The knock on my door was soft, almost hesitant. I wasn’t expecting anyone, and after everything that had happened, I wasn’t exactly eager to open it. But the sight through the peephole surprised me.
It was Aiden, standing there with a bag of groceries in one hand and a nervous look on his face.
With a sigh, I unlocked the door and opened it. “What are you doing here, Aiden?”
He gave me a lopsided smile, holding up the bag. “I figured you probably haven’t eaten much. You look like you’re about to pass out. So, I brought some things.”
I crossed my arms, skeptical. “Groceries? Really?”
“Yeah,” he said, stepping past me into the apartment without waiting for an invitation. “You know, bread, milk, chocolate… the essentials.”
I closed the door, watching as he set the bag down on the counter and started unloading it. For a moment, I didn’t say anything. It was strange to see him here, acting almost… normal.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I said finally, leaning against the counter.
“I know,” he replied, glancing up at me. “But I wanted to. You’ve been through a lot, Lila. The least I can do is make sure you’re not starving.”
I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. “You’re full of surprises, Aiden.”
He grinned, but the lightheartedness faded quickly as he studied me. “You look like you haven’t slept in days. Are you okay?”
I hesitated, debating whether or not to tell him. But the weight of the secret was too much to carry alone.
“Aiden,” I said softly, “I found something out… about my parents.”
His brow furrowed, and he set down the loaf of bread he was holding. “What do you mean?”
“They’re not my real parents,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
For a moment, Aiden just stared at me, his mouth opening and closing as if he didn’t know what to say. Finally, he managed, “Are you sure?”
I nodded, my throat tightening. “I found a photo. And… there was a note. It said I was taken. That they lied to me.”
“Lila…” he said, his voice filled with shock. “I don’t even know what to say.”
I sank into a chair, burying my face in my hands. “How could this happen, Aiden? How could they keep something like this from me?”
He sat down across from me, his expression troubled. “I… I don’t know. But Lila, if Victor is involved—”
My head snapped up. “What do you mean?”
Aiden hesitated, looking uncomfortable. “There’s something I haven’t told you. Something about Victor.”
I stared at him, my heart pounding. “What is it?”
He ran a hand through his hair, avoiding my gaze. “Before we were born, Victor was… involved in some pretty dark stuff. There were rumors that he was part of a cult.”
“A cult?” I repeated, my voice rising.
Aiden nodded. “It wasn’t just any cult. It was one that did horrible things. Kidnappings, rituals… They believed in ‘purifying bloodlines’ or some crap like that. I thought he left it all behind before we were born, but now…”
“But now you think he’s still involved,” I finished, my stomach twisting.
Aiden’s jaw tightened. “I don’t want to believe it, but it’s starting to make sense. The way he controls everything, the secrets, the way he’s obsessed with you… It all lines up.”
I shook my head, trying to process what he was saying. “So, what? You think I was one of the babies they kidnapped?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But if Victor’s behind this, you need to be careful. He doesn’t do anything without a reason.”
I leaned back in the chair, my mind racing. Aiden’s words had only added more questions to the pile, and I didn’t know where to start looking for answers.
That night, as I lay in bed, the weight of everything pressed down on me. The truth about my parents, Victor’s connection to the cult, the constant threats—it was too much.
I closed my eyes, hoping for a moment of peace, but sleep didn’t bring me any comfort.
Instead, it brought a nightmare.
In the dream, I was standing in a dark room, the air heavy and suffocating. Grayson was there, his face pale and his eyes cold as he stepped closer to me.
“Grayson?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
But he didn’t respond. He just kept walking toward me, his expression blank.
When he was close enough, his hands shot out, wrapping around my throat.
I gasped, clawing at his hands as he squeezed tighter, his grip unrelenting.
“You shouldn’t have dug so deep, Lila,” he said, his voice a chilling monotone. “You should’ve left it alone.”
I tried to scream, but no sound came out. The room began to spin, and I could feel myself slipping away—
I woke up with a start, my heart racing and my breaths coming in shallow gasps. My hands flew to my throat, half-expecting to find bruises, but of course, there was nothing there.
It was just a dream.