Liana.
Dad really meant everything he said back there. The house was locked, and I didn't have any extra keys because he had taken them away.
My heart clutched hard against my chest; it was becoming so hard for me to breathe. Just as I had expected less from Mother, I should have expected less from him, too.
Yet, I kept my hopes high, thinking he could be on my side. But I had been wrong. Falling to the ground, I let out a scream. "Ma'am, I am sorry, but I have to ask you to leave. The Alpha will be home soon, " the guard said politely.
I couldn't blame him; he was given orders. Tears flowed down my face; I found myself standing up, my body trembling.
If I hadn't helped that rogue, Samantha wouldn't have gotten the face to lie to Dad about everything. He is the cause of all this.
As I entered the car, I wiped away my tears before taking deep breaths that helped calm me down.
"Did I ever do something wrong?" I asked myself. The hospital wasn't far from the house, yet it took forever because I kept thinking about what had happened.
Everyone has always seen me as weakling, and they never regarded my feelings or what could be going on in my head.
I have always been the obedient child they could ever wish for, yet nothing I had done was good enough for them. Despite how hard I tried to please them, I would always be the bad person in the image. "At least you won't have to please them anymore."
I will go far away, live a peaceful life, and find myself, but first, I need to take care of something. My face was fluffy as I dropped down from the car, earning me looks from the people around me.
The hospital was quieter than I expected, but the silence didn't calm me. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my fists were clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms. All I could think about was him—the stranger who had ruined everything.
As I stepped into the ward, my eyes immediately landed on him. He was sitting up, looking out the window like he didn't have a care in the world. The sight of him lounging so casually set me off.
"You!" I screamed, pointing at him as I stormed in.
His head turned slowly, his icy blue eyes locking onto mine. He didn't even look surprised. Instead, he smirked, like he was amused by my outburst. "Ah, it's you," he said lazily.
My blood boiled. "Don't 'it's you' me! You're the reason my entire life is falling apart!"
Kieran—if that was even his real name—leaned back against the bed, completely unbothered. "Is that so?" he said, his tone mocking.
"Are you kidding me right now?" I snapped, my voice rising. "Because of you, my dad locked me out! My sister lied about me, and my mate—my mate—turned his back on me! And you're just sitting here like none of it matters!"
Kieran raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like your problems started way before I showed up."
I froze, his words hitting me like a slap to the face. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," he said coldly. "If your family hates you and your mate doesn't care, maybe you were already the problem."
Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "You don't know anything about me," I hissed.
"Don't I?" he replied, his voice sharp and cutting. "You're the girl who can't stand up for herself, who tries too hard to please people who don't even like her. And now you're blaming me because it's easier than admitting your perfect little world was already a mess."
His words stung more than I wanted to admit. My hands trembled as I pointed at him again. "You're unbelievable," I said through gritted teeth. "I lost everything because I saved you. The least you could do is apologize!"
Kieran's smirk faded, replaced by a cold, unreadable expression. "I didn't ask you to save me," he said flatly.
My chest tightened, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. "You're such a jerk," I whispered.
"Maybe," he said with a shrug. "But at least I don't pretend to be something I'm not."
I couldn't take it anymore. I turned to leave, but his voice stopped me. "Where are you going?"
"Anywhere but here," I muttered. "I don't need your pity."
He let out a dry laugh. "Pity? Trust me, I don't pity you. But you look like you have nowhere else to go."
I froze, my fists clenching at my sides. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," he said, standing up and walking toward me, "you're a mess. And as much as I'd love to let you figure it out on your own, I owe you. So, you can stay with me until you sort yourself out."
I stared at him, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "Stay with you?"
"Unless you'd rather sleep on the streets," he said with a smirk.
I wanted to refuse. I wanted to tell him I didn't need his help. But the truth was, I had nowhere else to go. "Fine," I said quietly.
"Fine," he echoed. "Pack your things—oh wait, you don't have any."
His sarcasm made my blood boil again, but I bit my tongue. "At least tell me your name," I said, crossing my arms.
"Kieran," he said simply.
I narrowed my eyes. "Kieran, was this your plan all along? To mess up my life so you could swoop in and act like some kind of savior?"
He chuckled darkly. "Trust me, princess, if I wanted to mess up your life, you'd know."
The tension between us was unbearable, but I forced myself to hold his gaze. "This doesn't mean I trust you," I said.
"Good," he replied. "I don't trust you either."
I climbed into his car, my mind racing with doubts and fears. This wasn't the end for me. I'd make sure of it.