Page 32 of Wraith

I rolled onto my side, my gaze landing on her sleeping form. She looked peaceful, her lashes fanned out against her cheeks, her lips slightly parted. She was beautiful. Perfect. Despite everything—Ciaran, Lily, the tension pulling my life apart—she’d been my anchor. My calm in the storm.

I reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She didn’t stir, and a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. For a moment, everything felt normal. Like we could pretend the last few months hadn’t happened.

Reluctantly, I slipped out of bed, grabbing my phone from the nightstand as I headed to the bathroom. The cool tiles sent a jolt through my bare feet, waking me up fully. I locked thedoor behind me and leaned against the counter, the familiar glow of my phone screen illuminating the space as I opened my messages.

It was the usual flood of notifications—texts from classmates, business inquiries, and people trying to get close to me for my name or my money. I swiped through them absently, my thumb pausing on one from a number I didn’t recognize.

“Lucian, are you okay? This must be so hard for you. If you need anything, let me know.”

Another message followed:“You deserve better. Let me prove it to you. ;)”

My brows furrowed. The texts kept coming, some subtle, others shameless. All of them hinted at something I couldn’t quite piece together. Then I saw it: Emma’s name pinned to the top of a group chat. The preview alone made my stomach lurch:“You all need to see this?—”

I opened it.

The first photo was of me, shirtless in bed, my face half-turned toward the camera. A photo she must have taken while I was asleep. The caption burned into my eyes:“This is the idiot I’ve been putting up with.”

I scrolled, each message cutting deeper than the last.“I can’t believe he still trusts me. Men are so gullible.”“Honestly, he’s pathetic. So clingy. I’m only staying with him for the perks.”“Can’t wait to see you later, babe. He has no idea.”

And then there were the photos—explicit ones—sent to two different men. My jaw tightened as I stared at her words, her body on display for people who weren’t me. People she’d chosen over me.

A thought flashed through my mind, unbidden:She sent this herself.My grip on the phone loosened slightly as I considered it. Shehadshown me the screenshots. Was she hacked? Maybe.But even if she hadn’t hit send, the texts still existed. The photos were real. The lies weren’t any less true just because they’d come to light this way.

My chest tightened as something clicked—a comment she’d made weeks ago.“It’s just a work thing. I’ll grab dinner with you next time, okay?”That same day, I’d found her makeup wiped clean, her hair damp like she’d rushed home to cover something up. And now, in the messages, there it was:“Can’t meet tonight, babe. Covering my tracks.”

The room felt smaller, suffocating. My anger swelled as I scrolled through the messages again, my knuckles white around the phone. She’d lied about everything. Used me. Laughed behind my back while I trusted her blindly. The betrayal stung like a fresh wound, each text a new cut.

I unlocked the bathroom door, my footsteps heavy as I strode back into the bedroom. She was still there, curled up sweetly in bed like she hadn’t just detonated my life. My blood boiled as I stopped at the edge of the bed.

“Wake up.”

She stirred, groaning softly before her eyes fluttered open. When she saw my face, her brows knit together in confusion. “Lucian? What’s wrong?”

I held up the phone, the group chat glowing on the screen. “Care to explain this?”

Her confusion deepened, her sleepy expression melting into shock as she sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest. “What? I don’t—what is that?”

“You tell me,” I said, my voice rising. “It came from your number! You’re the one who outed yourself to everyone. Did you forget to unselect my number? Or did you just think I would be too stupid to notice?”

Her face paled as she stared at the phone. “This… this isn’t real. Someone must’ve hacked my phone! Why would I sendthat? Why would I put myself in this position?” Her voice climbed higher, tinged with desperation.

I knew what I said didn’t made sense after I said them, but they didn’t undo the truth in front of me. “Maybe you didn’t send it. Maybe someonedidhack you. But it doesn’t change what’s in here. The texts, the pictures—they happened. You lied to me.”

She stammered, her face crumbling as she reached for the phone. “Lucian, please! You have to believe me—this isn’t me! Someone’s trying to destroy us?—”

“Youdestroyed us!” I snapped. “You lied about everything. You used me. Mocked me. How long, Emma? How long have you been making me look like an idiot?”

Her panic turned to anger. “You don’t know what you’re talking about! This isn’t me! You’re blaming me for?—”

Her words cut off as I turned away, trying to breathe through the fury. My head was spinning, my vision blurring at the edges. I took a step toward the door, desperate for air.

“Don’t walk away from me!” she shouted, grabbing my arm.

I spun back toward her, the force of my movement unbalancing both of us. She stumbled, her grip slipping, but before I could catch myself, something shoved me hard from the front—a sharp, invisible force that sent me careening backward. My foot caught on the edge of the bedframe. Time slowed as I fell, my head slamming into the sharp corner of the dresser.

Pain exploded through my skull, blinding and all-encompassing. The room spun violently, the edges of my vision darkening as Emma’s scream echoed in my ears.

“Lucian? Lucian!” Her voice was frantic, trembling, but it sounded so far away. I tried to reach for her, to speak, but the darkness swallowed me whole before I could.

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