Chapter 467: Whispers Inside Her Head

Lilianna’s thoughts swam up through the pain.

There was no reason for their mother to be here. What’s more, in the holographic screen, Catalina was hiding in the corner of the building.

As Lilianna closed her eyes, preventing herself from screaming in pain, she could hear Sarah’s sobs much more clearly.

Why is Sarah crying? It came to her mind, stupidly, as she looked at the holographic screen again. Why does Mom look so scared?

On the feed, a section of the building sheared loose. Debris came down in a gray avalanche, and Catalina threw herself flat. She pressed herself into the meager shelter in the corner, both arms over her head.

As if mocking her worries, the voice inside her head suddenly began to speak again.

’Look at her,’ the voice in her head whispered, mocking her, her pain, and her family. ’Look at your mother, despite being a rich woman, she’s still helpless in these kinds of situations. Are you regretting everything now? Regretting defying my orders?’

Shut up, shut up, shut up.

Lilianna hit her head repeatedly, trying to shut that voice in her head.

But the voice in her head scoffed at Lilianna’s futile attempts.

’Aren’t I right? What’s the use of being an alpha if you can’t even endure this much pain? What’s the use of defying me if you’ll end up helpless again?’

Lilianna rolled around and around trying to get the voice to shut up.

’It’s all for nothing. You won’t be able to do anything. You’ll end up exactly like in the past, getting everything taken away from you. Dragged helplessly away, kidnapped, and sealed in the same dark room.’

No, no, no! Grayson—

’What? Are you still thinking about that Maxwell?’ the voice in her head mocked her. ’If he learned what you did to Lysander, do you think he would still help you?’

Then paused as if it remembered something and laughed, ’Ah, he didn’t even need to know about Lysander, because what you did to that slut...Was it Neville? Was enough to incur his animosity.’

Lilianna tried her best to ignore the voice in her head, but tears began to fall in her eyes uncontrollably.

She knew it was the truth.

It was obvious by the way everyone ignored her groaning on the floor like this; nobody was even tending to her or even trying to ease her pain.

She was alone once again, just like before.

’But who could blame you for what you did to Lysander? You just let him experience what you experienced. There was nothing wrong with that; it’s called fixing the starting line, isn’t it?’

The voice in her head laughs hysterically.

Now that Lilianna was reflecting on it, it seemed that it was really twisted to do that. Because why should everyone who loved Grayson need to experience what she did and still love Grayson all the same?

Lilianna thought, mocking herself, I’m really fucked up.

After laughing, the voice in her head said, ’Are you going to be obedient now?’

"No," Lilianna whispered in a strangled tone.

The voice seemed to raise an eyebrow and mocked her again, ’Are you really sure? If you obey me, you’ll be able to save her~.’

"Stop," Lilianna mouthed, but no sound came out.

’You could save her.’ The voice curled closer, intimate as a lover, tempting her. ’You. Not those who were useless and selfish. Those who only think about their own interests.’

Lilianna turned away, trying to run away from the voice in her head physically.

’But your mother is already in a helpless state. There was no way these people here would save anyone.’

The voice in her head continued.

’Not even your older sister would be able to do anything, she’s just an office clerk at the end of the day, a runaway alpha who refused to do her duty and serve in the military.’

"That’s—"

’Don’t lie to yourself. You already knew that you’re the only one who could save her now.’

The voice in her head seemed to have gained some control over her body. It forced her to open her eyes wide, unblinking, towards the holographic screen and to the armed people in the living room.

’Despite watching the struggles of your mother on the holographic screen, Sarah just kept sobbing. She kept begging other people for help, even though she was an alpha all the same.’

Lilianna watched as Sarah sobbed and cried.

But true to the voice in her head’s words, she did nothing but watch.

’Look again. Not one of them is moving in a hurry to save your mother. Like they had already decided that your mother is a lost cause. But I—’

Then the voice in her head continued to tempt her.

’—I could help you save her. I could put you through that barrier and across that road towards safety.’

"That—"

The voice in her head could tell that just a little bit more push and Lilianna would fall.

’You’d hold her in your arms before the next rock fell. Wouldn’t that be something? Wouldn’t that be worth it?’

"You’re—lying—" Lilianna said, trying to shake off the temptation. She had already incurred enough sins; she couldn’t create more.

’Am I?’ A laugh, soft as a feather. ’Watch.’

On the screen, a slab of concrete the size of a hover-car tipped off the broken ceiling and dropped.

CRASH

It struck Catalina full across the back.

Her mother’s body went down and did not move.

Something in Lilianna’s chest tore loose from its mooring.

The grief did not arrive as grief. It arrived as a door thrown open, and Salia poured through it laughing.

’See that? Too slow, too slow, the humans are always too slow. But it isn’t too late. Nothing is ever too late for me.’

The voice in her head said repeatedly, tone cloying sweetly, for someone as grief-stricken as Lilianna.

’Say yes, and I’ll fix it. Say yes, and I’ll help you save her. Say yes—’

"—Yes," Lilianna breathed, desperation obvious in her tone, and gave herself away.

Without realizing the consequences of her choices.

Without realizing that Salia was lying to her.

Without realizing that her mother was not as helpless as the holographic screen depicted her. Forgetting that Catalina was also from another tiger beastman lineage, that a slab of that size was nothing to her.