Chapter 153

The crisp autumn air carried the scent of fallen leaves as Lillian stepped onto the campus quad. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her backpack, her mind still reeling from the confrontation with Donovan earlier that morning. The memory of his cold, dismissive words sent a sharp pang through her chest.

"You were never enough, Lillian. Evelyn understands me in ways you never could."

She exhaled sharply, shaking her head as if to physically dispel the lingering bitterness.

"Hey, you okay?" Beatrice appeared beside her, concern etched across her features.

Lillian forced a smile. "Yeah, just... thinking."

Beatrice arched a brow. "About him again?"

Lillian didn’t answer, but the way her shoulders tensed was answer enough.

"Ugh, forget Donovan," Beatrice huffed, looping her arm through Lillian’s. "He’s not worth another second of your time. Besides, you have way bigger things to worry about—like Professor Sinclair’s pop quiz today."

Lillian groaned. "Don’t remind me."

As they walked, the chatter of students around them filled the silence. But then, a familiar scent—dark, rich, and undeniably commanding—drifted toward her. Her pulse spiked before she even turned her head.

Sebastian Blackwood stood near the administration building, his broad frame clad in a tailored charcoal suit. His piercing gaze locked onto hers, and for a moment, the world around them faded.

Beatrice nudged her. "Looks like someone’s watching you."

Lillian swallowed hard. "He’s probably just here for a meeting."

But Sebastian didn’t look away. Instead, he took a step forward—then another—until he was standing right in front of her.

"Lillian," he said, his voice low and smooth.

Her name on his lips sent a shiver down her spine. "Sebastian."

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You’re avoiding me."

She stiffened. "I’ve been busy."

His eyes darkened. "Too busy to answer my calls?"

Beatrice cleared her throat awkwardly. "Uh, I’m just gonna... go." She gave Lillian’s arm a reassuring squeeze before slipping away.

Sebastian didn’t acknowledge her departure. His focus remained entirely on Lillian. "We need to talk."

She crossed her arms. "About what?"

"About us."

Her breath hitched. Us? There was no us. Not really. Not when he was still engaged to Victoria, not when she was still picking up the shattered pieces of her heart.

But before she could respond, a shrill voice cut through the tension.

"Lillian!" Cassandra sauntered toward them, her lips curled in a smirk. "I see you’re still clinging to powerful men to make up for your own inadequacies."

Sebastian’s expression turned glacial. "Watch your tongue."

Cassandra faltered, but only for a second. "Oh, I didn’t realize you were together." She feigned innocence. "My mistake."

Lillian’s nails dug into her palms. She was tired—so tired—of the games, the whispers, the constant reminders of how little she seemed to matter.

Sebastian’s hand brushed against hers, a silent promise of support. But before he could speak, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his jaw tightening.

"I have to take this." His voice was clipped.

Lillian nodded, already stepping back. "Of course."

He hesitated, as if he wanted to say more, but then turned away, answering the call with a sharp, "Blackwood."

Cassandra smirked. "Looks like you’re not as important as you thought."

Lillian met her gaze evenly. "And you’re not as clever as you think you are."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, her heart pounding.

But as she rounded the corner, she nearly collided with Oliver, Sebastian’s son. The boy grinned up at her.

"Lillian! Dad said you’re coming to dinner tonight!"

Her stomach dropped. Dinner?

She had no idea what game Sebastian was playing, but one thing was certain—she was about to be pulled right back into his world.

And she wasn’t sure she was ready.

This was the most terrifying moment of my life. When Oliver took a bite of the sandwich and suddenly collapsed, my entire world froze. I had never faced anything like this before. His face turned crimson, swelling grotesquely as he clawed at his throat, gasping for air.

The only thing I knew was that he needed an Epi-Pen—now. But Victoria stood there, paralyzed, not reacting to my frantic pleas. Before I could process what was happening, Sebastian stormed into the room. I hadn’t even noticed the maid until she rushed in behind him, relief flooding me when she immediately retrieved the Epi-Pen from the parlor desk.

