"Hey," Ivana said softly, her voice breaking the thick silence as her eyes stayed locked on Kacy.
Edna stood beside her, completely clueless, caught between the charged air neither she nor anyone else could pretend not to feel.
"Little moonlight," Kacy murmured.
His voice was low.
Velvet.
Dangerous in its calm heat.
He stretched one leg lazily, the chair rolling slightly beneath him with a faint sound, but his attention never left her.
His gaze moved slowly, deliberately, assessing her the way a man starved of control looks at the one thing capable of undoing him.
Ivana felt it instantly.
The heat.
The awareness.
Her body reacted before her mind could catch up.
Her skin burned, her knees weakened, and she silently prayed the floor would open up and swallow her whole.
She could feel his eyes on her, stripping her bare without a single touch, and the want trembled through her despite herself.
Across the room, Lilian noticed everything.
The way neither of them moved.
The way their stares spoke louder than words.
The tension stretched thin by unspoken truths, guilt, fear, and a fragile trust threatening to fracture.
They weren't fighting.
They weren't reconciling either.
They were stuck in that dangerous middle where love still existed, but doubt had begun to rot it from the inside.
Lilian felt it deep in her chest.
Something was wrong.
"Hey, sister in law....." Adam started, Leon echoing him a second later.
They didn't finish.
Lilian was already on her feet.
"No, hey," she said sharply, cutting them off without looking back.
She turned to Ivana, her perfect blue siren eyes softening just a little. "Hey, sister in law. I need to talk to you. Real quick."
Then, as if it were already decided, she added, "Edna, you're coming too."
She didn't wait for permission. Didn't wait for protest.
She simply reached out and dragged them both away from the office, pulling Ivana out of Kacy's gravity before either of them could stop it.
The three men were left behind, staring at one another in stunned silence.
"…Okay," Leon finally said loudly, looking around. "I'm confused. What the fuck just happened."
Lilian didn't slow down until they reached the garden.
The Lillard's estate opened into a breathtaking stretch of manicured beauty.
Rare flowers bloomed in deliberate symmetry, their colors deep and rich, scents weaving through the air like a spell.
Soft golden lights lined the stone paths, illuminating trimmed hedges and marble fountains that whispered luxury and quiet power.
At the edge of it all hung a long bench swing.
It was suspended by two thick ropes fastened to a carved archway, polished wood gleaming faintly under the lights.
Wide enough for three people, it swayed gently, inviting and intimate, like it had witnessed secrets far heavier than laughter.
Lilian dropped onto it without ceremony.
Ivana and Edna exchanged a confused glance.
With a light tap of her fingers, Lilian patted the empty space beside her.
They hesitated only a moment before sitting, the swing shifting under their combined weight.
The silence stretched.
Flowers rustled.
The swing creaked softly.
Lilian cleared her throat.
"I saw something, Ivy. And I'm not trying to intrude, I just...."
She stopped, glancing at Edna, suddenly aware of the third presence.
Edna stood immediately. "I'll leave you two,"
she said gently. "This feels… private."
She didn't wait for either of them to respond before walking back toward the house.
Another pause.
Then, unexpectedly, Lilian and Ivana burst into awkward laughter.
It surprised them both.
They laughed until it faded, until the air felt lighter but still fragile.
"I didn't mean to force you away,"
Lilian said first, her tone gentler now.
"But the way you and my brother were looking at each other… it was obvious something was going on. You didn't want to be in the same space with him. I just thought you needed distance."
She shrugged lightly. "So, yeah. Sorry for dragging you."
Ivana exhaled slowly.
"I should be thanking you," she admitted. "If anything… I think this is my fault. Not his."
Lilian smirked. "You, your parents or my parents."
Ivana huffed. "All of the above."
They laughed again, quieter this time.
Lilian shifted closer on the swing, her posture relaxing. Her voice softened, serious now.
"I really vouch for you, Ivana," Lilian muttered calmly.
"I want you to be the reason my brother smiles for real. And I know you can be. It doesn't matter if everyone else is against you. If you both still have each other, you'll find a way."
She smiled warmly. "You'll work it out."
Ivana looked at Lilian with quiet sadness.
She knew her sister in law was right, she truly did, but reality was never that simple.
