Lily lounged across her couch like a queen in repose, long legs draped languid over the armrest, orange curls spilling wild in sunset tangles over porcelain shoulders.
The massive screen flickered muted with some mindless reality show—omegas preening in gowns—but her eyes stared vacant, lost in thoughts she wouldn't voice. Not even dare to.
Silk robe parted loose at the thigh, revealing smooth skin flushed faint from a day of suppressants and solitude, the city skyline glittering beyond glass walls like a kingdom she ruled from shadows. If any fan of hers saw her like this, they would never believe that she was 'Lily.'
The door clicked open without knock—Faye, ever the storm, striding in with cropped black hair razor-edged, leather jacket slung casual over tank and jeans, combat boots thudding purposeful on marble.
Her eyes sharp, tablet tucked under arm like a weapon. She dropped into the armchair opposite; legs manspread as she smirked at Lily.
"You've pulled all surveillance from Emily Leonhart's Willowbrook hole," Faye stated flat, no question mark, just fact dropped heavy.
Lily stilled mid-breath, fingers freezing on robe's tie, eyes flicking down to lap as a betraying flush crept hot up her neck—porcelain skin pinking vivid before she swallowed hard, forcing it down with iron will.
Heart tripped faster; last night's feed burned memory. Emily in that clawfoot tub, raven hair floating wet, breasts buoyant under sudsy palms, fingers plunging deep between spread thighs with moans that fogged the cam.
For the first time, her alpha instincts had roared—possessive, hungry—watching petite curves arch slick and shameless, emerald eyes half-lidded in raw release.
But there was a bigger issue that she was trying to ignore.
Emily was an omega.
It was wrong. Invasive. Lily had yanked the feeds dawn-crisp, drones grounded, PIs silenced. Honestly, she wanted to yell at herself for increasing the surveillance in Emily's mansion. Why the hell did she do that? And why did her minions think that it would be wise to plant cams in her bathroom.
"Yes," Lily admitted cool, voice velvet over gravel, lifting chin defiant despite the heat lingering under skin. "I have removed them. Why are you asking me this question?"
Faye leaned forward elbows on knees, smirk curling lip sceptical. "Wasn't asking, cousin. Stating. You don't do anything unless you are affected by it."
Lily arched a perfect brow, orange curls shifting like fire. "Then what?"
"Just curious." Faye's gaze drilled playful-predatory, tablet flipped open to frozen stills—Emily's bathhouse glow, blurred for deniability but damning. "The woman who burned twenty million tracking every grocery run, every sketch of hers... pulls plugs in days."
"Where did you find the video?" Lily snarled at her, yanking the table out of Faye's hands. How did her cousin find that video?
"Don't worry, Lily. It's blurred by the steam. So, what flipped the switch? Caught feels for stalker-villainess? Or did those cams show something juicy?" Of course, it did. Her cousin's reaction was screaming aloud everything.
Lily's flush threatened return, jaw tightening miniscule—alpha snarl bitten back. "Curious?" she echoed cool, crossing legs slow. "You? Ms. No-Boundaries? It's the invasion of privacy."
"Me? You were the one who invaded her privacy. Besides, I know that she is an omega." Faye was shocked when she found that Lily's stalker was an omega. Why were the people on this earth were so keen to hide their real genders?
Lily scowled, "How?"
"Her moans, cousin. Don't worry, I don't have any interest in her. I already have a girlfriend."
"Did your girlfriend see the video?"
"Yes, she did. Because of her, I was able to know Emily was an omega. Although, I am more curious about the reason of her posing as an alpha."
Lily gave her a cold glare. "Will your girlfriend—"
"She won't say anything to anyone," Faye chuckled low, boots propped coffee table rude. "But Lily, aren't you getting deeper into the hole that you are digging. I mean, she stalked you. Will you stalk her too?" It was interesting as both parties hid their genders, and acted as opposite ones—the 'omega' stalked the 'alpha?' It was utterly fascinating.
"Nothing has changed," Lily lied smooth, curse inward sharp—fucking minions, promised exterior feeds only. She felt like a creep. "It was just a waste of cash. She's irrelevant."
"Bullshit. You're rattled by her. Come on, Lily—you know that you are a bit interested in her. Admit it. She cracked your ice."
Lily shot glare lethal, rising fluid tall frame uncoiling. "Enough prying, Faye. I removed the surveillance because it's done. She will not be stalking me anymore. Let her do whatever she wants now."
"I am not doing anything, Lily. The video will be deleted by me, and her real gender stays as a secret." Faye stood up as well. "Lily, one day she will reveal her real gender. Maybe she would be forced to reveal."
"Why are you saying this?"
"What will you do?"
"Nothing," Lily replied, deleting the video from Faye's tablet before handing it to her.
Faye took her tablet back from her with a slow, deliberate shake of her head, eyes glinting with that knowing mix of amusement and exasperation she reserved just for Lily. She lingered a beat by the coffee table, combat boots planted wide, leather jacket creaking as she straightened herself.
Orange curls framed Lily's face like a defiant halo, doe-brown eyes narrowed cool, but that stubborn flush lingered high on her neck, porcelain skin betraying the war inside.
"Sis, you should be careful from now on."
"What the hell are you trying to say?"
Faye turned slow toward the door, boots thudding soft on marble, but paused with hand on the handle, glancing back over her shoulder one last time.
"Lily," she said, voice carrying that gravel-edge of truth no one else dared drop, "I'm sure one day you'll get infatuated with her. Really infatuated. Not this paranoid watch-the-stalker bullshit, but the kind that hits like alpha rut—raw, unstoppable, making you ache for those emerald eyes and that omega-soft body. And that's when you'll realize something huge." A beat, hazel gaze locking doe-brown fierce.
"This will never happen," Lily snarled.
"For someone who doesn't care about love—she will be the one who could break your perfect omega mask wide open. And that's my prediction."