"By a twist of fate... or perhaps something far darker... You were switched by Thessy’s mother... with Brenda."

Lana closed her eyes.

She inhaled deeply, forcing herself to remain calm, though her heartbeat had already begun to quicken.

But Lucian wasn’t done.

"There’s something worse," he said.

Her eyes snapped open. "Thessy and your lives... are connected."

For a moment, silence swallowed the room.

Then realization struck.

Lana’s expression darkened instantly. ’The contract...’

She looked at Lucian, her voice turning cold.

"You’re talking about the life-link contract, aren’t you?" she said. "As long as Thessy suffers, I suffer... but if I’m harmed, she feels nothing."

Lucian’s eyes flickered with surprise.

"You already know." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He nodded slowly.

Lana fell silent again.

Lucian continued, his tone more cautious now.

"To break the contract, we need something specific... Thessy’s hair. The amount required depends on how long the connection between you two has existed."

Lana’s gaze lowered slightly, her mind racing.

Lucian took a breath before revealing more.

"That’s why I got close to her," he said. "Thessy is extremely cautious. She would never allow anyone near her hair willingly. So... I had to create opportunities."

His lips pressed into a thin line.

"I arranged situations where meeting her seemed like a coincidence. I acted... closer than I actually was."

Lana’s fists tightened further.

"You mean flirting," she said sharply.

Lucian didn’t deny it.

"It may have looked like that," he replied. "But my intention was only one thing, to collect as much of her hair as possible. I wanted to help you break that connection... so you could live freely."

Lana stared at him, her chest rising and falling slowly.

"Then why didn’t you tell me earlier?" she asked.

Lucian gave a faint, bitter smile.

"What do you feel like doing right now?" he asked instead.

Lana didn’t hesitate. "I feel like killing you."

For a brief second, silence followed.

Then Lucian chuckled softly, though there was no real amusement in it.

"And if I had told you earlier?" he asked. "What would you have done then?"

Lana paused.

Her mind replayed the possibilities.

"I would have killed Thessy," she said bluntly. "Or at least confronted her."

Lucian closed his eyes for a moment before speaking again.

"And that is exactly what I couldn’t allow."

His voice turned firm.

"The moment you make a move, Thessy would retaliate. And with the way things are... she could end your life instantly."

Lana’s jaw tightened.

She stepped forward slightly, anger flashing in her eyes.

"Do you even realize what I’ve been going through? Even a hint of suspicion... and she starts hurting herself. Just enough to make sure that her doubts are wrong." Lucian explained.

Her hands trembled, not from fear, but from restrained fury.

"So what do you expect me to do?" she demanded. "Sit quietly and wait for her to strike?"

Lucian shook his head.

"For now... patience is the only option."

Lana let out a sharp breath, frustration spilling over.

"Why not just hypnotize her?" she pressed. "Or drug her? There are countless ways to get her hair. Why not just take it?"

Lucian looked at her, a helpless expression crossing his face.

"It’s not that simple," he said.

"Even if we manage to obtain hair like that... it won’t count."

Lana frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"It has to be willingly detached or naturally obtained under specific conditions," Lucian explained. "Otherwise, it’s useless."

He hesitated before adding,

"And more importantly... I suspect someone is constantly protecting her."

Lana blinked.

Lucian continued, his tone grave.

"I’ve been observing her for days. Her level of protection is abnormal. No one can tamper with her food, no one can drug her, and no one can even get close enough to harm her or take anything without being noticed."

He exhaled slowly.

"It’s as if... she’s always being watched."

Lana lowered her gaze.

’So someone is guarding her that carefully...’

"Then that means..." she murmured, "someone knows exactly how important she is."

Lucian nodded.

"And whatever you possess... or whatever you are tied to... is valuable enough for them to ensure you never gain control over it."

Silence followed.

After a while, Lana spoke again.

"Even so... I still don’t understand why you acted like that with her."

Lucian frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

In response, Lana pulled out her phone and showed him several photos.

"These," she said.

Lucian took the phone and looked closely.

After a moment, he sighed.

"These were taken from misleading angles," he said. "If you look carefully... I was trying to get close enough to pull a strand of her hair. That’s all."

Lana didn’t respond.

Her expression remained unreadable.

After a moment, she turned toward Axel.

"You knew about this too?"

Axel shook his head immediately.

"Not at first," he said. "I only found out because Lucian told me."

He hesitated before continuing.

"When I learned the full truth... I wanted to act. But I was afraid. If I made even a small mistake... it could cost you your life."

His voice lowered. "So I chose to stay silent."

Lana closed her eyes again. Then she stood up.

When she finally looked at them, her expression had gone distant.

"I need some space," she said quietly.

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.

Axel and Lucian remained where they were, neither of them speaking.

Their expressions grew heavy, filled with quiet regret.

’She’s upset...’

They both understood it clearly.

If she had accepted their actions, she would have at least smiled... or nodded.

But she hadn’t.

Meanwhile, Lana walked alone, her thoughts in turmoil.

No matter how she tried to justify it... it didn’t feel right.

Rather than feeling protected, Lana felt something entirely different rising inside her... something bitter, sharp, and suffocating.

’They all knew... Every single one of them knew the truth... and still chose to hide it from me.’

Her chest tightened. They could have told her. They could have trusted her.