Chapter 5 A Brother's Warning

Lily woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing. She reached over to her nightstand and picked it up, seeing a text from Raphael.

"Meet me in the garden at 10 am," the text read. "I need to talk to you about something."

Lily felt a surge of curiosity and got out of bed. She got dressed and made her way to the garden, wondering what Raphael wanted to talk to her about.

When she arrived at the garden, Raphael was already there, pacing back and forth. He looked worried and anxious.

"Lily, I need to talk to you about something," he said, his voice low and serious. "I know you're getting close to Leon, but I have to warn you: our family is ruthless. We'll stop at nothing to get what we want."

Lily felt a surge of fear and took a step back. "What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Raphael's eyes locked on hers. "I'm talking about the fact that our family will do whatever it takes to protect our interests," he said. "And if that means hurting someone, we won't hesitate."

Lily felt a chill run down her spine. She had heard rumors about the Dumont family's business dealings, but she had never thought that they were capable of hurting someone.

0"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Raphael's eyes locked on hers. "Because I don't want to see you get hurt," he said. "Leon is a good person, but he's also a Dumont. And that means he's capable of doing some very bad things."

Lily felt a surge of fear and took a step back. She didn't know what to believe or who to trust.

But as she looked at Raphael, she saw something in his eyes that gave her pause. It was a look of sincerity, of genuine concern.

And in that moment, Lily knew that she could trust Raphael. But could she trust Leon? But she was still unsure about Leon and the rest of the Dumont family.

Just as she was about to ask Raphael more questions, Beatrice appeared out of nowhere, a smile spreading across her face.

"Raphael, darling, what's going on?" Beatrice asked, her eyes locked on Lily.

Raphael's expression changed, and he looked at Beatrice with a mixture of annoyance and warning. "Beatrice, this doesn't concern you," he said.

But Beatrice just laughed and walked over to Raphael, her eyes never leaving Lily's face. "Oh, I think it does concern me," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness. "After all, Lily is our guest, and we need to make sure she's comfortable."

Lily felt a surge of unease as Beatrice's eyes seemed to bore into her soul. She didn't trust Beatrice, and she knew that she had to be careful around her.

But Raphael seemed to sense her unease, and he stepped forward, his eyes locked on Beatrice's. "Beatrice, I mean it," he said. "This doesn't concern you. Why don't you go back to whatever it is you were doing?"

Beatrice's expression changed, and she looked at Raphael with a mixture of anger and hurt. But then she seemed to compose herself, and she smiled, a cold, calculating smile.

"Fine, Raphael," she said. "I'll leave you to your little chat with Lily. But don't think for a second that this is over."

And with that, Beatrice turned and walked away, leaving Lily feeling uneasy and unsure of what to expect next.

Raphael turned to her, his eyes locked on hers. "I'm sorry about that," he said. "Beatrice can be a bit...much sometimes."

Lily smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Raphael. "It's okay," she said. "I can handle myself."

Raphael's eyes seemed to bore into her soul, and Lily felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew that she could trust Raphael, but she also knew that she had to be careful around him. After all, he was a Dumont, and the Dumonts were known for their ruthlessness.

But as they stood there, chatting and laughing, Lily couldn't shake the feeling that she was in over her head. The Dumont family was complex and multifaceted, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to deal with all of their secrets and lies.

"Raphael, can I ask you something?" Lily said, her voice serious.

Raphael's expression turned serious, and he nodded. "Of course," he said. "What is it?"

Lily took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. "What's going on with your family?" she asked. "There's something...off about them." Raphael's eyes seemed to cloud over, and he looked away, his jaw clenched. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice tight.But Lily knew that he was lying. She could see it in his eyes, the way he avoided her gaze.

"Raphael, please," she said, her voice soft. "I need to know what's going on. I need to know if I'm in danger."

Raphael's eyes snapped back to hers, and he looked at her with a mixture of surprise and concern. "You're not in danger, Lily," he said, his voice firm. "At least, not from us."

Lily's eyes narrowed, and she took a step forward. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice sharp.

Raphael's eyes seemed to cloud over again, and he looked away, his jaw clenched. "I mean that there are...other people who might be interested in you," he said, his voice tight.

Lily's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a surge of fear. "What other people?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

But Raphael just shook his head, his eyes locked on hers. "I'm not going to tell you," he said. "At least, not yet."

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Lily feeling frustrated and scared.

She decided to push the thoughts aside for now and focus on her own life. She pulled out her phone and dialed her mother's number.

"Hey, Mom," Lily said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Lily, sweetie, how are you?" her mother asked, her voice warm and familiar.

"I'm good, Mom," Lily said. "Just a little stressed out. I'm staying with the Dumonts right now, and it's all a bit overwhelming."

"I can imagine," her mother said. "Those people are used to getting what they want, when they want it. But you're strong, Lily. You can handle it."

Lily smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards her mother. "Thanks, Mom," she said. "Just talking to you makes me feel better."

"I'm always here for you, sweetie," her mother said. "Now, how's Leon? Is he treating you well?"

Lily hesitated, unsure of how to answer. She didn't want to worry her mother, but she also didn't want to lie to her.

"Leon is...complicated," Lily said finally. "He's got a lot of baggage, and his family is really... intense."

"I see," her mother said. "Well, just be careful, okay? I don't want you getting hurt."

