Lia was finally released, but instead of Rayan, she found herself facing the lawyer from the Brooks family. Disappointment and a flicker of anger rose within her, though she maintained her usual sweet and gentle composure.
"Where is Rayan?" she asked softly, her voice calm but with an edge of hope.
The lawyer met her gaze with an icy look, showing no sympathy. "Miss Lia," he said, his tone formal and detached, "from now on, you’re to have no contact with Rayan. You no longer have any relationship with him. And it would be wise for you to stay away." He reached out, handing her an envelope. "Here. This should be more than enough to start over."
Lia’s heart sank as she looked down at the envelope, her expression slowly becoming vacant, lost in the shock of his words.
The lawyer continued, his voice emotionless. "You may keep the apartment Rayan provided for you," he said. "However, under no circumstances should you attempt to contact him or see him. If you do... we won’t hesitate to take action." His warning was cold, final.
Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. She couldn’t bring herself to accept this so easily, not after everything she and Rayan had shared.
As he turned to leave, Lia stood frozen, clutching the envelope, feeling as if her whole world had collapsed in a single moment.
Lia nodded numbly and walked outside, her mind racing in denial. This couldn’t be happening. She had meticulously planned everything, right down to becoming the esteemed daughter-in-law of the Brooks family. It wasn’t love she felt for Rayan—it was a desire for his wealth, his luxurious life, and the security he offered.
Growing up, she had everything: money, comfort, endless indulgence. But then, everything crumbled. Her father went bankrupt, her mother abandoned her to run off with an older man, and her father’s heart gave out, leaving her truly alone.
Since she had always relied on wealth, she never bothered to learn anything practical, never developed any real skills. She became a woman without a support system or any means to fend for herself. Her only path forward, she believed, was to find a rich, handsome husband who would pamper her and provide the lifestyle she craved.
Rayan was that perfect option. Yes, he was already engaged to Lilith, but she never felt guilty for coming between them. To her, it wasn’t her fault that Lilith couldn’t keep her man. Lilith was too serious, always buried in her work, with her laptop constantly open. At least Lilith could support herself with a job—something Lia had never considered.
And after all, she had met Rayan first at that exclusive club party. It wasn’t her fault that he had chosen her charm over Lilith’s stability. Now, as she clutched the envelope of hush money, Lia felt desperation clawing at her heart. This wasn’t the ending she’d planned.
Lia knew she had to do something—anything. She couldn’t let Rayan slip away from her grasp so easily. As tears rolled down her cheeks, she tried to think of a plan, her mind racing with desperation.
---
Meanwhile, Lilith’s day was winding down. After her office hours, she headed toward home, opting to take a taxi since Nova and Ava were heading in another direction. As she relaxed in the back seat, she made a mental note to look into buying a car soon—something reliable and comfortable. She began thinking through her finances, plotting how to save up and budget for it as soon as possible.
Once home, Lilith took a refreshing shower and changed into some cozy, comfortable clothes. She loved the simplicity of modern fashion—no layers of robes, no restrictive suits, no heavy armor. It was all about ease and style, something she had quickly come to appreciate.
After cooking a simple meal for herself, Lilith sat down to eat, feeling a bit amused at how this human body seemed to demand food constantly. In her past life, she barely remembered the feeling of hunger—it was such a rare occurrence. She’d only eaten when she felt like it, purely for pleasure, not necessity. Her devilish body had been powerful, almost self-sustaining, needing little to keep going.
Finishing her meal, she moved on to her nightly skincare ritual, enjoying the soothing calm it brought. She smoothed a face mask over her skin, letting the coolness sink in, then turned on some music, letting it fill her space with soft, relaxing tunes.
She genuinely liked this world. It wasn’t the highly advanced, mystical place she had once visited in another realm, but it was comfortable, even nice in its own way.
Settling onto her bed, she grabbed her beloved skeleton buddy, hugging it close as she lazily scrolled through her phone.
As Lilith continued scrolling, her eyes landed on someone familiar—Nina, that well-known actress. The headline grabbed her attention: "Miss Nina Injured on Set, Rescued by Movie Emperor!" Alongside the article were photos of the "Movie Emperor" himself, rushing to Nina’s side, cradling her injured foot. Rumor had it he was in love with her, and the media had run wild with the story.
Lilith couldn’t help but scoff a little. She doubted there was anything real between them; it looked like typical hype to her. Being in this world for a while now, she’d noticed how often public personas were shaped by drama, especially in the entertainment industry. She was amused by how quickly people believed in these fairytale-like romances.
With a small chuckle, she swiped past the article, thinking, "They love to play pretend in this world, don’t they?"
With a deep sigh, Lilith turned off her phone and plugged it into the charger. She lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
She felt something strange in her chest. Loneliness. It was a feeling she hadn’t had in a long time. In her past life, she was powerful and untouchable. Emotions like this didn’t bother her. She didn’t care about being alone, surrounded by chaos and power.
But now, in this new world, things felt different. She wasn’t used to feeling like this, and she shouldn’t be.