As Oliver’s breathing steadied, my body sagged with exhaustion, tears streaming down my face. "Call an ambulance," Sebastian snarled at the maid, who nodded and bolted from the room.

Sebastian pulled Oliver from my lap, cradling him against his chest. Though Oliver was breathing on his own, his face remained alarmingly swollen, his eyes shut tight. I slumped against the couch, willing my racing heart to calm.

"Who gave him peanut butter?" Sebastian’s voice was a dangerous growl, his eyes burning with fury.

I frowned, meeting his glare. Why was he looking at me like I had done something wrong?

"W-what?" My voice came out as a shaky whisper.

"I said, who fed him peanut butter?" His tone was razor-sharp.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Victoria cut in first.

"Lillian made his lunch," she said quickly, pointing at the discarded sandwich on the floor.

Sebastian snatched it up, sniffed it once before his expression darkened. "Didn’t Marcus go over his allergies with you? I thought you had a list." His voice rose with accusation.

"I—" My mind spun. I hadn’t put peanut butter in that sandwich. I knew he was deathly allergic. I would never be so reckless. But how had it gotten there?

"Dad, you have to do something," Victoria cried, tears spilling down her cheeks. "She almost killed him. She shouldn’t be allowed near him—"

My stomach dropped. I stared at her, stunned. Her tears seemed genuine, but there was something calculated beneath them. She was manipulating Sebastian, and I was the one caught in the crossfire.

Why was she turning on me like this? I thought we were okay.

The distant wail of sirens grew louder. Oliver groaned, drawing Sebastian’s attention back to him. He brushed damp strands of hair from Oliver’s forehead, holding him tighter.

"It's going to be alright," Sebastian murmured against Oliver's head, his voice thick with worry. "You'll be fine. I've got you." My chest tightened at his words—he truly believed I had done this on purpose.

I stared at the ruined sandwich on the floor, my mind spinning. Hesitantly, I reached out and picked up a piece of the bread, gasping when I lifted it and saw the smear of pear-infused butter in the center.

How was this even possible?

My gaze snapped up to Victoria, who was glaring down at me, her eyes sharp with accusation. She had been the only other person in the kitchen with me. But would she really poison her own brother? What reason could she possibly have? Oliver was just a child—innocent and undeserving of such cruelty.

"You hurt my family," Victoria hissed, jabbing a finger in my direction. "You can't stay here as Oliver's tutor anymore. Tell her, Father!"

Sebastian remained silent, his attention wholly consumed by Oliver's condition. Undeterred, Victoria turned back to him, her voice trembling with false distress.

"She can't be trusted—especially not with Oliver! Her carelessness nearly killed him! You have to tell her she can't come back to the villa!" Tears streamed down her cheeks, the perfect picture of a distraught sister.

Within minutes, the parlor was swarming with EMTs and Gamma warriors. I stayed frozen on the ground, my limbs locked in shock, while Victoria continued to point fingers at me. Yet no one paid her any attention—Sebastian was too busy coordinating with the pack Gammas and medical team.

"I'll meet you at the hospital," Sebastian finally said as they carried Oliver out. He turned to Victoria, his expression darkening. "Go with your brother."

She bit her lip, wiping at her damp eyes before nodding. As she brushed past him, she paused, looking up with feigned concern.

"She can't be trusted."

Sebastian didn’t respond. He waited until the room had emptied, the wail of sirens fading into the distance. Only Marcus remained at the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, watching the scene unfold with wary eyes.

"Investigate what happened in the kitchen," Sebastian ordered, his voice low and dangerous.

"Um... Alpha..." Marcus hesitated, shifting uncomfortably. "The kitchen surveillance has been down for weeks. You never ordered it repaired."

A deep, guttural growl tore from Sebastian's throat, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Do I have to think of everything for you? It should have been fixed automatically!" His Alpha aura thickened, the air around him crackling with barely restrained fury.