"I will, Mom," Lily said. "I promise."

As Lily hung up the phone, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. Talking to her mother always made her feel better.

But as she turned to go back inside, she saw Raphael standing in the doorway, watching her.

"Lily, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, his eyes serious.

Lily nodded, feeling a sense of anxiety. What did Raphael want to talk to her about again?

As Lily walked towards Raphael, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. What did he want to talk to her about now?

"Raphael, what's going on?" Lily asked, trying to sound calm.

Raphael's eyes seemed to bore into her soul, and he took a deep breath before speaking. "I wanted to talk to you about Leon," he said, his voice low and serious.

Lily's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a surge of curiosity. "What about Leon?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Raphael's eyes seemed to cloud over, and he looked away, his jaw clenched. "I just want to warn you, Lily," he said. "Leon is not what he seems. He's got a lot of secrets, and he's not always honest about his intentions."

Lily felt a surge of surprise, and she took a step back, her eyes wide with shock. "What are you talking about?" she asked, trying to sound calm.

Raphael's eyes snapped back to hers, and he looked at her with a mixture of concern and warning. "I'm talking about the fact that Leon is a Dumont," he said. "And the Dumonts are not always... honorable."

Lily felt a surge of fear, and she took a step back, her eyes wide with shock. What did Raphael mean? And what secrets was Leon hiding?

Just then, Leon appeared in the doorway, a look of concern on his face. "Lily, what's going on?" he asked, his eyes locked on hers.

Lily hesitated, unsure of what to say. Should she tell Leon about Raphael's warning, or should she keep it to herself?

As she looked at Leon, she saw a look of genuine concern on his face, and she felt a surge of uncertainty. Was Leon really hiding secrets from her? And if so, what did that mean for their relationship?

As Leon looked at Lily, he sensed that something was wrong. Her eyes seemed distant, and her expression was guarded.

"Lily, what's going on?" Leon asked again, his voice soft and gentle.

Lily hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She didn't want to lie to Leon, but she also didn't want to reveal Raphael's warning.

"Nothing's wrong, Leon," Lily said finally, trying to sound convincing. "I'm just a little...tired, that's all."

Leon's eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to Lily. "Don't lie to me, Lily," he said, his voice low and husky. "I can see that something's wrong. What is it?"

Lily felt a surge of fear, and she took a step back, her eyes wide with alarm. How did Leon know that she was hiding something?

But before she could respond, Raphael intervened, his voice calm and soothing. "Leon, leave her alone," he said. "She's just a little overwhelmed, that's all."

Leon's eyes flashed with anger, and he turned to Raphael. "Stay out of this, Raphael," he said, his voice cold. "This is between me and Lily."

Raphael's expression remained calm, but his eyes seemed to flash with warning. "Fine, Leon," he said. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

And with that, Raphael turned and walked away, leaving Leon and Lily alone in the room.

Leon turned to Lily, his eyes burning with intensity. "Lily, tell me what's going on," he said, his voice low and husky. "I can see that something's wrong. What is it?"

Lily hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She didn't want to lie to Leon, but she also didn't want to reveal Raphael's warning. "Leon, I...I don't know what to say," Lily said finally, her voice barely above a whisperLeon's eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to Lily. "Lily, I know something's wrong," he said, his voice low and husky. "And I'm not going to leave until you tell me what it is." Lily felt a surge of fear, and she took a step back, her eyes wide with alarm. Leon's intensity was overwhelming, and she didn't know how to handle it.

But then, something unexpected happened. Leon's expression softened, and he looked at Lily with a mixture of concern and compassion.

"Lily, I'm sorry," he said, his voice gentle. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just...I care about you, and I want to know what's wrong."

Lily's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a surge of emotion. No one had ever looked at her with such kindness and concern before.

And in that moment, Lily knew that she had to tell Leon the truth. She had to tell him about Raphael's warning and her own fears and doubts.

But just as she was about to speak, a loud noise echoed through the hallway, followed by the sound of footsteps.

"Leon, we need to talk," a voice said, echoing through the hallway.

As the footsteps grew louder, Lily felt a surge of anxiety. But Leon just smiled and took her hand, his eyes locked on hers.

"Don't worry, Lily," he said, his voice low and husky. "I'll always protect you."

Lily's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a surge of emotion. She knew that she was falling deeply in love with Leon, and she couldn't imagine being with anyone else.

As they stood there, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes, Lily felt a sense of intensity that she had never felt before. It was as if the whole world had melted away, and all that was left was the two of them.

But just as they were about to kiss, Beatrice appeared in the doorway, a look of disdain on her face.

"Leon, darling, I need to speak with you," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness.

Leon's eyes never left Lily's face, but she could sense his tension. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew that he had to deal with Beatrice.

"I'll be right back, Lily," he said, his voice low and husky. "Don't go anywhere."

Lily nodded, feeling a sense of disappointment. She had been so close to kissing Leon, and now Beatrice had interrupted them.

As Leon turned to leave, Beatrice shot Lily a venomous glance. "You're not good enough for him, Lily," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "You'll never be good enough."

Lily felt a surge of anger, but she just smiled sweetly at Beatrice. "We'll see about that," she said, her voice confident.

And with that, Beatrice turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Lily feeling shaken but determined. She was not going to let Beatrice come between her and Leon.