Yes, my friend, I regret doing it, but I actually asked Lucius if his brother would ever cheat on me. I did it without thinking, just trying to snap out of the stupor Bruce had put me in, convinced Lucius would say something like, "What are you talking about? Longfields don't cheat."
Instead, he assured me he had absolutely no doubt that Killian was cheating on me. Then he just stood there, completely still. I didn't move either.
"So he would cheat on me without a shadow of a doubt? Without a doubt?" I repeated. This time it wasn't really a question, but a way to force him to stand by what he had just said. "I need you to understand something, Lucius… I'm not asking what could happen in theory, or what men usually do. I'm asking you about him. About Killian and me."
Lucius exhaled slowly through his nose, as if carefully measuring how much to say and how much to hold back.
Finally, he answered, "Then let me be clearer, even if you don't like it. Men like Killian don't operate the way you think they do. They aren't driven by the same emotional rules. They can build something real with someone… and still cross lines without feeling like they're destroying everything. It's not that he doesn't love you. It's just that love doesn't limit him. So I'm not talking about cheating on you physically; Killian wouldn't do something like that just for sex. This is much worse. Killian, without a shadow of a doubt, could fall in love with another woman and never stop loving you."
I felt something tighten in my chest, but I forced myself to stand firm, masking it with irony. "Very funny. I know you're just giving me a taste of my own medicine. I already know it's possible to love two people, so that doesn't answer what I asked you."
He tilted his head slightly, acknowledging the blow, and said quietly, "Fine. Then I'll give it to you straight: yes, I think he can cheat on you—but not the way you think. And if I had to bet… I couldn't bet that he isn't cheating on you right now. Because I simply wouldn't notice, and neither would you—not until he feels compelled to tell you. Because here's the worst part: he can't even keep the betrayal to himself. He'll tell you… oh, he absolutely will."
It was midnight. The ticking of an antique clock echoed through the vast room like the countdown of a bomb. Killian was sleeping beside me, his deep, steady breathing almost painful to hear. I looked at him one last time, feeling a pang of guilt, and slipped out from under the sheets as quietly as possible. I dressed in the dark and stepped out into the stone hallway.
The Highland chill seeped through the cracks, reminding me that we were trapped inside a thousand-year-old fortress. I walked down the corridors, lit by that warm, artificial light, feeling as though shadows of misfortune were chasing me. When I pushed open the heavy wooden door to the drawing room, the fire had already burned down to almost nothing; only red embers remained, casting a bleak, dismal glow over the room.
Bruce was there, sitting in one of the leather armchairs, waiting for me with his usual stony expression and a tablet in his hands.
In a low voice, without preamble, he said, "You're on time."
"Tell me it's a mistake, Bruce. Please," I begged, stopping a few steps away. "Killian loves me. I know he loves me."
The detective sighed, a flicker of genuine pity crossing his eyes for a split second. He unlocked the screen and held it out to me.
"The security cameras from the mansion… sorry, I'm a detective—cracking the code wasn't hard. This is from right before the helicopter took off. Killian asked my cousin to follow him to the west wing. I was a few feet away and heard him. Nobody takes Evangelina to a secluded place just to talk about 'The Vertex.' Look at this."
On the screen, the black-and-white recording showed the deserted hallway. Killian and Evangelina appeared in the frame. They stopped abruptly. He grabbed her arm—not violently, but with an urgency that made my stomach turn. They spoke intensely, and then she moved so close their bodies brushed. Killian glanced down both ends of the corridor, visibly tense, before reaching into his coat pocket and handing her a small white envelope. Evangelina immediately slipped it into her blouse, caressed his cheek with a familiarity that burned my eyes, and they walked away in opposite directions.
The air rushed out of my lungs. I covered my mouth, feeling the floor sway beneath me. What I had seen wasn't normal; there was no room for doubt that they shared a secret. Still, I forced out, "That… that's not a kiss, Bruce." I said it like someone desperately clinging to a lifeline. "He gave her an envelope. It could be anything. Case files, money, a note saying 'Carmilla is the best thing that ever happened to me'…"
He let out a short, humorless laugh at my innocence and caught me by the waist. "In secret? Hiding from you and Lucius?" Bruce put the tablet away and added, "Evangelina is my family, Carmilla. She's loved me since I was a teenager, but I know how she operates. And Killian… Killian is hiding something big. I don't know if they're sleeping together, but they're involved in something that includes you. And in my line of work, bedroom secrets come at a high price."
With a broken voice, I asked, "Why are you telling me this?"
He lowered his hand slightly, looking at me with undisguised desire, but answered, "Because The Vertex will crumble if the center of the triangle breaks. And you are the vertex, little girl. If you fall, we all fall."
