Chapter 23

"Dig up everything on Lilith. I want every single detail," Emmanuel barked into his phone, eyes dark and sharp like a storm about to break. His whole face was carved with fury and cold menace. Lilith. The woman he'd thought he knew for three damn years—turns out, maybe he never really did. What else was she hiding behind that pretty, gentle face? This time, he wasn't holding back. He was going to strip away every last mask she wore and see just how cruel and disgusting she truly was. He shoved open the heavy door of the basement; blinding sunlight hit him like a slap. After being underground for so long, the sudden brightness made him squint in discomfort. He glanced up at the sky, the sun blazing like it was trying to burn right through him. It had been a month since Elena left. Just a month, but it felt like a lifetime. Not a night passed without her showing up in his dreams. Over and over again, his mind replayed every moment they'd shared through the years—each memory hitting harde