Chapter 153: Was it all an act?

Braelyn’s POV

“Get in .” He said, carrying that subtle dominance Lucien always carries. The same one that always dangerously pulled me. I didn’t move, my feet remained stuck on your curb.

The car idled at the curb, the sleek design was arrogant, just like the man in the driver’s seat, like it knew I would lose this standoff. The door was close enough for me to reach, yet my feet felt rooted to the pavement. Every instinct screamed not to step inside.

The window slid down fully. Lucien, no, I mean Killian, because I didn’t know who I was staring at, leaned his elbow against the frame and smiled.

It was that smile. “Didn’t you have a grand scheme to discuss with Killian Orlov,” he drawled, voice lazy, mocking, unmistakably Lucien, “or has your little villainess act ended already?”

My eyes twitched. Just once. That was so Lucien, that arrogant tease that just gets under your skin for the wrong reason.

I kept my face still, refusing to give him the satisfaction. I was still trying to understand the creature in front of me. He has the same face and voice. Different weight behind his gaze. Like staring at a familiar reflection that wasn’t laterally inverted.

He watched me for a second longer, then sighed, the sound low, almost tired. When he spoke again, the shift was instant..Gone was the taunt. He switched personalities like a freaking switch.

“This is your last chance, Mrs Volkova.”

The calmness of it sent a chill straight down my spine.

“Let me give you a ride,” he added evenly. “You look like someone with far too many questions to be standing on the street.”

My gaze flickered to the open door. Then back to him. I hated that he was right.

Without another word, I stepped forward and slid into the passenger seat. The door closed with a soft, final click.

The car pulled away smoothly, the city blurring past the windows. Silence settled between us, thick and deliberate. Neither of us broke it. I stared ahead, hands folded tightly in my lap, painfully aware of how composed he was beside me.

Too composed. This wasn’t Lucien’s restless energy. This wasn’t chaos. It felt… controlled and dangerously calm like he had calculated the next 10 steps ahead.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. The stillness in his posture, the way he occupied space without trying to command attention like the most natural thing.

For a terrifying second, it wasn’t Lucien I saw. It was Raphael, and that realisation made my stomach twist far worse than any lie ever could.

“Are you going to talk or just stare?” He finally spoke, breaking the icy silence. I drew in a really long breath

“I am still trying to figure out if I am staring at Lucien Volkov or Killian Orlov,” I mentioned, a smirk curled on his lips, something known to Lucien. Those eyes were filled with nothing but mischief and taunts.

I felt like laughing at how he tricked me into teaching him when he was a freaking CEO. I felt so used.

“Who do you think you are staring at?” He asked, his gaze still focused on the road.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked him.

He smiled, “I am whoever you want me to be, but to me, I will always be your lost puppy.” He said and I smiled.

“But Lucien is the lost puppy. Does that mean I am talking to Lucien?” I retorted. He gave me a fleeting glance.

“You are free to believe that.” I laughed. More like I laughed at myself.

“So to be clear Lucien Volkov and Killian Orlov are the same person.”

He didn’t give me a direct answer. “What do you think?”

I clicked my tongue. “I want to kick Lucien’s ass for playing me for a fool I hissed. Was it amusing to you?”

He smiled. “It never crossed your mind that we were the same person. I was able to get Killian Orlov in a few days, the same person who was a ghost, and you didn’t wonder why?” He shot back

I froze. That was another thing I overlooked: how easy it was for him to find Killian. The clues were lying in plain sight. Killian Orlov was someone remarkable and yet he desperately hid his identity like he was hiding from someone and now I knew why

He was hiding from the Volkov family because of some grand scheme. Whatever twisted game it was I was already entangled deep inside it.

“I guess I was so naive.” I quietly said before asking something that has been bothering me.

“But why?” I asked. The silence drew. “If they knew you were Killian Orlov that was already a big slap on their face to know what you were capable of. Why did you hide for so long? Why did you use a fake name?”

I rambled off the question. Lucien slowly drove the car into a basement. “Why did the name have to be Killian Orlov?” The engine stopped and he glanced at me. Studying my face really hard, searching for something.

“I had my reasons.” He simply said. My lips parted then closed. I wanted to pry further into what those reasons were. What role did I have in all these?

“Then why did you come after me? Am I also a pawn in all this?” He froze. Maybe that question was too difficult to answer but the pause made my heart squeeze comfortably.

“I don’t even know the answer to that question, but one way or the other, I doubt we weren’t meant to get entangled, Braelyn.” He paused.

“Even if you and Raphael still had a perfect marriage, that would not have stopped me; it only would have made it thrilling for me to wreck you.” My breath hitched. Obsession, it was clear as day, and it made me shake to my core.

He was determined to destroy me. “But.. why” I stuttered.

He smiled. “You know why Lynn.” He said with certainty. His gaze turned cold and calculating.

“This is your last chance. I am giving you this because you are my viper. You stand at a crossroad at the gate of hell…” He stated and my heart started to beat slowly.

I listened to every single word not to miss a thing.

“You have two choices… ”

“One: walk out and escape the chaos before it wrecks you completely or two, step into hell with me. No turning back from here I would not let you… ” His eyes burned into mine.

He drew in a deep breath

“If you don’t walk away, I will answer your questions, but it comes at a price… saying I might take your soul isn’t far-fetched.”

The car fell silent and we just stared at each other.

.

“So what is it going to be?” He asked me. I unbuckled the seat belt then stared straight into his eyes.

“Before I answer your question, I have just one thing to ask: Was it all an act?” He smirked deviously like a little devil

“That’s not fair, viper. I asked the question first. My answer comes first.”

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