"If you are willing to step back because of only this much, then you should stay away from him."
Evelyn nodded again and Naomi stopped.
The hurt and sadness she was feeling was now replaced with anger.
"What did you say?"
She asked as she glared at Evelyn. Evelyn did not care, she only shrugged.
"You did not even ask why he regrets it, you simply assumed the answer on your own and decided to leave. If you are so eager to leave, you might as well leave now."
Naomi kept glaring at her, then, after a short silence—
"Why does he regret it?"
She questioned.
"What’s the point of asking—"
"Answer my question."
Naomi spoke in a firm tone.
Evelyn looked at her, then she leaned back.
"Because he does not want you involved."
"Involved in what?"
"His life."
Naomi’s expression turned colder.
"That’s what I am doing, am I not?"
"Yes, it’s a good thing.
So leave."
Evelyn shrugged.
Naomi glared at her, for a moment, she considered leaving, but then—
"Why?"
She asked another question.
That made Evelyn smile a little, but she did not show it.
Instead, she let Naomi press even more.
"Why does he not want me involved anymore? Because of you?"
Naomi questioned in a cold tone.
"It’s not me. I can assure you that."
Evelyn raised both her hands.
"Then what is it?"
Naomi asked directly.
"Are you sure you want to know it?"
"Answer my question."
Naomi no longer cared if the woman in front of her was a world star. She needed an answer, she had been in the dark for a long time now, she knew Lucian was hiding something, she just didn’t pry too much because she wanted to give Lucian some privacy. He had already lost too much, he was emotionally vulnerable, so she remained careful even when it hurt her.
But now...
Now, when she stared at Evelyn, when she thought about how a random woman who Lucian didn’t even know a few months ago knew more about him than she did—
Naomi did not like it.
Not one bit.
Evelyn noticed the look in Naomi’s eyes and nodded inwardly, then she began—
"Lucian’s life is not simple anymore.
It is dangerous.
He believes anyone close to him could be hurt because of him."
"What... are you talking about?"
At those words, Naomi’s anger slowly started to fade away.
"You know Lucian well, do you not?
You must have noticed it."
Evelyn continued.
"You must have noticed him trying to keep distance, he introduced you as an ordinary childhood friend, he made sure the others came here with you.
You should already know he wasn’t doing it for the attention.
He just does not want you coming to his house alone, he is trying to make you look ordinary, like you are only one friend among many, so that you do not become a target."
"...what?"
Naomi’s expression changed.
"Whose target?"
She asked.
Evelyn did not answer and this time, Naomi did not back down. She walked towards her with cold, piercing eyes and—
"Answer my question, Evelyn.
Who is going to target me?
Who is he trying to protect me from?
Who is targeting him?"
She asked, her voice becoming stronger and stronger as the look in her eyes changed.
Her worst fears were coming true.
Him disappearing for weeks with no calls or texts, the lawyers that were after him suddenly coming to apologise to him, then him suddenly becoming Evelyn’s guard, then that thirty million dollars in his account—
All of this worried her.
She feared that Lucian had got himself into something that wouldn’t end well.
And now that it was all coming true.
She needed to know.
She needed to know about it at any cost, and she needed to help him.
"Tell me what is happening."
She spoke as she looked at Evelyn. Her eyes made it clear that she wouldn’t step back until she had all the answers she wanted.
Evelyn remained silent for a while, then for the first time since their conversation began, she finally smiled.
"So you can look like that."
"What?"
Naomi frowned.
"I was beginning to feel disappointed."
Evelyn then patted the sofa again, Naomi sat down.
"Well, you passed."
"I... passed?"
Naomi’s expression changed.
"You were... testing me?"
"I was."
Naomi’s anger returned instantly.
"You told me Lucian regretted being with me just to test me?"
"I wanted you to fight."
"Fight...?"
"For him."
Evelyn nodded.
"That is the only way to have Lucian."
"What are you talking about...?"
Naomi had no clue what was happening.
Evelyn only smiled.
"Lucian pushes people away, he has this bad habit of deciding what is best for others without asking and then he convinces himself that leaving people behind is the kind thing to do.
He tried the same thing with me."
"He tried to push you away?"
Naomi blinked.
"Oh, you have no idea."
Evelyn only laughed.
And Naomi couldn’t believe it.
Who in their right mind would push Evelyn Starling away?
Soon, however, her mind came up with the answer.
Lucian would.
If Lucian believed staying close to him was dangerous, he would definitely push everyone away and take all the damage himself.
Heck, one of the reasons their friendship became distant in the past was because Lucian did not want his bullies to target her as well.
So Lucian absolutely would.
"What did you do...?"
Naomi asked carefully as she looked at Evelyn and Evelyn—
"I refused."
She answered proudly.
"I kept going back no matter how many times he refused.
Eventually, he had no choice but to accept me."
"I... still don’t understand."
Naomi lowered her voice.
"...who exactly is threatening Lucian?"
That made Evelyn pause for a moment.
How was she supposed to answer that?
She wondered in her head.
Then, her expression changed as she thought of something—
"Do you know how newly turned vampires behave in stories?"
"What?"
Naomi blinked at the unexpected question.
"New vampires."
Evelyn repeated.
"They wake up stronger, they are hungry, they cannot always control themselves, so they leave their families, they tell the people they love to stay away because they are afraid they might hurt them."
And the instant Naomi heard those words—
Her expression changed.