Vampire's Veil Of Obsession-Chapter 39: Whispers of the Past

Lilia didn't know why, but the moment those words left Ava's lips, a tightness gripped her chest, even more unbearable than the last. It was unfamiliar, unsettling—an emotion she couldn't quite place.

These two seemed more familiar with each other than she had realized, and for some reason, she felt like an outsider. An intruder in a conversation that wasn't hers.

Of course, she could mask it—she had done it before, during lessons—but never for this long. Those lessons her father had insisted she take seriously, all for the sake of marrying Lowell. Yet, in the end, she hadn't married Lowell. She had ended up with... someone else. And now, faced with this moment, she was certain she couldn't hold back her emotions much longer. Still, she tried. She had to. She wouldn't let anything slip, especially not in front of this woman.

Then, before she knew it, Lilia turned toward him. Zethan grinned, but something flickered in his eyes. It was brief, but she caught it—something dark, something unreadable—before it was replaced by a calm, composed gaze.

Zethan turned to Lilia for only a moment before shifting his attention back to Ava.

"True. I would say, for once, I agree with the rumors. She isn't just outstandingly beautiful, but her stubbornness surpasses all." He chuckled calmly.

Ava's smile faltered slightly.

"I see."

Then she giggled—light and melodic—though something about the sound grated on Lilia's nerves. It had a certain lilt to it, something condescending. Something that said as expected of a newbie.

Lilia narrowed her eyes slightly. How could someone make everything seem so effortless? Though she knew, without a doubt, that this woman did not like her.

Ava then turned to her, a polite, almost too-perfect smile gracing her lips.

"Congratulations on your engagement with Mr. Zethan."

Lilia immediately sensed something off about those words—an underlying tone that suggested she didn't entirely mean them, even though the words themselves were correct. There was something about the way Ava let them linger, deliberate yet disingenuous.

And then, just as smoothly, Ava continued.

"If I seem unfamiliar to you, my name is Ava—Mr. Zethan's ex-fiancée."

Lilia immediately understood what this woman was doing. A challenge. A game.

If that was the case, then Ava wanted her to know one thing: he was once mine.

Was.

Past tense.

Why not play along? A little pettiness wouldn't hurt, right?

She met Ava's gaze with a soft smile—one that never quite reached her eyes.

"Ex... I see." She deliberately emphasized the word that clarified Ava was no longer his fiancée. Then, tilting her head slightly, she added, "I think I'm quite familiar with your name."

Raising a thoughtful hand to her chin, she pretended to search her memory, though she already knew exactly where she had heard Ava's name before. If this woman wanted to play games, Lilia would respond in kind.

She surprised even herself. She rarely did things like this. In fact, it was... interesting.

'To try something new'

"Aha," she finally said, snapping her fingers as if the thought had just struck her. "I believe I've heard that name before... from my fiancé's bodyguard." She paused, her expression feigning innocence. "But I can't quite recall the incident. Silly me."

With a dismissive wave of her hand, she acted as if the thought was nothing more than an afterthought, all while keeping her sharp gaze on Ava.

Ava's eyes widened slightly before a soft smirk curved her lips. She turned to Zethan.

"Zeth, I'm already beginning to like this fiancée of yours," she said.

Lilia didn't know why, but the way Ava called his name—the casual nickname—irritated her to no end. It grated on her, stirring something deep within her.

She turned to Zethan, expecting some sort of reaction. To her surprise, a faint smile played on his lips as he took a slow sip of black wine.

Their gazes met for a moment, locked in an unspoken exchange.

But Lilia was the first to look away.

"Wow, wow," Ava suddenly said, as if marveling at the moment.

Then, Zethan finally spoke.

"You know, canceling an important meeting is not quite smart," he said, his tone calm but edged with mockery.

Ava only laughed softly, unfazed. She turned to him with a sweet, knowing smile.

"I couldn't afford to miss this, Your fiancee's engagement, Mr. Zethan. Anything that concerns you comes first," she said smoothly.

'Why had she not said your engagement?'