I turned to leave without another word, but he pulled me back against him. I wanted to run down the hallway and demand answers, yet I froze there, feeling his hands on my thighs. Tears blurred my vision. I didn't want to go back to the room with Killian; I couldn't bear the thought of getting into his bed knowing he was hiding things from me, feeling like a fool. Bruce slid his hands up toward my breasts, and I turned to look at his face. He stopped; he knew desire wasn't going to win me over this time. He wanted to kiss me, to break my resolve.
I turned my face slightly away and told him, "When you bring me real proof that they have more than just a secret… then come find me."
I stood up and walked out, blinded by doubt and sorrow. I turned a corner without looking and slammed into a chest as solid as marble.
Firm arms gripped my shoulders to keep me from falling. I looked up and met Lucius's stormy blue eyes.
"What the hell are you doing awake at this hour?" his deep voice demanded. But when he noticed my tear-streaked cheeks, his expression hardened. "Are you crying? Did Killian make you cry?"
I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go. His grip was firm, commanding.
"Let go of me, Lucius. It's nothing."
He released me and pointed toward the drawing room. "Don't tell me it's nothing. You were in there with him, weren't you?" He glanced over my shoulder. "What did my brother tell you?"
In a hoarse whisper, feeling rage replace sorrow, I shot back, "I was with Bruce, and he told me what he thinks your brother and Evangelina are doing behind my back. You were right, weren't you? You told me he could cheat on me without a doubt. Did you know, or were you just guessing?"
Lucius went completely still. His jaw clenched so tightly I thought I heard his teeth grind. For a moment, pure fury flashed across his face, but he quickly forced his mask of cold composure back on. He let go of me and took a step back, as if touching me burned.
"I told you Killian was capable of it because I know what he can do, but he would never have a clandestine affair unless he was protecting what he wants. I don't know anything about this, but I can almost guarantee that's not his style. He's not even that daring—he's just a romantic who struggles with boundaries. Now… I warned you to stay away from me, Carmilla, but it seems you can't even manage it for twenty minutes. Go to bed."
Without thinking, out of pure habit, I kissed his lips and walked away, saying over my shoulder, "I'm sick of this family's secrets."
He stepped forward sharply, pinning me against the stone wall. His familiar cologne filled my senses, instantly bringing back the image of my pregnant belly and his tender embrace in the mirror. The contrast between that imagined future and this chaotic present tore me apart.
"You want the truth?" Lucius whispered, his face inches from mine, his eyes fixed on my lips. "The truth is you're wasting your time crying over the flaws of a man who is much better than I am—and certainly a hundred times the man that detective is. Go back to him and be happy. I'm telling you the truth: I will only hurt you, and I don't want to. Killian isn't perfect, so what? Even so, he would burn the world just to see you smile. You chose right—believe me. Trust your choice and face the consequences."
His body pressed against mine, making his desire unmistakable. Then, with a sharp turn, he walked away, leaving me trembling in the shadows of the corridor.
I didn't sleep a second that night. When the gray Scottish dawn began to filter through the windows, I went down to the main dining room. The atmosphere was heavy, almost suffocating. Evangelina was sitting at the table, typing furiously on her laptop while sipping coffee. Killian walked in shortly after, looking impeccable and at ease. Bruce remained in a corner, watching everyone like a hawk. Lucius was the last to arrive; he didn't even look at me as he sat down.
"It's done," Evangelina announced, looking up with a triumphant smile. "The brief I helped prepare is already in Pierstein's hands. The press has the video of the twins' rescue, and it's all they're talking about. The statement from the mother who killed Will Terranova is still pending, but legally, we are untouchable. The Longfield-Bance empire is safe."
"And when do you think my father will let us out of here?" Killian asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
She gave him a look, and he poured one for her too. I swear, my friend, I thought: He added two sugars and handed it to her without asking, as if they were completely used to sharing space like that.
The queen bee replied, "The world is happy the butcher is dead. No one is going to miss him. I think this will blow over soon. Not less than five days, though. Maybe more."
I looked at Evangelina and then at Killian. He smiled at me and reached across the table to take my hand. The contact sent a chill through me. The warmth of his skin felt like a lie.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Killian asked softly. "Did you sleep badly?"
Before I could answer, Bruce suddenly said, "Oh no… no, no, no."
He turned his tablet around. It was a live news broadcast. They were analyzing a pirated transmission, distorted by static.
A logo flashed on the screen: broken scales dripping with blood. Beneath it, red letters made everyone's blood run cold.
A distorted electronic voice spoke:
"The Vertex has shown us the way. Justice is not enough. We have heard your call. Soon the streets will run red with the blood of criminals. Thank you for the inspiration. We are the ones who have awakened."
The screen showed they had a hostage—a man who had been brutally beaten. Evangelina shot to her feet, knocking over her coffee cup. It shattered on the floor. Killian released my hand instantly, turning pale.
The voice ended with a chilling laugh:
"We cannot be sheep. Let us follow the example of The Vertex. The world belongs to us now."
The transmission cut out, leaving the room in sepulchral silence.
We had tried to hide from the monster we created… but the monster had just gone global.