Page 190 of Bound By Crimson
“No?” Editha raised her eyebrows. “You ran out into the night. Rain pouring, hair soaked, screaming like a lunatic. I saw the marks you came home with. That wasn’t just reckless—it was dangerous.”
“I was scared,” Lyric whispered.
“And you should be,” Editha said softly. “Because it’s becoming very clear to me that you might not be ready to be a mother.”
Lyric flinched.
Editha walked to the table, picked up the untouched glass of water, and examined it like it belonged in a gallery.
“I had hoped you’d do better. Really, I did. But… some girls just don’t have the instincts.”
Outside, the wind howled against the estate walls, rattling the old windows like bones. Rain tapped softly on the glass like it was trying to remind Lyric of where she’d come from—and how far she was from escape.
The air felt stale and tight. The room smelled faintly of lavender and dust, like a place that had been preserved more than lived in.
Editha set the glass down gently.
“I think you should get some rest,” she said. “You’ll need your strength.”
Editha turned toward the door, her heels clicking softly on the hardwood.
But just before stepping out, she paused—
“Oh,” she said lightly, as if an afterthought had just occurred.
She plucked something from under her arm.
A glossy magazine.
She held it up between two fingers, then tossed it toward Lyric. It landed face up on the bed beside her.
“Thought you might enjoy some reading material.”
Then the door clicked shut behind her.
Lyric didn’t move at first. But her eyes drifted to the cover.
Kai.
On a red carpet.
And on his arm… a blonde woman.
Not just any blonde woman. The blonde woman. The one who wore the icy blue dress—with the sharp jaw and the smug, possessive stare from the Winter Gala.
Her.
The headline read:
"Heiress Hoax: Kai Thorn’s Mysterious Girlfriend Fakes Pregnancy, Vanishes—Spotted With Camilla Crawford in Paris."
Lyric’s breath caught in her throat.
The woman hadn’t just returned. She’d replaced her.
She stared at the cover.
Kai. There he was.
