DON’T STOP (Lila and Darrell) novel Chapter 146

Chapter 146

Chapter 146

Viktor

The silence was deafening.

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Scarlett’s hand tightened in mine. I could feel her tension radiating through her grip. My heart hammered against my ribs. Of all the moments for them to show up unannounced…

“Viktor?” my mother finally spoke, her voice laced with disbelief. She looked between us, then at our joined hands. “What… what is going on here?”

My father’s gaze was sharper, flicking from Scarlett to me. “Is this the neighbor you mentioned?”

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. “Yes. This is Scarlett. My… girlfriend.”

The word felt both terrifying and right on my tongue. Scarlett’s fingers twitched in mine, but she didn’t pull

away.

My mother’s eyes widened even more. “Girlfriend? Since when?”

“Recently,” I said, keeping it simple. I didn’t want to dive into the messy timeline right now – the secret identity, the paid sessions, the slow build from neighbors to this. “Can we talk inside?”

They exchanged a look, then nodded. I led everyone into my apartment, Scarlett staying close by my side. The moment the door closed, the questions started.

“Viktor, she works at our company,” my father said, his tone measured but clearly concerned. “As a janitor. You know that, right?”

“I know,” I replied, keeping my voice calm. “And it doesn’t change how I feel about her. Besides, she already resigned.”

My mother stepped closer, her expression softening a little but still worried. “Sweetheart, she’s older than you. And you’ve always been so focused on your studies and projects. Is this really what you want right now?”

Scarlett shifted beside me, clearly uncomfortable. I squeezed her hand gently, trying to reassure her without words.

“Yes,” I said firmly. “She makes me happy. She’s kind and strong, and she’s been through a lot. I care about her a lot.”

My father crossed his arms. “We’re not saying she’s not a good person. But you have to think about the fatere. The age difference, her job at our company… people will talk. And you’re still young”

“I’m not a child anymore.” I said quietly but with conviction. “I know what I’m doing. And I’m not asking for permission. I’m telling you this is important to me.”

The conversation went on for several long minutes. They asked about how we met kept it vague — “we’re neighbors”), how long we’d been seeing each other, and what my plans were I answered as honestly as I could without revealing Scarlett’s secret or my own role as Vee. Scarlett stayed mostly quiet, letting me speak, but I

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Chapter 146

could feel her anxiety.

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Eventually, my parents exchanged another look. My mother sighed. “We’re not going to forbid it. You’re an adult. But please be careful. Think about the complications.”

They didn’t stay much longer. After a few more careful words and a polite goodbye to Scarlett, they left, the door clicking shut behind them.

The apartment felt suddenly quieter.

I turned to Scarlett, still holding her hand. She looked shaken, eyes downcast.

“Hey,” I said softly, tilting her chin up so she’d look at me. “You okay?”

She gave a small, uncertain smile. “Your parents… they’re intense.”

“They’ll come around,” I promised, pulling her into a gentle hug. “And even if they don’t, it doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

She buried her face in my chest for a moment, then pulled back slightly. “I just… I work for them. As a janitor. And I’m older. And I have all this baggage with the OnlyFans thing…”

“I know,” I whispered, kissing her forehead. “But none of that matters to me. You matter.”

We stood there in the quiet of my apartment, holding each other. The conversation with my parents had been awkward and heavy, but it hadn’t broken anything between us.

If anything, it made me want to protect what we had even more.

Then she suddenly broke the hug, pulling back just enough to look up at me. Her brows were furrowed, a mix of confusion and curiosity on her face.

“But you didn’t tell me you’re a student,” she said. “Weren’t you talking about projects and stuff? Are you a student or what?”

I blinked, caught off guard. Of course – I had never actually told her I was still in college. In her mind, I was the 26-year-old software engineer who had sold a startup. The lie about my age and my life had been so seamless until now.

She waited, eyes searching mine. “Aren’t you going to talk?”

I swallowed and answered softly, “I promise.. I’m a final-year student. I’ll be done next month with everything.”

She stared at me for a second, processing. Then her expression softened. “Anyway… I’m glad you’re still 26. Sor it’s not too much of an age gap.”

She stepped forward again and hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her, relief washing over me that she wasn’t angry about the small deception. I buried my face in her hair for a moment, breathing her in.

Then I leaned down, lips close to her ear, and whispered. “Do you want to go on a date with me? Probably this

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Chapter 146

weekend.”

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She chuckled softly against my chest, the sound warm and affectionate. She nodded her head without pulling

away.

I smiled and kissed her forehead gently. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied, her voice soft and sincere.

We stayed like that for a long moment, just holding each other in the quiet of my apartment. The conversation with my parents still lingered in the air, but right now, none of it mattered as much as the woman in my arms.

For the first time in a while, everything felt like it was falling into place even if there were still secrets between

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9:32 Tue, Jul 28

Chapter 147