Zethan chuckled then—not his usual dark, emotionless chuckle, but a chuckle nonetheless.

That alone made Lilia tense.

She didn't know what to think, what to feel, but she forced herself to remain composed.

Reaching for her glass of grape juice, she took a slow sip, pretending as if none of this affected her. She wouldn't let them see any cracks in her expression.

Then, finally, she stood.

"You two go ahead," she said, her voice calm and unreadable. "I need to use the washroom."

She kept her gaze steady, controlled. If she stayed any longer, she knew her emotions might slip through the mask she had carefully crafted.

Ava nodded, watching her closely, her lips curving into a subtle, unreadable smile.

"No problem, Miss Lilia," she said. "I'll keep your fiancé company."

Then, as if to add fuel to the fire, she turned to Lilia and gave her a quick, almost slow wink.

Lilia turned on her heels and walked toward the washroom, her posture poised and unaffected.

She knew eyes were on her—watching, waiting, judging.

Ava's presence had already drawn attention, and now, every glance in that room was heavy with curiosity.

But she wouldn't give them anything to see.

Everything was fine—Maybe.

Lilia hurried into the washroom, but even here, things didn't seem to settle.

Her hands trembled as she gripped the sink, her heart pounding erratically against her chest.

What was happening to her? She wasn't supposed to feel this way. Her eyes flickered to the ring, which now seemed to mock her.

A bitter smile curved on her lips.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

She inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself.

She couldn't let this affect her—not now, not here.

But the walls felt like they were closing in, and she needed fresh air.

Without thinking, she stepped out of the washroom and made her way down the hallway. At the far end, a large door stood slightly ajar, leading outside.

'Fresh air. That's all I need.'

But just as she stepped forward, hushed voices reached her ears.

Three women stood nearby, engaged in quiet gossip.

"Did you see? I heard Mr. Zethan's ex-fiancée, Miss Ava, arrived at the ball."

"Yes, I did! Gosh, she's stunning. And the fact that she even showed up? Wow, that woman is remarkable—so thoughtful to attend her ex's engagement. I wonder what others would have done."

The third woman leaned in, her voice dropping.

"Then why did Mr. Zethan call off the wedding? From what I saw, they still seem to have feelings for each other. Or do you think that woman he arrived with is just his mistress?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," another chimed in. "What if he's still going to get married to Miss Ava?"

Lilia felt her stomach twist.

She had come here for air, but instead, she was suffocating under the weight of their words.

Straightening her posture, she stepped forward until she was directly in front of the women.

Silence.

The three turned, their eyes widening in horror when they realized who had overheard them. Faces paled. Backs stiffened.

Lilia's expression remained unreadablely calm as she spoke.

"Excuse me. You're blocking the way."

The women flinched before quickly bowing in apology.

"Congratulations on your engagement, Miss Lilia. Sorry for blocking your path," one of them stammered.

They immediately stepped aside, their faces as pale as sheets. It was clear they were silently praying she hadn't overheard their conversation. Without another word, they rushed back into the ballroom.

Lilia remained still for a moment, her gaze lingering on the now-empty hallway. Gossip was just gossip, but the whispers clung to her thoughts, tightening around her like an invisible chain.

As if that wasn't enough, the moment she stepped outside, she caught sight of two more women deep in conversation.

'Gossip.Again'

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.

So much for clearing her mind. Was this how fake rumors spread? Effortlessly, like wildfire? Or worse—like something even more uncontrollable? Considering Zethan's influence, which far surpassed even her father's, it was no surprise that whispers about him traveled fast.

She was about to walk past when their hushed voices reached her ears.

"Did you hear? She left. I heard she walked away."

"I wonder if Mr. Zethan chased her off," the other woman mused.

A soft laugh followed.

"It seems so. From the way she looked, she was probably running away—giving the real one, Miss Ava, a chance to speak with Mr. Zethan. The person he truly deserves."

Lilia's fingers curled into fists at her sides.

And then, the next words froze her in place.

"I heard Miss Ava has Mr. Zethan's child."