Hope depended on circumstances, and when she thought about her situation with Kacy, doubt crept in like a slow poison.
It was not that he could not help her family.
He could.
Easily.
That was what terrified her.
Power always came with consequences, and she was afraid of what his involvement might cost him in the end.
Afraid of the damage his name, his influence, his choices might attract. Afraid that loving her might become the reason he bled.
And what if it all went wrong.
What if it destroyed him.
Love is not enough.
The thought echoed in her mind like a cruel refrain.
It had been haunting her ever since that meeting with their parents, repeating itself over and over until it felt like an anthem carved into her bones.
Love is not enough.
If love were truly enough, then why had her world collapsed so easily.
Why had her business been erased like it never existed.
She had believed in passion, discipline, and results.
She had believed her love for her craft and her refusal to give up would protect her.
She had been wrong.
Her fashion dream, the very thing that kept her breathing, had been ripped from her hands.
Reduced to nothing.
No warning.
No mercy.
Rock bottom had welcomed her with open arms.
No hope.
No remnants.
No trace that she had ever been someone worth remembering.
People no longer spoke her name with admiration.
No one mentioned that she had once stood among the best.
The world had moved on, indifferent and cruel, pretending she had never existed at all.
Did Lily's Fashion even stir a memory in anyone's mind anymore.
No.
To the world, she was no longer Ivana Moore, the visionary behind a rising empire of silk and steel.
She was simply Mrs. Ivana Lillard, the wife of one of the wealthiest multi billionaires and trillionaires alive.
That was all.
No one spoke of her work.
No one remembered her results.
No one cared about the years she bled for her craft.
Her past had been erased.
As the thought settled, a tear slipped free, trailing down her cheek unnoticed by her until it was already gone.
Lilian saw it though.
She always did.
She watched quietly, choosing not to interrupt the storm unraveling behind Ivana's eyes.
This was what rock bottom felt like.
This was what it meant to live without power, without authority, without the ability to protect your name or your dignity.
The world forgets you.
Your achievements fade.
Your voice is silenced.
Your victories mean nothing.
No one remembers a failure.
No one remembers someone who fell.
The cruel truth of the world was simple. If you were not powerful, you were invisible.
And if you were invisible, you were already forgotten.
If not for the arranged marriage to Kacy Lillard, a man the media adored and feared in equal measure, her name would have vanished completely.
She would have been no one.
All because of one command from her parents.
Her father had been the executioner, yes, but her mother's silence made her just as guilty.
She had hidden Lily's Fashion carefully, building it from the shadows, letting stand ins represent her at public events.
No face.
No name.
Just results.
Until one mistake.
One visit.
Her mother had shown up at her office, humiliation dripping from her words, turning her private sanctuary into a public spectacle.
From that moment, the truth spread like wildfire.
Lily's Fashion was hers.
And then the war began.
For three years, her father threatened, cornered, waited.
When the moment finally came, he destroyed everything.
Reduced her to nothing. And when she began to recover a year later, he struck again.
An arranged marriage.
Now she was pregnant.
Now her life was tangled in another man's fate.
And still, he wanted more.
A divorce.
A broken contract.
Another ruin.
How cruel could a father be.
Why could they not allow her peace. Just once.
She had believed love could overcome anything. She had believed it fiercely.
But belief had not saved her then, and she refused to let it blind her again.
She was forgotten now. A fallen fashion queen.
And this time, she would not make the same mistake.
No one would change her mind.
Not even her husband.
Lilian watched silently as tears finally claimed Ivana completely.
It was only when one slipped to her lips, tasting of salt and grief, that Ivana snapped back to reality.
She wiped her face quickly, breath uneven.
"I'm sorry… I drifted off,"
she murmured, staring at her reflection in her own shaking hands.
"God… I'm a mess."
She sniffed, wiped again, sneezed softly, embarrassment flooding her features.
Lilian said nothing. She only handed her a napkin.
Ivana took it immediately, cleaning her face, blowing her nose, cheeks burning red.
Her eyes were swollen, raw, evidence of a breakdown she hadn't even realized had lasted so long.
She turned away, unable to meet Lilian's gaze.
"It's okay to cry, Ivy,"
Lilian said gently.
No teasing.
