Fake Mate Beta Rises to Alpha Heiress (Natalie and Landon) novel Chapter 223

Chapter 223 An Older Sister

Samuel’s POV:

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Lily asked, “Mr. Scott, you always seem so focused on work. Have you ever thought about getting married?”

The question came out of nowhere, but the alcohol was blurring my usual caution. I gave a half-smile. “I have no girlfriend. Who would I marry?”

She asked, “Last night, I accidentally saw a girl’s photo in your wallet. Isn’t she your girlfriend?”

My hand froze.

The alcohol had cracked my defenses. I stared into the swirling liquid in my glass, my voice rough. “That… That’s just someone from the past.”

“From the past?” Lily’s voice was soft. “Someone important? Where is she now?”

I threw back the rest of my drink. The burning spread from my throat to my chest.

“She’s dead,” I said.

The words came out hoarse, my tone flat, like I was stating a fact that had nothing to do with

Lily fell silent. The only sound in the private room was the quiet hum of the air conditioner. A long moment passed before she asked, barely above a whisper, “How… Was she sick?”

I sneered, “Sick? You could say that. Trusting everything to someone else and ending up completely broken… That’s a kind of sickness, isn’t it?”

“So someone hurt her,” Lily said, a strange tightness in her voice. “That person really deserves to die.”

“Deserves to die?” I set my glass down, leaning my elbows on the table. The alcohol was slowing my thoughts. “No one’s completely innocent. People just see things differently.”

I said it lightly. That was what Penelope taught me. In werewolf society, sympathy was a weakness, and guilt was poison. To survive, I had to learn to treat other lives cheaply.

Lily didn’t speak again. I looked up and found her staring at me, her expression so complex I couldn’t read it. There was hatred, pain, and a kind of despair that felt familiar.

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18:29 Fri, Jan 16

Chapter 223 An Older Sister

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“Mr. Scott.” Her voice trembled slightly. “You’re so accomplished. You seem to have everything. Does life ever feel boring? Does it feel like there’s no challenge left?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “What? You want to add some challenge to my life?”

“I’m just curious. What does someone like you want most?” she asked.

The question stopped me.

Fame and wealth? I had those. Freedom? I’d never had it. Happiness? What even was that?

The alcohol made the truth easier to say. I heard my own voice in the room, frighteningly calm. “Probably… fame, freedom, happiness.”

“Happiness?” Lily repeated the word as if it stung. “Wouldn’t that be simple for someone like you?”

“I don’t mean the ordinary kind of contentment,” I said, looking into her eyes and telling the truth for the first time. “I mean family, a lover, friends-a real sense of belonging, like Natalie found with the Sanchez family.”

Lily looked stunned.

So did I. I wasn’t even sure why I was saying these things to someone like Lily.

Lily, Natalie’s follower, was probably calculating against me, too. But for some reason, being around her felt relaxing.

“You’ll get what you want someday,” Lily said softly, looking at me with a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

Lily’s POV:

Samuel asked if I thought he was good-looking. The line of his jaw was sharp and clear, lit by the light from the window. He was handsome, in a way. But good looks had never been my main priority. I preferred someone with an upright, righteous aura, like Leonardo.

Samuel had too much of a dark, dangerous charm, especially those sharp eyes of his. Whether he was smiling or not, they always seemed to hold schemes. He didn’t seem like a good person.

When we were ordering, he kept scrolling back to the drinks page on the screen. He probably wanted to drink.

After a few glasses, Samuel grew quieter and quieter. He didn’t seem to be in a good mood.

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18:29 Fri, Jan 16

Chapter 223 An Older Sister

:

When the timing felt right, I casually steered the conversation toward lighter topics.

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“Last night, I accidentally saw a girl’s photo in your wallet. Isn’t she your girlfriend?” As I said, a dull ache settled in my chest.

The person in that photo was like an older sister to me.

When I was nearly beaten to death by my father and had lost the will to live, she risked her own life to save me.

She told me over and over that you must never give up hope-no matter how bad your family or your situation was, as long as you were alive and brave enough, there was always a way forward.

She was like a light shining for me.

During my darkest, most helpless days, she stayed with me through countless nightmares, offering support and strength.

And then, suddenly, that light in my world went out forever.

I refused to believe she would take her own life for no reason-not even over a broken heart!

Seeing that Samuel had drunk too much, I reached over and moved the carafe away from him. I poured him a fresh cup of coffee instead.

As the steam curled upward, my voice softened. “Mr. Scott, you’ve had a bit too much. How about some coffee to sober up?”

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