"Lucas!"

"I’m serious."

I groan and drag a hand through my hair aggressively.

"You cannot tell me all this life-altering information and then just refuse to explain!"

"I absolutely can."

"You’re evil."

"Runs in the family."

Despite everything, a weak laugh almost escapes me.

MBut my mind is spinning too fast for humor to properly settle.

"What if it’s someone close to us?" I ask quietly after a moment.

Lucas doesn’t answer immediately and honestly?

That silence tells me enough, fear creeps slowly into my chest again beecause deep down...i think I already know that too.

Whoever did this knew too much, not just security details, personal details too

This was planned by somebody who understands us, maybe even somebody we trust.

The thought makes my skin crawl.

"El."

I blink, realizing I zoned out.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

Something in his tone makes me straighten slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean trust nobody fully right now except the people you absolutely know."

My stomach sinks.

"That’s terrifying advice."

"It’s necessary advice."

I close my eyes briefly, eeverything suddenly feels unstable again, like danger is still sitting inside this house somewhere just waiting patiently.

"I’ll figure it out," Lucas says finally. "I just need time."

"Lucas..."

"You’ll know when I know for sure."

I sigh heavily in frustration.

"You’re unbelievably annoying."

"I learned from Noah and Caleb."

"That actually explains a lot."

His laugh comes quieter this time.

Then softer now:

"I love you, El."

My chest tightens instantly.

"I love you too."

"Stay safe."

Before I can say anything else, the call ends and I lower the phone slowly and stare at the blank screen for several seconds.

Rain continues drizzling softly outside, the wind brushes cold against my skin but I barely feel any of it anymore, beecause my mind is too busy replaying everything Lucas just said. Someone framed Zane, someone used my codes, Someone close to us betrayed us.

And somehow... i hav the horrible feeling things are only just beginning.

———

The sky is gray the morning of Margaret’s funeral.

Just dull and heavy, like even the weather understands what today is. The cemetery is quiet except for the soft sound of shoes brushing against damp grass and the occasional murmur from people speaking in low voices. Security stands scattered around the area in dark suits, alert and watchful without being obvious about it.

Zane made sure of that after r everything that happened, nobody is taking chances anymore. Still, despite all the armed men and surveillance, the place feels painfully intimate.

Small and personal.

Exactly how Margaret would’ve wanted it, only close people are here, a few trusted workers from the estate.

And Zane beside me, tall and silent in an all-black suit, his injured arm still stiff at his side no matter how much he pretends he’s fine.

The casket sits a few feet away surrounded by white flowers.

White roses mostly.

I stare at them too long...Margaret loved white roses.

My fingers tighten harder around Zane’s hand.

He glances down at me briefly but doesn’t say anything.

Honestly, I’m grateful for that.

Because the second someone asks if I’m okay, I think I’ll completely fall apart.

Ivy’s hand rubs slowly up and down my back from where she stands behind me, trying to comfort me while quietly crying herself or trying to cry quietly.

She keeps sniffling every few seconds before aggressively wiping at her face.

"This is so unfair," she whispers brokenly behind me.

That almost does me in.

I bite down hard on the inside of my cheek, staring straight ahead at the casket because if I blink too long the tears will start again.

And once they start, I genuinely don’t think I’ll stop.

The priest continues speaking softly nearby, his voice blending into the cold morning air, but I barely hear any of it. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

All I can think about is Margaret in the kitchen yelling at everyone for skipping breakfast.

Margaret fixing Zane’s tie while insulting him lovingly.

Margaret bringing me tea the first time I cried in this house.

Margaret laughing.

Margaret alive.

God.

My chest hurts so badly.

"She really loved you, you know," Ivy whispers behind me suddenly.

A shaky breath leaves me.

"I know."

That breaks the first tear free.

It slides hot down my cheek before another quickly follows. Beside me, Zane’s grip on my hand tightens slightly in a silent comfor and understanding.

