any longer. "There's more to this, isn't there? Gabriel said there's someone... someone from your past, someone dangerous."

Sebastian's face darkened immediately, his jaw clenched as he reached for her hand. "Lila, I told you not to get involved in this. You don't know what you're asking for."

But Lila refused to back down, meeting his eyes with determination. "I'm already involved, Sebastian. You don't get to make that decision for me. Not anymore."

He let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair, but when he looked at her again, there was something different in his gaze—something softer, maybe even a little broken. "You don't understand, Lila. The person I've been running from... it's someone I never thought would be a threat to you."

Lila's heart skipped a beat. "Who is it? Tell me."

But Sebastian shook his head, stepping back, his face hardening once again. "Not yet. I'm not ready for you to know. And you're not ready to hear it."

Lila's chest tightened as she realized that despite everything, Sebastian was still holding back. But she wasn't going to give up now.

"I don't need you to protect me from the truth, Sebastian. I'm stronger than you think."

Sebastian's eyes softened for a brief moment, but then he turned away, his expression unreadable. "The truth will only hurt you, Lila. I can't let that happen."

Her pulse quickened at his words, but she wasn't ready to give in.