“Because it has everything to do with what happened to me,” Lena snapped, her voice rising as frustration and pain spilled out unchecked, tears burning her eyes again. “Everything. So stop deflecting and answer me honestly, Lana. Who is he to you? And what did you get yourself involved in?”
The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence, the weight of unspoken truths pressing down on both of them as Lena stared at her sister, her heart pounding wildly, knowing with terrifying certainty that whatever answer came next was going to change everything.
--
Lana recoiled as if Lena’s words had physically struck her, her shoulders tensing and her eyes flashing with a mix of disbelief and hurt.
“How does this have anything to do with Alexander?” she shot back, her voice sharp, defensive, almos
