Lemon Like Love

Like Mother Like Daughter

~Lenna's pov~

After the meeting, I immediately rushed back home to gather my thoughts. The whole meeting gave me a massive amount of anxiety, and now I'm tangled up in a ball of lies and uncertainty. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had made a grave mistake and that I had inadvertently set a series of events into motion that I couldn't control.

I took a deep breath as I searched through my handbag for my hotel room keys , but to my dismay, they were nowhere to be found. Panic started to set in as I realized that without those keys, I wouldn't have access to my room, and everything I needed was inside. Frantically, I dumped the contents of my bag onto the ground, hoping that maybe they had just gotten buried underneath something. But still, no sign of the keys. My mind raced as I retraced my steps from earlier in the day, trying to remember where I could have possibly misplaced them. The thought of having to go through the hassle of getting a replacement key from the front desk added even more stress to an already overwhelming day.

"Looking for this?" I heard someone say. Startled, I turned around to see Matteo holding up a familiar set of keys. I immediately got up and rushed over to him, relief flooding through me.

"Yes! Those are my keys! Where did you find them?" I asked eagerly. Matteo smirked and teasingly dangled the keys in front of me.

"I found them in your purse," he replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"How dare you go through my purse?" I exclaimed, feeling a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Matteo shrugged nonchalantly.

"I didn't really go through it, just happened to peek inside," he responded casually.

"You piece of shit. Give it back ," I muttered, annoyed.

He leaned in closer, his intoxicating scent filling the air between us. 

"I'll give them back," he whispered huskily, his warm breath ghosting over my ear.

"But only if you tell me one thing," he added with a mischievous grin.

"Anything," I breathed out softly, feeling the tension building between us.

He had me back against my door with his arms above me, pressing me against it. His touch sent shivers down my spine as he leaned in.

"Tell me," he whispered, his voice dripping with malice, "Why did your face become pale when you heard about The Shadows?"

My heart raced as his question hung in the air. The Shadows. The mere mention of their name sent a chill down my spine, reminding me of the dark secrets I had buried deep within. I swallowed hard, my mind racing for a plausible answer that wouldn't reveal the truth. But his piercing gaze seemed to penetrate my defenses, searching for the vulnerability I desperately tried to hide.

"I-I wasn't pale.."

"You really suck at lying." He whispered as he trailed his finger along my face. The touch was gentle, but his words cut through me like a knife. The truth was written all over my pale complexion, a telltale sign. "Tell me the truth, Lenna. Are you part of that organization?"

"No," I replied firmly, my voice wavering slightly. "I have no affiliation with that organization."

His grip tightened around my jaw, and his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"I don't believe you," he said, his voice laced with a mix of anger and disappointment. "You're hiding something, Lenna. I can see it in your eyes and feel it in the way you hesitate. If you truly had no involvement, there wouldn't be this fear lingering beneath the surface."