The air was acidic. Too many words laced with venom. Too many unspoken betrayals crashing through the room like glass shattering at midnight.
"I trained you better than this," Ava sneered, stepping closer. "But look at you now soft. Sloppy. Playing house with a billionaire's daughter like it's some damn romance novel."
Lilly's eyes narrowed, breath ragged. "You think that's what this is? I bled for you. Broke for you. And you left me like I was nothing."
"Because you were nothing," Ava snapped.
The punch came fast.
Ava's fist cracked across Lilly's cheek with a thud that echoed through the walls. Sam gasped, reaching out—but it was already too late.
Lilly didn't stagger.She didn't scream.
She lunged.
A snarl ripped from her throat as she tackled Ava, teeth bared like a feral animal. Her mouth found Ava's forearm mid-swing—and bit down.
Hard.
Ava howled.
Blood sprayed.
And a chunk of flesh tore free.
"LILLY!" Sam screamed, diving between them, but it was like throwing herself into a cage of lions. Ava punched, kicked, eyes wild with rage and pain. Lilly didn't stop—her hands gripped Ava's collar, slamming her against the wall, teeth-stained red.
"You wanna break me?" Lilly growled through clenched teeth. "You should've finished the job years ago."
Ava lashed out, kneeing her in the ribs, but Lilly held fast, teeth gritted, face inches from hers.
Sam grabbed Lilly's arm, trying to pull her back. "STOP—Lilly, stop! You're not this! This isn't you!"
Lilly didn't hear her. Didn't see her.
The room was a blur of blood and betrayal.
It wasn't until Ava spit blood into Lilly's face and shouted, "You were always a monster!" that Lilly finally froze.
Just long enough for Sam to shove herself between them and scream, "ENOUGH!"
Chest heaving, Lilly stepped back.
Ava crumpled against the wall, clutching her bleeding arm, face pale with fury. "You just proved my point."
Lilly's chest was heaving. Eyes glassy. Rage still pulsing under her skin.
Sam looked at her, trembling, voice low. "Are you okay?"
Lilly didn't answer.
She didn't know.