I glance at him briefly, his face is unreadable at first glance.

Cold.

But I know him now, i see the exhaustion beneath his eyes, the grief he’s forcing down and the anger too.

Because Margaret wasn’t just staff to him, she was family maybe the closest thing he ever really had to a mother and now she’s gone.

I swallow hard and lean slightly closer into his side.

For one second his eyes flick toward me, softening immediately then his thumb brushes once against my knuckles..a Tiny gesture but somehow it keeps me standing.

The priest finally finishes speaking, leaving behind a painful silence that stretches across the cemetery.

Nobody moves at first, the workers stand quietly wiping at their faces one older woman starts crying softly into a tissue.

Ivy outright sniffles behind me again.

And suddenly I can’t hold it anymore either, a broken sound leaves my throat before tears spill heavily down my face.

I lower my head immediately, embarrassed by how hard I’m suddenly crying.

"Oh God," I whisper shakily.

Zane turns toward me instantly.

"Hey."

I shake my head, trying desperately to breathe normally again, but grief crashes over me too hard and too fast.

"She’s really gone," I choke out.

The words sound so small, so broken.

Zane pulls me against him carefully without hesitation, one arm wrapping tightly around me despite his injuries.

I clutch the front of his black coat and cry into his chest quietly while Ivy rubs my back harder trying not to cry herself again.

"It’s okay," Zane murmurs softly against my hair.

But his own voice sounds rough too, lik he’s barely holding himself together.

"I miss her," I whisper through tears.

His arm tightens around me.

"I know."

And somehow those two words hurt more than anything else beecause he knows exactly how this feels, for several long moments neither of us moves.

We just stand there holding onto each other beside Margaret’s grave while cold wind moves softly through the cemetery and grief settles heavily over everyone gathered there.

Then quietly, almost too quietly to hear, Zane murmurs against the top of my head:

"She would’ve hated seeing you cry this hard."

A weak laugh breaks through my tears despite myself.

"Probably."

"She’d call me useless for not fixing it."

That earns another shaky laugh from me and for the first time since arriving here, I feel something warm beneath the grief too.

Love.

Margaret left so much of it behind, enough that even standing here burying her...We can still feel it.

After the burial, people slowly begin leaving in small groups, quiet condolences floating through the cold afternoon air. The workers head toward their cars while security stays alert around the cemetery.

Beside me, Zane squeezes my hand once before letting go.

"I’ll be back shortly love, " he murmurs softly.

I nod, d watching him walk toward a few older men waiting near the entrance. Even from here, he looks exhausted. Grief sits heavily on his shoulders no matter how composed he tries to appear.

I exhale shakily before pulling out my phone and stepping away slightly...I open the app to our family group chat and I hit the call button n

Lucas picks up first.

"You okay?" he asks immediately.

"No," I admit quietly. "But it’s okay I’m surviving."

Noah and Ivy join the call shortly after, checking on me one after another. That nearly starts me off too.

After calming down a little, I glance toward Zane again. He’s still speaking to the men, his expression unreadable.

Then I lower my voice.

"Lucas."

His tone shifts instantly.

"What is it?"

"I need you to look deeper into something."

A pause.

"What some thing?"

"The incident with Zane’s sister," I say quietly. "And... ubmmm you."

Lucas goes silent for a second.

"El." He says in a clear warning.

"Please."

"You really think there’s more to it?"

"I don’t know," I whisper honestly. "But after everything you found out... I can’t stop thinking about it."

I hear him exhale softly on the other end.

"You think someone manipulated and castigated that too?"

"I think somebody’s been destroying pieces of his life for a very long time."

Silence.

Then finally:

"Okay fine I’ll look into it."

Relief loosens something tight in my chest instantly.

"But," Lucas adds carefully, "you need to prepare yourself for whatever we find."

I look toward Zane again....at the tired slump of his shoulders, at the grief he’s carrying almost completely alone

"I know," I whisper softly. "I just need the truth now."