No sharpness.
Just calm.
"There's a time for everything. And this… this is your time to cry."
She paused, her voice softening further.
"Cry it all out. And when you're done, I'll be right here. I'll listen."
The words shattered something inside Ivana.
No one had ever spoken to her like that. Not her parents. Not the people who raised her among gold and billions but never taught her what love sounded like.
She moved without thinking, wrapping her arms tightly around Lilian, breaking down completely.
Sobs tore from her chest, messy and unrestrained.
Her face pressed into Lilian's expensive Saint Laurent gown, soaking it with tears and sniffles.
Lilian didn't flinch.
She only held her, rubbing her back softly, letting her cry.
"Cry all you want, Ivy," she whispered. "Today, my shoulder is yours."
After a long while, Ivana pulled back, wiping her face again, breathing shakily.
She adjusted her posture, embarrassment creeping in as she avoided Lilian's eyes.
Lilian looked at her calmly, unbothered by the ruined gown.
"Are you done crying?" she asked gently.
No judgment.
Only patience.
"Well… yeah…"
Ivana's words faltered as fresh tears spilled down her already flushed cheeks.
A soft, broken sound slipped past her lips before she could stop it.
She rolled her tongue over her mouth, then bit down hard, holding herself together until she was sure she wouldn't fall apart again.
Only then did she release her lip and force a weak smile.
"Yeah… I'm fine,"
she said softly, brushing her fingers over her damp lashes with a quiet, hollow chuckle.
"It's nothing. Just a speck of dust caught in them, that's all."
She laughed under her breath, wiping her face quickly, pretending she hadn't just unraveled.
"And thank you for the napkin. I'll return it to you…"
Lilian's laughter cut her off.
It was light, carefree, unrestrained. The kind of laughter that carried no weight, no fear, no shadows.
Ivana watched her for a moment, mesmerized, before finding herself laughing too.
There was something disarming about Lilian's joy, something pure and magnetic that pulled people in without effort.
Slowly, their laughter faded, leaving behind soft smiles and a fragile calm.
"Don't pretend, Ivy," Lilian said softly. "You can cry if you want. It's okay."
Her voice was calm, sincere, grounding.
"Everyone goes through emotions in this life. Joy. Love. Peace. Happiness. Sorrow. Mourning. Pain. Heartbreak. Confusion. Exhaustion. None of it is wrong. Crying isn't weakness. It's human."
She leaned back slightly, eyes steady on Ivana.
"We're not machines. We feel. And there's nothing wrong with letting those feelings breathe."
The way Lilian spoke, soft yet certain, left Ivana momentarily speechless.
She inhaled slowly, gathering courage, then finally asked the question that had been choking her for weeks.
"What if you believed love could fix everything," Ivana whispered, "but it failed you… and now you're afraid to believe in it again. What do you do then?"
Lilian didn't hesitate.
"Then I'll try again," she said simply. "And again."
She smiled faintly.
"Giving up on love just because it failed you once would be boring, wouldn't it. You never know what the next try might bring. Life is about trying until you find what you're looking for."
Ivana stared at her, stunned.
Now she understood why Kacy called his sister Miss Annoyance. Lilian spoke too much, yes, but worse, she spoke truths no one wanted to hear.
Lilian fell quiet, studying Ivana with a thoughtful gaze.
She knew pieces of her story.
Not from gossip or half baked rumors, but from her brother.
And Kacy never got his facts wrong.
The thought unsettled her.
How could Ivana's parents be that cruel.
She sighed softly, then continued.
"I'll never give up on love, Ivy. Not until I get what my heart truly wants. It's okay to fail",
"Failure doesn't mean stop. I may not fully understand what you've been through, but I know this for sure."
She leaned closer, her voice gentle but firm.
"It's okay not to be okay. What matters is choosing to make yourself okay again."
Those words pierced straight through Ivana's chest.
For the first time in a long while, she wanted to believe.
To believe in Kacy. In his love. In the fragile future standing between them.
Her hand drifted unconsciously to her belly, a small, protective gesture.
A soft smile touched her lips as she thought of their little snowdrop, the name he had already claimed with certainty, convinced it would be a girl.
Maybe love deserved one more chance.
Not just for her.
But for the life growing inside her.