SCARRED HEARTS

CHAPTER 27: BETWEEN US

The days were getting heavier, the weight of everything pressing down harder with each passing hour. Sebastian had grown more distant, though he remained ever watchful of Lila, as if her every move was under his surveillance. But no matter how close he tried to keep her, she felt the distance between them growing—an invisible wall built on unspoken words, secrets, and lies.

It was like living in a storm that had yet to fully break, the tension so thick it was suffocating. She wanted to understand, to dive deeper into the mystery that surrounded him, but every time she asked, the walls grew higher. Every time she reached out, he pulled back. And yet, despite it all, the pull between them remained undeniable.

Lila sat on the balcony, gazing out at the skyline. The city was alive beneath her, vibrant and chaotic, but it felt so far away. She could hear the distant hum of traffic, the sporadic sound of a car horn or a siren in the background, but none of it mattered. Her mind was elsewhere.

She was trying, desperately, to make sense of it all—the warnings, the threats, the danger that was so close now. But the truth was slipping through her fingers like sand.

She leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment to steady herself, trying to regain control of her racing thoughts. That's when she heard it—footsteps.

Her heart skipped. It wasn't Sebastian. She knew his footsteps too well. These were slower, quieter. Like someone was trying to sneak up on her.

Lila's eyes snapped open, her senses on high alert. But before she could react, the door behind her opened, and a figure stepped into the room. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw him—Gabriel.

The same Gabriel who had warned her to stay close to Sebastian. The same Gabriel who had refused to tell her the full truth.

His eyes locked with hers, filled with an unreadable expression. "Lila," he said, his voice low. "We need to talk. Now."

Her heart pounded. "What's going on, Gabriel? What aren't you telling me?"

Gabriel stepped forward, his face tight. "There's no time to explain fully. I'm not here to put you at risk, but the truth—everything you're trying to understand—it's more dangerous than you think."

Lila stood up, taking a step toward him. "What do you mean? Who is behind this?"

Gabriel's gaze flickered to the side, and for the briefest moment, she saw a flash of uncertainty in his eyes. "I can't tell you yet. But you're not the only one in danger. It's not just Sebastian you need to worry about anymore."

Lila's stomach twisted. "What does that mean?"

Gabriel paused, and then, in a rare moment of hesitation, his voice dropped to a whisper. "It's someone you least expect."

Before she could ask any more questions, the sharp sound of a phone vibrating in Gabriel's pocket interrupted them. He pulled it out, his face hardening as he read the message. His eyes flickered toward Lila, and the calm, controlled expression he'd worn up until now seemed to crack.

"Dammit," he muttered under his breath, as if cursing himself. "We've been found."

Lila's breath caught in her throat. "Found? What do you mean?"

Gabriel turned toward her, his face grim. "Someone just made a move. And it's worse than I thought."

He moved quickly, grabbing Lila by the arm. "We need to go. Now. There's no time to waste."

Lila didn't protest. She didn't need to ask questions. His urgency was enough to know that whatever was happening, it was happening now. She could feel the panic rising in her chest as Gabriel pulled her toward the door.

"Where are we going?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.

"To keep you safe," Gabriel replied, his grip firm as he guided her through the penthouse. "And away from the people who are closing in on us."

They reached the elevator, Gabriel hitting the button with a swift motion. The doors opened, and they stepped inside, the cool metallic air pressing in as the elevator descended.

But just as the doors were about to close, Lila froze.

A figure appeared in the hallway, emerging from the shadows like a ghost. A figure she hadn't seen in days, but whose presence was unmistakable.

Sebastian.

His eyes locked on hers, his jaw tight, but his expression was unreadable.

"Lila," he said, his voice low. "What's going on?"

Lila's heart pounded in her chest. Gabriel had stopped in his tracks, tension radiating from him. The silence in the elevator was deafening. She could feel the weight of Sebastian's gaze on her, his eyes searching, knowing that something had changed in the room.

Before she could answer, the phone in her pocket buzzed again, a sharp, alarming tone. Lila's hand instinctively went to it, but she didn't pull it out. Her gaze stayed on Sebastian, and for a brief moment, everything felt like it was hanging by a thread.

Suddenly, the elevator jolted, and the lights flickered.

A loud, bone-rattling crash came from the hallway.

Then, another.

Lila's breath caught in her throat. The air felt too thick to breathe.

"Get down!" Gabriel shouted as the elevator jerked to a sudden stop. He yanked Lila to the ground, throwing himself over her protectively. The sound of glass shattering echoed through the hallways.

Lila's heart was pounding in her chest, every instinct screaming to run, to get away from the danger that was now closing in on them.

And then, just as quickly as it had started, the noise stopped.

A deadly silence followed.

Sebastian's voice cut through the stillness, low and cold. "They're here."

And in that moment, Lila realized they weren't just facing a threat anymore. The storm had arrived—and they were caught in the eye of it.

But the worst part?

She didn't know who had just walked into their world.

The elevator door suddenly slid open. Before Lila could make sense of what was happening, her hand, still gripping the phone in her pocket, buzzed again. 

As Lila's trembling fingers pulled her phone from her pocket, the buzzing stopped, leaving her breathless for a moment. Her heart raced as her thumb slid across the screen, the glow of the phone illuminating her wide eyes in the dim elevator. The message on the screen was chilling:

"You can't hide. I'm coming for you both."

Her eyes flickered to the name at the top of the message.

Lucas.

Her breath caught, her blood running cold. The name echoed in her mind as the pieces clicked together.

Lucas.

She remembered something from a conversation she had overheard days ago—something Gabriel had said about Sebastian's family. About the man who had vanished from Sebastian's life for years, a figure in the shadows of his past. The name had only been mentioned in passing, and Lila had never asked questions. She hadn't thought much of it until now.

Sebastian's half-brother. Lucas.

Lila's mind reeled. The weight of the realization hit her like a tidal wave. The man they were all running from—the one who had orchestrated everything—was not some distant threat. He was family.

Sebastian's family.

Her gaze snapped to Sebastian, who was standing frozen, pale as a ghost. His eyes met hers, and for the first time, she saw a flash of vulnerability, a fear he had kept hidden. The truth was clear now. This wasn't just any stranger after them. This was personal.

"Lucas," she whispered, the name tasting foreign in her mouth.

Sebastian's jaw clenched. He didn't need to say a word. The terror in his eyes was enough to confirm everything.