Chapter 230

Lillian's POV

“A...are you serious right now??” Giselle gasped, her voice trembling as she stared at Lucien in disbelief.

He gave a slow nod, his expression heavy with regret.

“Yes, Giselle. I’m sorry,” he murmured before brushing past her and disappearing into the mansion. Giselle remained frozen in place, her cheeks flushed with a mix of fury and heartbreak. My chest ached for her—I knew exactly how deeply she cared for Lucien. It was written all over her face every time he was near. I understood the pain of unrequited feelings all too well... or worse, being cast aside so effortlessly. But despite my sympathy for Giselle, my thoughts kept circling back to Beatrice.

“I’m so sorry...” I whispered, unsure of what else to say.

“I just don’t understand...” Giselle’s voice was barely audible as she stared at the ground. “Everything was fine. Then she showed up and...” Her words dissolved into silence.

“Do you think they’re involved?” she finally asked, lifting her gaze to mine. “I know Lucien went on a date recently. Could it have been with her?”

I shook my head firmly. Beatrice would’ve told me if she’d gone out with someone. The fact that she hadn’t mentioned anything only deepened the mystery.

“I’m not sure, Giselle,” I admitted carefully.

Giselle sniffed, hastily wiping away a stray tear before turning away.

“I’m going inside. If you need anything... I’ll be in my room,” she muttered.

Without another word, she retreated into the mansion. I watched her go, exhaling sharply before pulling out my phone. The screen remained stubbornly blank—no missed calls, no texts. A pang of disappointment twisted in my gut. Sebastian hadn’t reached out, and now Beatrice was ignoring me too.

I dialed Beatrice’s number, pressing the phone to my ear. It rang endlessly before her voicemail picked up.

“Hey, Beatrice. Call me back,” I said, my voice tight with worry. “I need to know you’re okay.”

Hanging up, I trudged back inside. The mansion was eerily quiet, the kitchen now deserted. Lucien must’ve already retired for the night. The meal he’d prepared sat untouched on the counter. Though my appetite was nonexistent, I covered the dish with plastic wrap and tucked it into the fridge. Then I grabbed a sponge and scrubbed the counters clean, trying not to dwell on whatever had transpired here earlier.

Once the kitchen was spotless, I retreated to my room. The abrupt end to what was supposed to be a fun girls’ night left me hollow. I stepped into the bathroom, pulling my hair into a loose ponytail before washing away the remnants of makeup. As I brushed my teeth, my mind wandered back to Beatrice’s strange reaction. It was so unlike her. The party, her sudden distress—she’d mentioned something about finding her mate, hadn’t she?

My hand stilled mid-brush.

Could Lucien be Beatrice’s mate?

The thought sent an uneasy chill down my spine. My reflection in the mirror stared back, wide-eyed, toothbrush dangling from my lips. It would explain their intense reactions to each other. But if that were true... did Lucien know? And yet he’d still gone on a date with another woman? Not to mention whatever had happened with Giselle in the kitchen earlier?

If that was the case, maybe Lucien wasn’t as harmless as I’d believed.

I spat into the sink, rinsing my mouth before setting the toothbrush aside. Drying my hands, I leaned against the counter, suddenly lightheaded. The weight of everything pressed down on me, and all I wanted was to collapse into bed.

After a few steadying breaths, I flicked off the bathroom light and stepped into my bedroom. The emptiness without Sebastian was suffocating. I’d grown accustomed to his presence, even if it had been unexpected at first.

One last check of my phone confirmed the silence—still nothing. I tried Beatrice again, only to be met with her voicemail. Frustrated, I plugged my phone in and crawled under the covers. I hated this loneliness. I wanted Sebastian’s steady reassurance, but he was busy. I wanted Beatrice’s voice, but she was shutting me out.

I had no answers, only questions. Maybe morning would bring clarity.

Sleep came reluctantly, dragging me under despite my restless thoughts.

When I woke, the sunlight filtering through the curtains did little to ease the numbness clinging to me. I grabbed my phone, my pulse jumping when I spotted a message from Sebastian. Sent early this morning. Biting my lip, I opened it.