MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter Forty-One: The Corner
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The night before they left for Singapore, the house was restless.
Everyone was packed. Everyone was ready. Everyone was waiting. Tomorrow, they would fly to Singapore. Tomorrow, they would find the man who had been hiding for thirty years. Tomorrow, the war would finally end.
But tonight, the house was quiet.
Jay was in the study with Keifer, going over the maps one last time, tracing the routes, counting the guards, planning the entrance. Percy was in the kitchen, making food for the trip, his voice low, his hands steady. Aries was beside him, silent, watching. Yuri was in his corner, his arms crossed, his face cold, but his eyes were on Percy. They were always on Percy.
Ci N was on the sofa, his phone in his hand, scrolling through the footage he had taken over the months. The engagement. The wedding. The warehouse. The hospital. The amusement park. He had recorded everything. He had been there for everything. Felix was beside him, his head on Ci N's shoulder, his eyes closed, his breathing slow.
Care was in the garden with Cole, walking through the flowers, her hand in his, her face turned toward the moon. Grace was with Denzel on the back steps, not talking, not touching, just sitting together in the dark. Kit was with Mayo in the living room, playing cards, laughing, their voices low. Freya was with Erdix by the front gate, standing guard, standing together. Rakki was with Mica and Calix in the dining room, going over the Singapore plans, her voice sharp, her eyes bright. Ella was in the armchair, her hands folded, her face soft, watching everyone, watching everything.
And in the corner by the window, Lyra was standing alone.
She had been there for hours. Her hands were empty. Her face was blank. Her eyes were fixed on the street below, on the city lights, on the dark. She hadn't moved since dinner. She hadn't spoken since the meeting. She was waiting.
Alex found her there.
He had been looking for her all night. He had checked the kitchen, the garden, the study, her room. He had asked Percy, Aries, Yuri. No one knew where she was. No one had seen her.
He found her in her corner. Her corner. The one she had claimed the first day she walked into this house. The one where she had held a knife to his throat and told him she would kill him. The one where she had let him stay.
She didn't turn when he walked in. She didn't move. She just stood there, her back to the room, her face to the window, her hands at her sides.
He stood beside her. His shoulder touched hers.
"You're thinking," he said.
She didn't answer.
"You're always thinking. Before the warehouse. Before the fight. Before you saved her. You stand in this corner and you think. And then you go out and you do what needs to be done."
She looked at him. Her face was blank. Her eyes were not.
"I'm not thinking," she said. "I'm waiting."
He stepped closer. "For what?"
She looked at the window. At the city lights. At the dark.
"For tomorrow," she said. "For Singapore. For the man who started everything."
Alex was quiet for a moment. He looked at her face. At the way her jaw was tight. At the way her hands were clenched at her sides. At the way she was holding herself together, brick by brick, like a wall that was about to fall.
"You're scared," he said.
She looked at him. Her face was blank. "I'm not scared."
"You're scared. You're scared about tomorrow. You're scared about Singapore. You're scared about the man who's been hiding for thirty years."
She turned back to the window. "I'm not scared."
He stepped closer. His hand touched her arm. She flinched. She never flinched.
"Lyra," he said.
She pulled away. Her hands were shaking. Her face was not blank anymore.
"I killed him," she said. Her voice was low. Her voice was cracked. "I put a knife in his throat. I watched him die. I watched the blood come out of his neck and I didn't feel anything."
Alex didn't move. "You saved Jay."
"I killed him." Her voice was rising. Her hands were shaking. "I killed him and I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel anything when he fell. I didn't feel anything when his eyes went dark. I didn't feel anything when—"
"Lyra."
"I didn't feel anything, Alex. I didn't feel anything because I'm not—because I'm not—"
Her voice broke. Her face broke. The wall she had been building for years, brick by brick, piece by piece, fell apart.
She was crying.
She was standing in her corner, her hands at her sides, her face wet, her shoulders shaking, and she was crying. She never cried. She had never cried. Not when her father sold her. Not when she was in the Shadow Market. Not when she came back. Not when she disappeared. Not when Alex found her name.
She was crying.
He moved. His hands were on her face. His thumbs were on her cheeks, wiping the tears away. His face was close. His eyes were steady.
"Lyra," he said.
"I can't protect her," she said. Her voice was broken. Her hands were on his wrists. "I can't protect her. I killed a man and I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel anything, Alex. What if I can't protect her tomorrow? What if I can't protect any of them? What if—"
He kissed her.
It was not soft. It was not slow. It was a kiss that stopped her words. It was a kiss that said everything she needed to hear. It was a kiss that promised her she was not alone.
She kissed him back. Her hands were in his hair. Her face was wet. Her heart was breaking.
He pulled back. His hands were still on her face. His eyes were steady.
"Listen to me," he said. "Listen to me, Lyra."
She looked at him. Her face was wet. Her hands were shaking.
"You saved her," he said. "You saved Jay. You put a knife in a man's throat because he was going to kill her. You did what you had to do. What you always do. You protect the people you love."
