Lila felt a mix of anger, confusion, and heartbreak as she walked away from Aiden. The weight of everything she had just learned felt suffocating, and she had no idea how to process it all. Her parents, Aiden-everyone seemed to be keeping secrets from her, leaving her feeling lost and betrayed.
She needed to clear her head, to think about what she was going to do next. As she walked, she let her thoughts drift back to Damon's words and the unsettling truths he'd hinted at.
Maybe there was some truth to what he said about her identity. It didn't make sense for her parents to keep such a big secret from her unless there was something important they were hiding. Lila needed to find out the truth on her own.
As she wandered, Lila's thoughts kept circling back to Aiden. She loved him, but how could she trust him now? The lies, the betrayal it was too much to process. Yet, despite everything, a part of her still wanted to believe in him, to find a way back to the man she thought she knew.
Determined to find answers, Lila decided to take a different approach. She needed to learn more about her family's past, to uncover the truth herself. She started by searching the house for any clues that might shed light on the secrets surrounding her identity.
She ventured into her father's study, hoping to find something, a letter, a document, anything that might reveal more about her past. The room was filled with old books and papers, but most of it was too dry and dusty to make sense of. She was about to give up when she noticed a small, old journal tucked away on a shelf.
Lila hesitated for a moment before pulling it down. It was a thick leather-bound book, its pages yellowed with age. She flipped it open, her heart pounding. The journal was filled with her father's handwriting, and as she read, it became clear that it was a record of his business dealings, notes, and personal reflections.
But as she flipped through the pages, she found something unexpected a few entries that mentioned Lila by name, written in a tone that suggested they were not talking about her, but someone else entirely. The entries were filled with coded language, vague references and names Lila didn't recognize.
Lila's heart raced. It was like stumbling upon a hidden trail in the woods, leading to a secret that had been buried for years. She needed to decode these entries, to understand what they meant. The journal could be her first real lead in uncovering the truth about her identity.
But just as she was getting to the most intriguing part, her mother appeared in the doorway, her face pale. "Lila, what are you doing in here?"
Lila closed the journal quickly, her heart pounding. "I was just looking for… something."
Her mother's eyes were filled with a mix of fear and guilt. "Lila, please. You don't need to dig into this. It's not worth it."
Lila's voice was steady. "But I need to know, Mom. I need to understand who I really am."
Her mother's face crumpled. "Lila, please. Just let it go. Some things are better left buried."
Lila's heart ached. "But why, Mom? Why won't you just tell me the truth?"
Her mother's eyes were filled with tears. "Because some truths are too painful, Lila. We were trying to protect you."
Lila's voice was desperate. "But from what, Mom? What are you protecting me from?"
Her mother's expression was pained. "Just… just know that we love you, Lila. We always have, and we just didn't want to hurt you."
Lila's heart was heavy with the weight of her mother's words. But she couldn't stop now. She had to find the truth, no matter how much it hurt. She knew her parents were hiding something big, and she couldn't rest until she uncovered it.