Don’t try to charm me again

Liora's pov

I opened my eyes slowly and smiled when I saw Dante still asleep beside me. His tiny hand rested near his mouth, and his peaceful breathing made my chest tighten. There was something so pure about him. Something that made me want to protect him forever.

I got out of bed quietly, pulling the blanket higher over his body. He looked safe, and I didn’t want to wake him. For a few seconds, I just stood there, not knowing what to do. Then I stepped out of the room.

The hallway was quiet. I walked slowly, trying to find the room that used to belong to Lyra. If I was going to survive here, I had to know more about her, about this house, about the people watching me.

As I turned a corner, a girl stepped in front of me. She had pale skin and bright green eyes. I knew that face from the pictures, Cassia, Draven’ second daughter.

She was stunning, but there was no warmth in her eyes. Only anger.

“Where are you going?” she asked, her voice cold like stone.

I stopped walking. “Hey… hi,” I said with a soft smile, trying to sound like I belonged.

She stepped back as if I carried something dirty. “Don’t come near me.”

My smile dropped a little, but I kept standing there. “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?” I asked.

She looked at me like I was a stranger who didn’t belong in her home. “That’s not your business.”

“It is now,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Because I’m your mother.”

She stared at me, confused. Her face didn’t move. No emotion, no answer. Just silence.

Then she spoke. “Stop acting like you care. You never cared. Not about me.”

I tried to speak, but nothing came out right away. I could hear the hurt behind her voice. She wasn’t just angry, she was tired of being invisible.

“But I care now,” I said.

She shook her head. “No, you don’t. You’re just pretending again.”

Then she turned and walked away, fast and angry. I watched her leave. My chest ached as if her words were meant for me, and not the woman I was replacing.

Lyra… what kind of mother were you?

I let out a breath and kept walking. At the end of the hallway, I saw a tall double door. It looked important. I touched the handle. It wasn’t locked.

I stepped into a dark room. Everything felt quiet, like the space itself was watching me. I reached for the light switch, but my foot hit something hard. I tripped and fell forward, hitting the floor with a soft cry.

A light came on. I looked up, and there he was.

Draven!

He stood just a few steps away, watching me and was dressed in black. The same man from the photos, but in person, he felt ten times more intense. My breath caught. I didn’t know what to say.

“What are you doing in my room?” he asked, voice low and cold.

Panic rose in my chest. I had made a mistake. This wasn’t Lyra’s room, it was his.

I forced a smile, lifting my head slowly. “Isn’t this… our room?”

His eyebrow lifted, and a small smirk touched his lips. “Really?”

He started walking toward me.

I stayed on the floor. My heart beat faster with every step he took. I tried to act calm, like Lyra might have, but my hands were starting to sweat.

He stopped a short distance from me, eyes fixed on mine. He wasn’t shouting. He didn’t need to. His calm face said everything.

I couldn’t read him at all, but something about his presence made me feel small, like I didn’t belong here. My heart wasn’t just racing out of fear. There was something else. Something strange. A pull. I didn’t want to feel it, but I did.

I looked up at him, still trying to act like nothing was wrong. But deep down, I knew. He could see right through me.

What was I thinking? I cursed myself. I just pushed a man who could crush everything I’ve been trying to protect. I needed to get out of this room before he found out the truth. If Draven knew I wasn’t Lyra… my family wouldn’t live to see another day.

“Where have you been all this time?” he asked suddenly.

His voice was quiet, but the edge in it cut deep. His eyes locked on mine, and I felt trapped. He wasn’t really asking. He was testing me.

I froze. Then I saw it, the way his gaze dropped to my eyes. Brown. Not black like hers. He knows.

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it didn’t reach his eyes. That was the moment I saw it. He wasn’t confused. He wasn’t surprised. He was angry.

Draven clenched his jaw, and I could tell something was burning behind his calm face. He wasn’t just looking at me, he was looking through me. Like he was putting the pieces together.

Someone lied to him. Sent me in Lyra’s place. And he knew exactly who. Silas. The man who pulled me into this mess. He thought he could trick Draven again. But Draven wasn’t the type to forgive, and he definitely wasn’t the type to be fooled twice.

He should’ve killed me. I could feel it. But something stopped him. Maybe it was the way I held Dante. Maybe it was because I hadn’t acted like Lyra, because I’d been gentle and careful. The opposite of what he expected.

Then, without saying a word, Draven stepped forward and pulled me into his arms.

I gasped. My chest pressed against his, and I could feel the heat of his breath close to my skin. His grip was tight, too tight and his body felt like a wall I couldn’t get through.

“Don’t ever run from me again,” he said in a voice so low it almost sounded calm. “You walked into my life. Now you’ll never leave.”

I was terrified. But I had to stay in control. I had to keep acting. If I let fear show, it was over.

“Of course, darling,” I replied with a smile that didn’t reach my eyes.

His expression changed in a second. He shoved me away so fast that I hit the ground hard. My elbow cracked against the floor, pain shooting through it. But I didn’t make a sound. I didn’t cry or speak. I just looked up.

“Idiot,” he spat. “Your disguise fell apart the moment I saw your eyes.”

My hands shook slightly as I pushed myself up.

“Don’t try to charm me again,” he said. “Your room is next door. Stay there. And if you ever come back in here again, you’ll regret it.”

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t look back. I stood up and walked out of his room. When I reached the next door, I slipped inside and locked it behind me.

My back hit the door as I tried to catch my breath. My chest was rising and falling too fast. My fingers wouldn’t stop shaking.

What am I doing? I don’t belong here. I’m not her. I’m not Lyra.

I moved through the room like a stranger in someone else’s life. Everything around me screamed money, style, power, control. The closet was a showroom of riches. Designer dresses, sharp jackets, sparkling shoes, gold-tipped handbags. All perfectly arranged. All untouched.

I sighed and stepped into the bathroom. It was brighter than the room. Marble everywhere. A wide tub, golden taps, and mirrors that looked like they belonged in a palace.

I filled the tub, dropped in the soap, and sank into the warm water.

Finally, I let myself go. I leaned back and closed my eyes, letting the heat soak into my skin. The scent of the soap wrapped around me, soft, sweet, and nothing like home.

For once, I didn’t think. I just floated.

Later, I dried off, pulled one of her silk robes around my body, and slipped into bed. The sheets smelled expensive, like perfume and powder. I didn’t care.

For the first time

in days, I slept. But even in my sleep, I didn’t feel safe.