She shook her head. "I didn't feel anything."
"You felt everything." His voice was firm. "You felt everything. That's why you're crying. That's why you're standing here, in your corner, with your face wet and your hands shaking. Because you felt everything."
She looked at him. Her face was open. Her walls were gone.
"You saved her," he said. "You saved all of them. You saved Freya. You saved Care. You saved Ci N. You saved me."
She shook her head. "I didn't—"
"You saved me." His voice was softer now. His thumbs were still on her cheeks. "You saved me the first day I walked into this house. You held a knife to my throat and you didn't cut. You let me stay. You let me sit in your corner. You let me say your name. You let me in."
She stared at him. Her hands were on his wrists. Her fingers were cold.
"I love you," he said.
The room was quiet. The house was quiet. The whole world was quiet.
She looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were steady. His hands were on her face.
"What did you say?" she whispered.
He smiled. It was small. Tired. Real.
"I love you," he said again. "I love you, Lyra Kulkarni. I love your corner. I love the way you watch the street. I love the way you protect the people you love. I love the way you held a knife to my throat and didn't cut."
She laughed. It was a surprised sound, something that escaped before she could stop it. Her face was wet. Her hands were shaking.
"I love you," he said. "I love you because you're brave. Because you're strong. Because you're scared and you do it anyway. Because you killed a man to save your friend and it broke your heart. Because you're standing here, in your corner, crying, and you're still not running."
She looked at him. Her face was wet. Her eyes were bright.
"I love you because you found my name," she said. "Because you said it out loud. Because you made me real again."
He kissed her forehead. Her cheek. Her lips.
"I love you," he said. "I love you and I'm not going anywhere. Tomorrow, you're going to Singapore. You're going to protect Jay. You're going to do what you have to do. And when you come back, I'm going to be here. In your corner. Waiting."
She pulled him close. Her arms were around his neck. Her face was in his chest.
"I love you," she said.
He held her. His arms were tight. His heart was steady.
"I know," he said.
---
Ci N was in the hallway. His phone was in his hand. He was not recording.
He had been looking for Lyra. He had checked the kitchen, the garden, the study. He had asked Percy, Aries, Yuri. No one knew where she was. No one had seen her.
He found her in her corner. Her corner. The one she had claimed the first day she walked into this house. The one where she had held a knife to Alex's throat and told him she would kill him.
He saw Alex kiss her. He saw him wipe her tears. He saw him say I love you.
He didn't record.
He walked back to the living room. He sat beside Felix. He put his phone in his pocket.
Felix looked at him. "What happened?"
Ci N looked at the hallway. At the corner where Lyra was crying. At the man who was holding her.
"She's okay," Ci N said. "She's going to be okay."
---
The night was ending when Lyra and Alex walked out of the corner.
Her face was dry. Her hands were steady. The ring was not on her finger. Not yet. But she was wearing his jacket. His arm was around her.
They walked to the kitchen. Percy was there, packing food, his hands full, his voice low. He looked up when they walked in.
"You're okay," Percy said.
Lyra looked at him. Her face was blank. Her eyes were not.
"I'm okay," she said.
Percy looked at Alex. Alex nodded. Percy smiled.
"Good," Percy said.
---
Jay was in the study when Lyra found her.
She was standing at the map, her back to the door, her hands at her sides. The man in Singapore's face was pinned at the center. Tomorrow, they would find him. Tomorrow, the war would end.
Lyra stood in the doorway. Her face was blank. Her hands were steady.
"Jay," she said.
Jay turned. She looked at Lyra. At her friend. Her sister. The woman who had saved her life.
"You're okay," Jay said.
Lyra walked to her. She stood beside her. She looked at the map.
"I killed a man," Lyra said. "I put a knife in his throat. I watched him die."
Jay took her hand. Her fingers were warm.
"You saved my life," Jay said.
Lyra looked at her. Her face was blank. Her eyes were not.
"I know," she said.
Jay pulled her close. She held her. Her sister. Her friend. The woman who had been with her through everything.
"Tomorrow," Jay said.
Lyra held her. "Tomorrow."
---
The night was over.
The sun was rising. The house was waking up. Percy was in the kitchen, making noise, making food. Ci N was on the sofa, his phone in his hand, his face bright. Aries was at the table, their hands folded. Yuri was in his corner, his arms crossed, his face cold.
Jay was at the window. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"Ready?" he asked.
She looked at the garden. At the steps where they had sat. At the flowers that were blooming.
"Ready," she said.
Lyra was in her corner. Alex was beside her. His arm was around her. Her hand was in his.
"I love you," he said.
She looked at him. Her face was blank. Her eyes were not.
"I love you too," she said.
He kissed her forehead. She leaned against him.
Tomorrow, they would go to Singapore. Tomorrow, they would find the man who had been hiding for thirty years. Tomorrow, the war would end.
But today, she was in her corner. He was beside her. And she was not alone.
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END OF CHAPTER FORTY-ONE