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Chapter 81: Chapter 81 Lana’s Past II
Lana remained in Liam’s embrace, her head resting lightly against his chest as she spoke in a quiet, weary voice.
"I reported her."
Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Lana’s fingers curled slightly against his shirt as she continued, her voice trembling.
"After my sister died, I went to the police. I told them what happened. I told them that my mother was the reason my sister ran."
She took a deep, shaky breath.
"And she was arrested. She spent some time in prison."
Liam felt a sense of satisfaction at those words.
Good.
That evil bitch deserved so much worse.
But then, Lana let out a hollow laugh, one that held no real emotion—just bitterness.
"But then... they checked the security footage."
Liam’s body stiffened.
Lana looked up at him, her green eyes filled with pain.
"The footage only showed my sister running away from me."
Liam’s breath hitched.
Lana shook her head.
"The part where my mother said all those awful things to her?" Her lips pressed into a thin line. "It wasn’t there."
Liam’s jaw clenched.
Of course.
Of course, it would be like that.
He should’ve known.
Lana’s voice grew softer, almost defeated.
"From the public’s perspective... it looked like I was the reason my sister ran."
Her fingers curled into her lap.
"And so... I took the blame."
Liam sighed heavily.
That was so fucked up.
He closed his eyes for a second, trying to process it all.
Her mother—**that evil fucking woman—**got away with it.
Even though she caused everything, she barely faced any consequences.
And Lana?
Lana had to carry the weight of a crime she never committed.
Liam exhaled slowly, his grip on her tightening slightly.
"Your mother is an evil woman," he muttered under his breath.
Lana remained silent.
"How can a bitch be that cold?" Liam shook his head. "She ruined everything and just walked away like nothing happened."
He let out another sigh, this one heavier than before.
Then, after a moment, he spoke again.
"I understand now."
Lana slowly shook her head, her long dark waves brushing against his arm.
Then, she tilted her head up to look at him.
Liam glanced down...
And immediately regretted it.
Because holy shit.
The way she was looking at him—so vulnerable, so beautiful, so painfully fragile.
It made his chest tighten, his pulse quicken.
Her green eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her soft lips slightly parted, her face holding an expression that made something deep inside him stir.
For a split second, Liam forgot what they were even talking about.
His mind blanked.
Fuck.
This girl was dangerous.
He quickly pulled himself together, shaking off the thoughts that threatened to distract him.
Focus.
This wasn’t about that.
He needed to hear her out.
Clearing his throat, he spoke again, forcing his mind back on track.
"Lana, what actually made your father start drinking?"
Lana blinked slowly, as if pulling herself back to reality as well.
She bit her lip.
Then, she spoke.
"A few months later..."
Her voice was hollow now.
"My dad got a call from the lab."
Liam frowned slightly.
"The DNA test of my dead sister..."
Lana swallowed hard.
"It didn’t match him."
Liam’s entire body froze.
His brows furrowed, his lips parting slightly.
"Wait... what?"
Lana let out a bitter chuckle.
"He wasn’t her biological father."
Liam’s brain glitched.
What the actual fuck?
Lana rubbed her arms, as if trying to comfort herself.
"In shock, my dad ordered another test. This time... on me."
Liam’s hands slowly curled into fists.
No.
No way.
"The results came back."
Lana’s lips quivered slightly, but she forced herself to say it.
"I wasn’t his either."
Liam’s stomach dropped.
His fingers twitched.
For a moment, his mind completely shut down.
What the actual fuck?
His head spun, trying to grasp the insanity of what she just said.
This woman—**this absolute demon of a woman—**lied to her husband for years.
She let him love and raise two children who weren’t even his.
And when one of them died, she barely reacted.
Liam exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
"Who the fuck is this woman?"
His voice was low, filled with disbelief.
Lana let out a weak, empty laugh.
"That’s what I’ve been asking myself for years."
Her voice was laced with exhaustion, as if she had long since given up on trying to understand the woman who had ruined so many lives.
Liam ran a hand through his hair, trying to process it all.
So not only had Lana lost her sister in a tragic accident caused by her mother’s cruelty, but she also found out later that the man who raised her—the only decent parent she had—wasn’t even her real father.
Liam exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
"She should be the one hit by that car."
Lana’s eyes widened slightly at his words, but she didn’t protest.
She knew Liam didn’t just say things like that for no reason.
And honestly?
A part of her agreed.
She bit her lip, her voice soft.
"Since then... my dad was never the same."
Liam didn’t even need to ask what she meant.
He already knew.
The drinking.
The despair.
