Lila tossed and turned in bed, her mind a whirlwind of fear, doubt, and longing. The confrontation with Aiden had left her feeling more lost than ever. She loved him, she truly did, but how could she trust him when he wouldn't even tell her the truth? The fear that Damon's words were right weighed heavy on her heart, and she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something important was being kept from her.
She tried to distract herself with the mundane tasks of the day, but it was no use. Her thoughts kept returning to Damon and the unsettling things he had said. Was there more to her past than her parents had let on? And what did Aiden know that he wasn't telling her?
As she wandered through the empty mansion, lost in her thoughts, she stumbled upon Damon sitting alone in the study, his expression contemplative as he flipped through a file.
"What are you doing here?" Lila asked, her voice sharp.
Damon looked up, a smirk playing on his lips. "Lila. Long time no see. How's the happy fiancée?"
Lila's heart raced. "I need answers, Damon. What did you mean about my past?"
Damon's smile widened. "Ah, the truth-seeker. Always so desperate to know what you are not supposed to know."
Lila's eyes were fierce. "I have a right to know, Damon. Whatever you're hiding, I need to understand it."
Damon leaned back in his chair, studying her with an appraising look. "Your parents, they have been hiding things from you. Big things. Secrets that could tear your whole world apart."
Lila's heart sank. "What kind of secrets?"
Damon's smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression. "Your real identity, for one. You're not the person they told you you were."
Lila's voice was a whisper. "What do you mean?"
Damon's eyes were cold. "You're not Lila, the daughter of Richard and Martha Sterling. Your real name is… well, it doesn't matter now. What matters is that you were swapped at birth."
Lila's heart stopped. "Swapped at birth? What are you talking about?"
Damon leaned forward, his voice low. "Your parents aren't your real parents. You were born to a different family, a family they never told you about. And they've kept it a secret all these years."
Lila's mind reeled. "Why would they do that? Why keep something like this from me?"
Damon shrugged. "Power. Control. They wanted to keep you close, keep you under their thumb. They didn't care about the truth, only about maintaining their image."
Lila's mind was a whirlwind. "But what about Aiden? What does he know about all this?"
Damon's smile was cruel. "Oh, Aiden knows. He's known for a long time."
Lila's heart sank. "And he didn't tell me?"
Damon's voice was mocking. "He can't. He's been bound by a pact, a deal made to protect his own interests."
Lila's voice was weak. "But I thought he loved me."
Damon's eyes were cold. "Love? It's just a tool to him. A way to keep you from digging too deep."
Lila's heart shattered. "But why wouldn't he tell me? How could he keep something like this from me?"
Damon's expression was pitying. "Because he doesn't care about you as much as he says he does. It's all about what he can get from you."
Lila's heart was heavy with the weight of this revelation. Her whole life had been a lie. Everything she thought she knew about herself, about Aiden, was crumbling around her. How could she trust anyone now?
Damon's voice was low. "Lila, you deserve to know the truth. You deserve better than being kept in the dark."
Lila's voice was a whisper. "But what do I do now?"
Damon's smile was cold. "That's up to you. Do you want to keep living a lie, or do you want the truth?"
Lila's heart was heavy with the fear of losing everything she held dear. But she couldn't keep living this way, not knowing who she really was. She had to find the truth, no matter the cost.