Mated To The Hybrid Prince - Chapter 88: Chapter 88

(Lily’s POV)
“Beautiful view isn't it?” Zion asked, staring at me.
I could tell he was waiting for a response. His gaze burned against my skin, like he expected me to say something -anything.
But I couldn’t.
I stood rooted to the spot, my throat tightening, heart thudding like a drum. My hands trembled slightly at my sides. I nodded slowly, the only gesture I could manage.
Words wouldn’t come. My lips parted, but no sound followed. I didn’t trust my voice. Everything I felt anger, pain, even hope, was tangled up inside me.
I took a slow breath, trying to keep it together.
I turned to walk away when his voice cut through the quiet again.
"So... what do you think of the party?" he asked, leaning against the railing casually, like we were two strangers making polite conversation.
I blinked, still overwhelmed. He truly didn’t remember me.
I swallowed hard, then stammered. "I... yes. It was nice."
He looked out at the city, quiet for a moment. The glow from the skyline touched one side of his face, casting soft shadows.
"I don’t know if you feel it too..." he said after a moment, "but I feel this strong pull to you.”
I stiffened. My chest tightened.
He continued, voice low, as though searching for answers. "Ever heard of a different realm other than this? Ever heard of Mat..” he was still saying when the pressure inside me snapped. His words—it was too much. The past and present were colliding in a way I couldn’t handle. I wasn’t ready…
I knew I had to go.
Then I turned. “I’m sorry," I said, barely above a whisper. "I have to go."
His brows drew together. He looked surprised, but he didn’t stop me.
I walked away quickly, my heels tapping hard against the rooftop tiles. The tears blurred my vision before I even reached the hallway.
He didn’t remember me… us.
I should’ve been happy that the spell worked, but it hurt that he had entirely forgotten about all our good memories.
I wiped at my cheeks roughly, drawing in a shaky breath. The hallway stretched ahead, dimly lit and echoing with distant music. Every step I took felt heavier than the last, like the weight of the past was dragging behind me. I needed to leave before I completely lost it.
As I followed the curve of the corridor, planning to slip away unnoticed, sharp voices suddenly drifted toward me. They were close and I paused, my back pressing lightly against the cold wall as I listened.
I stopped.
"I can’t believe you didn’t tell me," a voice snapped. "Lucien, you’re the COO? Of Virelux? Really? You’ve been hiding this from me all this time?"
It was Aria.
Her voice was angry, filled with disbelief.
Lucien responded calmly, but there was a strain in his voice. "Aria, I told you that I made a pact with the King. I wasn’t allowed to say anything until now."
"That’s crap,” she said, her voice rising. "… Now that things were finally getting good between us, you just had to ruin it with this!”
"Please Aria…I’m not hiding anything else," he said. "I wanted to tell you so many times, but you also know how shaky our past is. I didn’t want to mess things up again.”
Aria scoffed. "Well, now you just did.”
I took a step forward and Aria turned at the sound… her face pale, lips parting when she saw me.
Her eyes widened. "Lily—"
I stared at her, my face unreadable but inside, I was raging.
She moved toward me quickly. "I’m so sorry. It’s not what you think—"
"Not what I think?" I said, stepping back, my tone sharp. "That you’ve been with him all these while?”
She looked guilty. "It wasn’t like that. It was an on and off thing.”
I shook my head and took another step away. “Don’t! You knew everything I was going through. You knew what this would mean to me, and you kept this from me?"
Aria’s eyes filled with tears. "I didn’t mean to not to tell you. I just didn’t know how to..."
I clenched my jaw. "You didn’t think to tell me? Even when I trusted you with everything?"
"Lily, please—"
"Don’t. Just... don’t."
I turned and stormed toward the garage.
Aria followed, her footsteps quick behind me. "Lily, I never meant to hurt you. Please, let me explain."
I whirled around. "How long? Exactly how long have you and Lucien been a thing?"
She hesitated "Six months," she said quietly.
I stared at her, disbelief rushing through me.
"Six months," I repeated slowly. "You’ve been with him for half a year, and I only just found out?"
She reached for me again, but I moved away.
"We weren't consistent. Like I said our relationship was on and off...“ she said quickly. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t know how to bring it up."
"You didn’t know how to bring it up?" I yelled.
Aria’s voice cracked. "I was scared."
"Of what? Of losing me? Because if you were really scared of that, you would’ve told me the truth."
I shook my head, rage tightening my chest.
"You know what?" I said, voice cold. "Just... fuck off."
Her tears spilled freely now, but I didn’t care.
I raised my hand and snapped my fingers.
Marcus, my driver, rolled the car forward immediately. I didn’t wait for her to speak again. I climbed in, slammed the door shut, and stared straight ahead.
Aria stood there, her shoulders shaking as she cried but I didn’t flinch. I didn’t blink.
She was a reputable woman with her own protocol, and cars… Aria would be fine.
The car pulled away from the building, gliding smoothly into the night.
I couldn't speak a word.
I wanted to scream, cry, and throw my fists at something. But all I did was sit there, holding back everything as my nails dug into my palms.
I felt betrayed... By the man who forgot me, and the friend who kept secrets from me.