Chapter 133Lily's POV
The silence stretched like a blade between us.
Three people, one call, and yet it felt like the entire world was holding its breath.
I could hear Xavier's shallow breathing through the speaker, I could feel Joe's quiet rage radiating inches away from me. My own pulse was so loud I was sure it carried through the line. Nobody spoke. Not me, not Joe, not Xavier.
I wanted to scream at them both, to break the awful silence, but I couldn't. My throat was locked tight. I also wanted to know if Joe heard what I said, because his eyes were still locked on me.
Joe finally exhaled, slow and heavy, the sound of a man calculating ten steps ahead even while standing still.
"Xavier," he said at last, voice cutting like steel, "I want to ask you something and I need the truth. No half-answers. No holding back. You will tell me everything I want to know, here and now."
Xavier hesitated. I could picture him swallowing hard on the other end. "You'll have it, Alpha."
