Chapter 216

The morning sun cast golden streaks across the lavish bedroom, but Lillian barely noticed. Her fingers trembled as she clutched the crumpled letter in her hands—the one Donovan had slipped into her bag before storming out of the café yesterday.

"Meet me at midnight. The old oak by the lake. Or else."

The words burned into her mind, each syllable laced with venom. She knew what this meant. Donovan wasn’t done with her. Not yet.

A soft knock at the door startled her. "Lillian?" Sebastian’s deep voice carried through the wood, smooth yet edged with concern. "You missed breakfast."

She hastily shoved the letter under her pillow, forcing a smile as she opened the door. "Sorry, I just... overslept."

Sebastian’s piercing gaze lingered on her face, as if he could see right through the lie. His jaw tightened, but he didn’t press. "Oliver’s been asking for you. He wants to show you his new sketch."

Guilt twisted in her chest. She’d been so consumed by Donovan’s threats that she’d neglected the little boy who adored her. "I’ll be right down."

As Sebastian turned to leave, his hand brushed hers—a fleeting touch that sent warmth spiraling through her. But the moment was shattered by the sharp ring of her phone.

Unknown number.

Her stomach dropped.

"Tick-tock, little wolf. Midnight won’t wait."

The screen went black, but the threat lingered, suffocating.

Downstairs, the mansion buzzed with its usual morning chaos. Beatrice chattered excitedly to Evelyn about some new boutique in town, while Oliver proudly displayed his crayon masterpiece—a lopsided but endearing portrait of Lillian with wolf ears.

"Look, Lillian! It’s you!" he beamed.

She forced a laugh, ruffling his hair. "It’s perfect, sweetheart."

But her eyes kept darting to the clock.

Sebastian leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "Something’s wrong," he murmured, low enough that only she could hear.

Lillian swallowed hard. "It’s nothing."

His fingers curled around her wrist, gentle but firm. "Don’t lie to me."

The intensity in his gaze made her breath hitch. For a heartbeat, she considered telling him everything—about the letter, the text, the way Donovan’s presence still haunted her like a ghost.

But then Evelyn’s shrill laugh cut through the air, and the moment shattered.

"God, Lillian, could you be any more obvious?" Evelyn sneered, flipping her hair. "Stop clinging to Sebastian like some desperate—"

"Enough." Sebastian’s voice was ice.

Evelyn paled, snapping her mouth shut.

Lillian exhaled shakily. She couldn’t drag Sebastian into this. Not when Donovan had already proven how far he’d go to hurt her.

Midnight loomed like a guillotine.

And she had no choice but to face it alone.

Fury coiled like a venomous serpent in Victoria's chest as her fingers tightened around her phone. She needed Lillian out of that mansion—now. The girl was clearly using this tutoring gig as a stepping stone to worm her way back into Donovan's life, and judging by the way things were unfolding... it was working.

Victoria knew people in the media. If whispers of this little "relationship" reached the right ears, it would send Lillian running. Maybe for good this time.

She scrolled through her contacts until she landed on a name she knew all too well. With a sharp exhale, she pressed call and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Please tell me you've got something juicy for me," her friend drawled, sounding half-asleep. "I'm drowning in dry spells here. One more fluff piece and I might as well hand in my resignation."

A smirk curled Victoria's lips. "Oh, I think I’ve got exactly what you need." She loved his desperation—it meant he’d go all out for this story. "Check your inbox. I just sent you something."

A beat of silence. Then—

"What the hell is this?" he muttered. "Is that your dad?"

"Mm-hmm," Victoria purred. "That’s my father, wrapped around his much younger lover. My brother’s tutor. She’s practically my age, and trust me, she’s not here for the teaching gig. She’s after my fiancé. Expose her. Dig up whatever dirt you can and run this story."

Her friend snorted. "Since when do I take orders from you?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Do you want the scoop or not?"

A dark chuckle. "Oh, I want it. Give me twenty-four hours, and this’ll be plastered on every gossip site in the city."

"That’s what I was hoping to hear," she murmured, satisfaction dripping from every word. "Don’t disappoint me."

She ended the call and leaned back, watching the first domino tip.

Lillian’s POV

"So why are we doing tutoring here?" Oliver asked, kicking his legs under the coffee table after Sebastian disappeared upstairs to shower.

I arched a brow. "You don’t like it?"

He shrugged. "It’s fine. Just... far. Did you have to drive forever to get here?"

I smirked. "Closer than you’d think. Don’t worry about it. But yeah, we’re stuck here for the foreseeable future. At least until the film crew clears out of the villa."

Sebastian nodded.

"It's overwhelming there with so many people," he admitted, running a hand through his dark hair. "I'm glad to get out of that chaos. It's nice here. Peaceful."

I smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Well, maybe we can spend more time here even after they leave," I suggested. "I'm sure your father won't mind."

His golden eyes brightened as he nodded eagerly.

Just then, Giselle walked into the room carrying a silver tray of delicate pastries. The moment she spotted Oliver, her face lit up with genuine warmth.

"I thought I heard your voice," she said, setting the tray down before opening her arms for a hug. "It's been too long. You never come to visit anymore."

Oliver sighed. "I know. Dad never lets me come here."

Giselle winked. "Well, I'll just have to scold him for that."

Oliver laughed, the sound light and carefree. "Please do."

I'd never seen him so relaxed around anyone outside of family—or me. It was refreshing to witness, especially knowing how uncomfortable he'd been with his previous tutors.

As Giselle turned to leave, my gaze caught on a faint red mark peeking out from beneath the high collar of her uniform. A hickey. I bit back a smirk. I bet I know exactly where that came from. But I kept quiet, not wanting to embarrass her.

Oliver and I spent the next few hours alternating between tutoring and training. At one point, Sebastian joined us, and it was fascinating to watch the two of them spar—Oliver clearly adored every moment with his father.

What surprised me most was when Sebastian decided to stay the night at the mansion, even after sending Oliver home with Marcus. I hadn't expected him to linger, but he did, and we made the most of our time together.

By morning, however, my phone buzzed with a message from Beatrice.

All it said was: 911.

My stomach twisted. I immediately dialed her number.

"Beatrice? Are you okay?" I demanded the second she picked up.

"I'm fine... but you might not be," she murmured, her voice tight with worry.

"What do you mean?"

"You're all over the news, Lillian," she said, and my blood ran cold.

Heart pounding, I pulled up the headlines on my phone—and there it was. A massive photo of Sebastian and me locked in an embrace on the mansion's front porch.

My breath caught in my throat as my eyes landed on the scandalous headline splashed across the tabloid: Sebastian Blackwood's Secret Affair Exposed!

Beneath it, a grainy but unmistakable photo showed the imposing Lycan chairman locked in a passionate embrace with none other than me—Lillian Montague—on the grand marble steps of his estate. The caption beneath screamed:

Sebastian Blackwood caught in midnight tryst with mystery lover, Lillian Montague!

The world tilted. My fingers trembled as they clutched the glossy page, the words blurring before me. How? We had been so careful. The night had been quiet, the estate grounds empty—or so I’d thought.

But someone had been watching.

And now, our secret was out.