Chapter 4 Episode 4

Lily froze, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but inside, her mind raced. How could Alana possibly know? Had she been watching them? Or had Adam said something?

"Don't bother denying it," Alana added, her voice dripping with disdain. "I have my ways of knowing."

Lily swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. There was no point in lying. If Alana knew, there was no telling what she was capable of.

"I met with him, yes," Lily admitted, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling inside her. "But it wasn't what you think."

Alana arched an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk. "Really? You expect me to believe that? After everything?"

Lily felt a surge of anger rising in her chest. The condescension in Alana's tone, the way she was acting as if she was the wronged party-it was too much.

"You don't know what's going on between Adam and me," Lily snapped, leaning forward. "You don't know half of what's been happening."

Alana's expression didn't falter, but her eyes darkened with something dangerous. "I know more than you think, Lily. Far more."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Alana set her coffee cup down with deliberate precision, folding her hands on the table as she leaned in slightly, her gaze never wavering. "You've always been so naive, Lily. Always so willing to believe the best in people. But Adam? He's not who you think he is. There's a reason he married me and not you. A reason he chose me."

Lily's stomach twisted at the venom in her sister's words. She had always known Alana could be manipulative, but this felt personal, vindictive.

"He didn't choose you," Lily shot back, her voice low and filled with anger. "You trapped him. I know about the blackmail, Alana. I know you've been holding something over his head."

For a split second, a flicker of surprise crossed Alana's face, but it was gone just as quickly, replaced by a cold, calculating smile.

"So, he told you." Alana's voice was almost a purr, and it sent a chill down Lily's spine. "How convenient."

Lily leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. "I want to know the truth, Alana. What are you holding over him? What could be so bad that he'd marry you just to keep it hidden?"

Alana laughed softly, the sound low and bitter. "Oh, Lily. You really have no idea, do you? You think this is just about me and Adam? You think this is about some petty secret?"

Lily's breath caught in her throat as Alana's smile faded, her eyes turning cold and hard.

"This is about power," Alana said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "It's about control. Adam isn't the only one with secrets. Our family-your precious, perfect family-isn't as innocent as you like to believe."

Lily felt a wave of nausea wash over her. "What are you talking about?"

Alana's gaze bore into her, unflinching. "Our father, Lily. He wasn't the saint you remember. He was involved in things-illegal things. Dangerous things. And Adam's family? They were right in the middle of it."

Lily's world tilted on its axis. This wasn't possible. Her father had been strict, yes, but he had always been a man of principle. He had always done things by the book.

"No," Lily whispered, shaking her head. "That's not true. Dad would never-"

"Would never what?" Alana interrupted, her tone mocking. "Be involved in shady business deals? Run illegal operations to keep his empire afloat? Please, Lily. Wake up. Our father was just as corrupt as the rest of them."

Lily's hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the table. The room seemed to spin around her. This couldn't be true. It couldn't.

"Adam's family was tied to ours through those deals," Alana continued, her voice like ice. "Our marriage wasn't just a personal decision. It was a business move. A way to solidify the partnership between our families and to cover up everything that could ruin us."

Lily stared at her sister, her mind reeling. "So you're saying... you're saying Dad forced Adam to marry you?"

Alana's smile returned, but it was colder than ever. "Oh no. Adam agreed to marry me willingly. But only after he found out what I had on him. He didn't have a choice, Lily. He couldn't walk away. Not without risking everything-his career, his family, his future."

Lily's heart pounded in her chest. "And you've been holding this over him all these years? Keeping him trapped in a marriage he didn't want?"

Alana shrugged, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "I did what I had to do. Adam made his bed, and now he has to lie in it. Just like you."

Lily's chest tightened. "What do you mean?"

Alana's smile widened, a glint of malice in her eyes. "You think Adam still loves you, don't you? You think he's going to come running back to you, now that he's told you the truth? Well, I hate to break it to you, little sister, but you're nothing more than a pawn in this game. Adam may want you, but he needs me."

Lily clenched her fists, her anger boiling over. "You're wrong. Adam cares about me. He always has."

Alana's eyes flashed with something dark. "Maybe. But that doesn't change the fact that he's mine. And as long as I hold the cards, he'll never be free of me."

Lily stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. "You're disgusting, Alana. You can't keep doing this to him. To us."

Alana raised an eyebrow, looking utterly unfazed by Lily's outburst. "Watch me."

Lily's pulse raced as she stared down at her sister, a woman she barely recognized anymore. Alana had always been ruthless, but this... this was something else. This was a calculated, cold manipulation that went beyond anything Lily had ever imagined.

"You won't win," Lily said, her voice shaking with anger and conviction. "I won't let you."

Alana leaned back in her chair, her eyes glinting with amusement. "We'll see, won't we?"

Without another word, Lily turned on her heel and stormed out of the café, her heart pounding in her chest. The cold air hit her like a slap, but she barely felt it. Her mind was racing, her emotions in turmoil.

Everything she had thought she knew about her family, about Adam, had been turned upside down. Alana had been manipulating them all from the start, playing them like chess pieces in her twisted game.

But Lily wasn't going to let her sister win. She wasn't going to let Alana control Adam-or her-any longer.

Whatever it took, Lily was going to fight back. For herself, for Adam, and for the truth.

And this time, she wasn't going to lose.