The banquet hall of the bank didn't look like a place meant for celebration.It was too bright, too polished, too loud—like someone tried desperately to force joy into a room built for tension.
Crystal chandeliers spilled cold light over a floor so shiny it reflected people's shadows more clearly than their faces. Employees mingled in stiff circles, holding drinks they didn't want and pretending not to fear the woman who ruled this place.
Nora stood beside me, her arms crossed, eyes scanning the room with the same wary calm she always had. I leaned toward her and whispered,"Do you think… if Lilith had lived in ancient times, she would've stayed loyal to that darkness she carries?"
Nora didn't even blink. Her sarcasm was sharper than any dagger:"I doubt she'd struggle choosing ink colors. She'd just prick her finger and let the darkness flow out naturally."
I stared at her, surprised."No… I think she was once kind. Maybe life forced her into this version of herself."
Nora's response was immediate, almost scolding:"And why didn't life succeed in turning you into someone like her? You're too kind, Liora… that's why you insist on believing others are like you."
Before I could answer, a sharp, amused laugh cracked behind us a laugh I recognized too well.
Lilith.
She had been standing close enough to hear every word we said.
Nora stiffened beside me, shoulders tightening, but Lilith didn't even look at her. Her attention was fixed entirely… on me. She stepped forward, a predatory calm in her eyes.
"Tell me, Liora…" she said softly,"Do you really think you're a 'kind' girl?"Her voice lowered, sharp enough to cut air."And do you truly believe circumstances alone made me the way I am?"
Her question felt like a trap… and I—foolishly—walked right into it. I stepped back instinctively and collided with something solid.Someone...Adam.
His hand steadied me immediately, warm around mine, gentle in a way that made everything worse. As if he were trying to comfort me… or ignite the fury in the woman watching us.
Because when Lilith saw his fingers wrapped around mine, her eyes flashed a spark, dark and dangerous. Realizing his mistake too late, Adam released my hand and hurried toward her.
He forced a cheerful tone:"Isn't there anything to eat in this event?"
Lilith didn't even spare him a glance. Still staring at me, she replied coldly:"I didn't expect you to be this… greedy."Her eyes flicked toward where his hand had been touching mine.
Adam laughed awkwardly and ran toward the buffet table."You have pizza?! I love pizza!"
He escaped like a child running away from a lit fuse. Lilith stepped closer to me, her gaze narrowing. "I love pizza too, you know."
My voice barely escaped my throat:"…Oh?"
She took a slow sip from her glass before adding:
"Do you know why it reminds me of you?"
Again, "…Oh?"
She suddenly grabbed my shoulder hard enough to make me flinch. Her words slid into my ear like venom wrapped in silk:
"When I grate cheese… I always see your face."Her smile sharpened."Maybe because you look like a little mouse…"A pause."…Or maybe because I'd enjoy grating you just as much."
My breath froze. Then a familiar voice broke through the tension, clear and calm:
"Did you know that in Arabic, 'cheese' and 'cowardice' share the same root?"He added with a slight tilt of his head, "Perhaps it reminds her of something she lacks."
Lilith turned, her expression melting instantly into charm.
"Doctor… welcome. I'm glad you accepted my invitation."
The doctor smiled politely."Accompanying you was… necessary. Though I'm more intrigued to finally meet the thorn you keep complaining about."
At that exact moment, Adam rushed back and slipped an arm around Lilith's waist a silent warning to the doctor.
Lilith gestured between us."This is my friend, the doctor. I want both of you to meet him."
I frowned."Why both of us?"
Adam and I spoke in unison,"I know him."Then looked at each other and laughed despite the tension.
Lilith shoved Adam's arm away, irritated.
The doctor tried to smooth the moment."I know the detective well. He once accused me of murdering a girl…"He paused thoughtfully."…I can't recall her name."
Adam's eyes narrowed with mischief."She was your patient. Amazing how fast you forget."
The doctor shrugged and reached for a drink."Do you know how many patients have died since I opened my clinic?"
Adam focused on his words but Lilith and I weren't listening.
Both our gazes had fallen… on the soft pink notebook peeking from the doctor's coat pocket.
My notebook.
My breath caught.
I had written in it only days ago. It shouldn't be with him. It couldn't be.
But what startled me wasn't the doctor.
It was Lilith's expression...confusion, shock… and something dangerously close to fear.
She demanded quietly:
"I took that notebook yesterday. Hid it in the drawer of my desk at home.So tell me…how did you get it?"
The doctor lifted the notebook between two fingers.
"This?"His voice softened into something unreadable."Did you borrow it… or did you steal it?"
And in that moment every shadow in the room seemed to lean in to listen.