Alpha Daddies And Their Innocent Little Maid (18+) novel Chapter 187

Lilith pov

“Lilith… Lilith, wake up. You have to wake up and fight. Fight to protect the people you love. Wake up, Lilith! Your father, your father is—”

My eyes snapped open.

I lurched forward with a sharp gasp, air tearing into my lungs like I had been drowning but the moment I moved, the chains snapped tight. Cold metal bit into my skin, yanking me back harshly as a choked breath escaped me. My chest heaved, struggling to draw in air, my body trembling as pain tore through me—hot, relentless, like fire surging through my veins.

But I barely felt it. My mind was somewhere else.

“M…Mother…”

Her face flashed through my thoughts, she had been dressed in white, eyes filled with something I had never seen before.

Fear. Desperation. Tears.

“You father… your father is—”

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to grasp the words, to hear it again, to finish it but it slipped through me.

I had woken up before she could say it.

My fingers curled weakly behind me, my breath uneven as a tremor ran through me. That… wasn’t just a dream. It couldn’t have been.

It had to be a fragment of her soul reaching out to me but why? Why did she look like that and what was she trying to tell me about my father?

Before I could make sense of it—

Crack.

The sound of the door opening echoed through the room, sharp and deafening in the silence.

My head snapped toward it.

A mistake.

Pain exploded behind my eyes instantly, blinding and vicious. A broken sound tore from my throat as my vision went white, my body doubling over as I winced. The chains tightened again, draining what little strength I had left, pulling another wave of agony through me.

My skull felt like it was splitting open, like I was about to pass out but then…

“You’re awake.”

The familiar voice cut cleanly through the pain. My heart slammed against my chest. Ignoring every pain, I forced my head up and then I saw her.

My breath caught.

“Lora.”

The name barely left my lips, fragile, trembling, almost breaking apart as soon as it was spoken. She stood there, holding a tray, her gaze met mine. It was cold and empty.

Almsor unrecognizable.

No trace of the girl I knew.

Not the one who laughed with me until we couldn’t breathe. Not the one who stood beside me, no matter what anyone said. Not the one I would have died for without a second thought.

That person wasn't who I was looking at.

My mind scrambled instantly, searching, reaching, trying to find a reason, an excuse, anything that would make this make sense. She couldn’t be the person the goddess had warned me about. The one who would betray me. The one working for the man who destroyed everything, who took my parents from me.

She couldn’t be but Lora didn’t flinch, didn’t blink.

She simply walked forward and dropped to her knees in front of me, placing the tray down quietly with food, ointment, bandages, and medicine.

My breath hitched as she lifted her gaze to mine again and without hesitation, she said, “You’re stupid, Lilith.”

I blinked in stunned disbelief.

She stood up suddenly, dragging a hand through her hair as she shook her head violently, like she was trying to tear something out of herself.

“I don’t know,” she said, voice trembling. “I don’t know why either. I don’t have a reason I can give myself anymore… I don’t even have a reason to sleep at night.”

My breath caught, my chest hurt. Even after everything… even after I knew she had betrayed us… something in me still broke watching her like this because Lora was still my best friend. She was still the one who made that place feel like home.

“There has to be a reason,” I stammered, shaking my head as tears spilled down my face. “I know you, Lora. Tell me… why. Why did you do this?”

At that, her body went still.

For a moment, she just looked at me and then she laughed again but this time it was bitter, hollow, like she was mocking herself.

“It’s not as honorable as you think, Lilith.” Her hands clenched into fists. “My real name isn’t Lora,” she said quietly. “It’s Iris. That was the name my parents gave me.”

I froze.

“I used to live in a small village deep in the forest,” she continued, voice tightening. “We didn’t belong to any pack. We didn’t want to. We built everything from nothing… we were peaceful. We were cut off from the world.” Her eyes darkened slightly. “We were the Moonburns.”

My breath hitched.

Moonburns.

I had heard of them.

A hidden tribe. Not aligned with any pack, but feared across territories. Skilled hunters. Swordmasters. A group so strong no one dared provoke them but…

“But the Moonburns… have gone extinct,” I whispered, unable to finish.

Lora smiled faintly.

A dry, broken smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Yes,” she said. “Everyone died… except me.”