Page 190 of Wisteria and Cloves
I felt the blood drain from my face. "It was the only argument I had with my mother before I learned it was less painful to keep my mouth shut.”
The silence that followed was deafening. I could feel all four men's eyes on me, their protective instincts flaring at the implications of what I'd just revealed.
"What do you mean, less painful?" Christopher's voice was carefully controlled, but I could hear the undercurrent of rage beneath it.
I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling exposed despite being fully clothed. "She didn't like it when I disagreed with her. It was... easier to just go along with what she wanted." The words tasted bitter in my mouth.
Julian's fork clattered against his plate. "Lilianna, what did she do to you?"
I shook my head, not wanting to delve into those memories now. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that Karen has recordings of me at my worst—crying, begging my mother to reconsider the arrangement….” I trailed off, tears welling up in my eyes.
The memories flooded back—Karen standing silently in the corner with her tablet, always present but invisible,documenting everything. How naive I'd been to think she was just doing her job.
"She has recordings of me breaking down," I whispered, the words scraping against my throat. "Of me saying I didn't want to be mated to strangers, that I was scared, that I felt like I was being sold." My voice cracked. "She was there when I begged my mother to let me have more time, to consider other options."
Miles's expression darkened. "She's trying to paint a picture of you as an unwilling victim who jumped from one bad situation into another."
"Except this time, with older men who supposedly took advantage of your vulnerability," Nicolaus added, his analytical mind already working through the implications.
I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to hold back the tears.
"And the worst part," I said, my voice barely audible, "is that those recordings will sound exactly like what she's claiming they are. Because I was terrified then. I didn't want to be with those men my parents had chosen. I was desperate." I looked up, meeting each of their gazes. "But this—us—it's completely different."
Christopher reached across the table, his large hand covering mine. "We know that, Lilianna."
"But no one else will," I whispered. "They'll hear me sobbing about being forced into a mating and then learn I ended up with four alphas instead. They won't understand the difference."
Miles set the tablet down with a controlled deliberateness that betrayed his anger. "They will when we're done explaining it."
"These recordings," Christopher said, reaching across the table to gently take my hand, "do they actually capture your mother's responses?"
I nodded slowly, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "Oh yes. Every cold dismissal, every time she told me I was beingungrateful and childish." I met his eyes. "Every reminder that I was an omega who should begrateful thatanyone would want me at all."
The growls that rumbled through the room made the hair on my arms stand up. It wasn't directed at me, but the pure alpha rage vibrating in the air was palpable.
"That actually works in our favor," Nicolaus said, his tactical mind already shifting. "If the full recordings are released, they'll reveal exactly what kind of woman your mother is."
Miles nodded, his expression thoughtful. "We could use this. Turn it around on them."
"No," I said sharply, surprising myself with the force of my own voice. "I won't have those recordings made public. I won't have my lowest moments broadcasted for entertainment."
The men exchanged glances, and I could see the conflict in their eyes—the desire to protect me warring with their need to defend us all.
"Lilianna," Miles said gently, "I understand your reluctance, but—"
"No." I stood abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. "I've been violated enough. I won't let Karen and my mother profit from my pain by turning it into a public spectacle." My hands were shaking, but my voice grew stronger. "There has to be another way."
Julian was on feet in an instant, his arms coming around me from behind. "Okay, sweetheart. We'll find another way."
“Thank you.” I muttered, suddenly feeling exhausted.
I leaned back against Julian's solid chest, drawing strength from his steady presence. The knot of anxiety in my stomach was still there, but beneath it, something else was building—a determination I hadn't felt before.
"We need to be proactive," I said, my voice steadier than I expected. "Not reactive."
Christopher's eyes softened as he watched me. "You're right. We won't let them weaponize your vulnerability." He stood, moving around the table to join us. "But we do need a strategy."
"I already have one," Nicolaus said, his fingers tapping against the table in that familiar rhythm he used when his mind was working through complex problems. "We go on the offensive."
