CHAPTER 4
1459 Words
Olivia
Sleep had abandoned her entirely.
The letter: the one that had unsettled every bit of her being was gone.
Not torn, not burned, but vanished as if it had never existed.
She searched her room with frantic desperation, overturning books, scattering the drawers, checking beneath the bed, even pulling back the heavy velvet curtains. Yet, not a single sign of the letter was found.
The lingering fear was worse than the loss itself—the fear that she might be losing her mind.
She stared into the mirror, her reflection ghostly and pale.
Those familiar blue eyes that once belonged to Olivia were now the eyes of Lila Lysander—or at least, the person she had become.
Her skin was too smooth, her lips painted in a shade she never would have chosen before. The longer she wore Lila's skin, the more she forgot her own.
A sharp knock at the door startled her and ended her thoughts abruptly. Her hands trembled as she moved to open the door.
Sebastian stood there, tall, composed. He looked at her with very cold eyes.
“You’re not ready,” he said “For what?” she asked, barely able to keep her voice steady.
“The Lysander Foundation board meets in thirty minutes. I assumed you would remember.” Her pulse hammered. She was meant to deliver a speech—Lila’s gracious words of appreciation to the donors—but the carefully memorized words were already lost in her fear.
“I—I must have forgotten,” she stuttered.
Sebastian’s gaze softened for a fleeting second, a flicker of something , almost like a concern grown out of pity.
“I’ll drive,” he said.
Sebastian POV
She was unraveling in a way that stirred something unexpected inside him.
This woman wasn’t the confident heiress he once knew. But beneath her fragile exterior, he could sense something painful brewing inside of her.
Was she Lila? Or a perfect illusion crafted to deceive?
As he drove, silence stretched between them until he finally spoke.
“You hated those meetings.” She glanced at him, surprised.
“They always felt like auctions,” she replied quietly, voice barely more than a whisper.
That was Lila—the sharp edge beneath the grace.
His chest tightened.
She was either Lila or a very convincing con artist.
Olivia POV
The meeting was suffocating.
Faces blurred, voices hummed like distant thunder.
Every word she spoke was rehearsed, every smile forced.
She managed to give the memorised speech without breaking her cover.
Her throat felt tight, her limbs weighed down by invisible chains.
When the pianist’s fingers touched the keys, an unknown melody filled the room.
She froze.
The music was unfamiliar to her.
But Sebastian’s whispered words cut through the haze.
“Chopin’s Nocturne. You played it during storms.”
She forced a smile, but her heart ached with feelings she couldn’t name.
Sebastian POV
Later, outside, the sharp air bit at his skin.
He lit a cigarette—a habit he had long abandoned.
Tonight, it felt necessary.
She appeared beside him, delicate and uncertain.
“I thought you quit,” she said softly.
Without hesitation, she took a cigarette from his pack.
She forced a drag, but the smoke burned her lungs fiercely.
She coughed violently, tears pricking her eyes.
He reached out instinctively, steadying her with gentle hands.
“You used to pretend to like them,” he murmured, voice low and rough.
Their fingers brushed as he handed her a water bottle.
The simple touch sent a sensation through her.
He leaned in, thumb brushing lightly along her jaw.
Her breath hitched.
She didn’t pull away.
Olivia POV
His closeness was intoxicating and terrifying all at once.
His eyes searched hers— dark pools filled with doubt and longing.
She wanted to believe that this feeling was justifiable.
But this life wasn’t hers.
She swallowed hard, stepped back, heart pounding in her chest.
Sebastian POV
He watched her retreat, longing and uncertainty fighting inside him.
Had he found her? Or was she slipping further away?
The tension between them lingered like electricity in the air—unspoken but undeniable.
Inside, the meeting rounded up, and he escorted her back into the grand hall.
As they passed through the corridor lined with portraits of the Lysander family, her gaze lingered on one—the real Lila, painted in oil and frozen in time.
She paused, the image of Lila’s calm face was a cruel reminder of the role she played.
He noticed.
"You always said she looked too perfect in that portrait," he said quietly, his voice almost wistful. He was referring to his mother - the only one that could have helped him in this circumstance but she died when he was only ten- in a car accident.
She turned to him, unsure whether he meant to test her or comfort her.
“And you said she wasn’t,” she replied, eyes locking with his.
Something flickered in his expression—recognition, maybe. Or guilt.
A message popped on his phone interrupting his thoughts.
MICHAEL: I will visit you on Sunday and keep that paper you found. Tell no one about this.
The Next Morning
The early light poured through the windows of Ashbourne Hall, casting long shadows across the marble floors.
Olivia sat by the window, tracing the droplets of water on the glass with her finger.
The night replayed in her mind—Sebastian’s thumb on her jaw, the heat in his eyes, the faintest brush of his breath against her skin.
She wasn’t sure whether to feel comforted or terrified.
She was playing a dangerous game.
Because somewhere between the lies and the play, something real was beginning to stir.
A fragile hope she couldn’t afford to trust.
Sebastian POV
In the study, Sebastian stared at an old photograph of Lila.
Her smile was radiant, untouched by grief or doubt.
He traced the edges with a finger.
The woman who was with him last night was both Lila and not.
The doubt gnawed at him, but the memories whispered louder.
Maybe she was the same woman who had walked these halls before the accident.
Or maybe she was someone else entirely.
But one thing was clear—he couldn’t turn away now.
Not when something inside him—something stubborn and reckless—still wanted to believe.
Olivia
As she retired to bed, she couldn't shake off that feeling. So, she decided to take a stroll but she was suddenly taken aback when she noticed a black envelope right outside her door. “ I knew it”, she muttered under her breath. She opened it swiftly like her life depended on it- but a part of her was feeling unsure- many what ifs were going across her mind as she loosened the black tie on the letter . “Your mother, Ruth Crane is currently stable but if you try to ruin this, I will end her” She didn't know whether she should feel happy or sad. All she felt was some kind of relief knowing that her mother was doing great. Or maybe… It is one of those plans Celeste has in place. She just wanted to be helpful and present for her mother Three months earlier “She has lung cancer which has unfortunately condemned one of her lungs, so we need to carry out the procedure as soon as possible. I will leave the papers on the table so that you would give us your consent”, the firm doctor said . All Olivia heard was lung cancer and “ give us your consent”. Her mind went back to the moment when her boss sacked her because his company was going under. And now, she has a sick and dying mother.
As she was about to sign the documents, she saw the bills. “10 million!!”, she shouted. She didn't mind the awkward gazes now fixed on her. She picked her phone to check her account balance but got a notification from a mysterious number “ If you want to make money and save your mother, I have just the perfect job for you”. “ Bring your passport and meet at the airport tomorrow by noon”. “ Make sure you tell no one about this” X… She ignored the message and signed the documents. Later in the night, she couldn't take her eyes off her mother on the ventilator and she decided to muster up the courage. She reopened the message and typed “ For what?” Little did she know that … her life was about to take a turn.
- Writer