The complete collapse of a man who once loved his family.
It all made sense now.
Lana sighed, brushing a hand through her long dark hair.
"And my mom?" She let out a small, humorless chuckle. "She didn’t care. Not even a little bit."
Liam’s jaw clenched.
No surprise there.
Lana lowered her gaze, staring at her own hands in her lap.
"She just... kept living like nothing happened. As if she didn’t destroy our entire family."
Liam was silent for a moment, his fingers twitching slightly.
Then, he spoke.
"And your father? Why didn’t he leave her?"
Lana shook her head.
"I don’t know. I ask myself that every day."
Her voice was quiet, almost defeated.
Then, she finally looked up at him again, her green eyes slightly glossy with emotion.
"That’s why I’m still there, Liam."
Liam furrowed his brows.
Lana sighed.
"Because even after everything... I’m scared of what might happen if I leave."
Liam felt a strange, unfamiliar pang in his chest.
She was staying with that monster just to make sure her father didn’t completely fall apart.
She had been bearing this weight alone for so many years.
And no one even knew.
Liam inhaled deeply, then slowly let it out.
---
Lana slowly pulled away from Liam’s embrace, her fingers lingering on his shirt for just a second before she finally let go.
She sniffled lightly, quickly wiping the dampness from her cheeks as she took a shaky breath.
Then, before Liam could even react, she leaned forward—her soft lips pressing a quick kiss against his cheek.
Liam blinked, stunned.
"Thank you, Liam."
Her voice was gentle, sincere... filled with something unspoken.
But before he could even process what had just happened, before he could see the faint blush rising on her cheeks, Lana abruptly stood up.
Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away—fast.
Liam just sat there, watching as she disappeared down the street.
A slow smile crept onto his lips.
"Heh... this girl."
He shook his head, exhaling through his nose.
But before he could dwell on it any longer, the rumbling sound of an approaching truck caught his attention.
Liam turned his head and saw a large white vehicle pulling up in front of his house.
A blue and white logo was printed on the side—Titan Electrical Supplies.
Finally.
Two men in navy-blue uniforms hopped out of the truck, both carrying toolboxes as they made their way toward him.
"You the one who called?" one of them asked, adjusting the cap on his head.
Liam nodded.
"Yeah, follow me. It’s inside."
He led them into the house, guiding them straight to the electrical panel where the damage had occurred.
The moment the men saw the state of the wires and circuits, they both whistled lowly.
"Damn. You weren’t kidding when you said it was bad, huh?"
Liam just crossed his arms.
"Can you fix it?"
The older of the two men snorted.
"Of course. It’ll take a while, though."
Liam sighed.
"Just do it."
And so, for the next two hours, Liam watched as the two electricians worked tirelessly—replacing the fried wires, switching out the broken fuses, and ensuring that his house wouldn’t explode the next time he tried to turn on a damn light.
It was boring.
Painfully boring.
But when they were finally done, Liam felt like a new man.
As the warm glow of electricity returned to his home, he couldn’t help but grin.
"Finally."
He was so relieved that he even pulled out an extra wad of cash and handed it to them as a tip.
The younger electrician’s eyes widened.
"Whoa, man. This is too much—"
"Take it." Liam waved him off. "Just happy to have my power back."
The two men exchanged looks before shrugging and taking the money.
"Well, thanks, man. If you ever need anything else, you got our number."
With that, they packed up their tools and left.
The second the door shut behind them, Liam’s entire demeanor changed.
His easygoing smile faded.
His eyes sharpened with determination.
His hands itched.
He wanted to trade.
No.
He needed to trade.
It was time to make some goddamn money.
He strode over to his desk, cracked his knuckles, and settled into his chair.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard as a smirk spread across his face.
"Alright... let’s fucking get rich."
But just as he was about to start—
BEEP!
A sharp, high-pitched sound rang out.
Liam stiffened.
His system interface suddenly flashed to life in front of him, glowing an ominous, almost aggressive shade of red.
His entire screen was covered in flashing warnings.
Danger.
Threat detected.
Liam’s stomach dropped.
What the hell—
Before he could even begin to process what was happening, his system voice spoke, its usually calm and robotic tone now laced with urgency.
[WARNING: IMMEDIATE THREAT DETECTED.]
Liam’s jaw clenched.
His fingers curled into fists.
And then, without thinking, he slammed his hand down onto the desk.
BANG!
The loud impact echoed through the room.
"Can’t I have a fucking peaceful day?!" he growled through gritted teeth.
Of course not.
Not when he had a system from hell.
And not when his life was about to take yet another unexpected turn.
