CHAPTER TWELVE :A Knife Behind the Smile
Lilith had felt it all morning.
The shift in the air.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTythJ0komu
The way shadows leaned toward her.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINAcepWYnK
The way the city felt too still.
She didn’t trust it.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9mzzV7NWQ
And she was right.
The knock on Daniel’s apartment door was polite. Too polite.
And when he opened it, he saw a man—maybe his age, maybe not.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCemljx8Xp
Hair the color of lightning.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv77asX3okI
Eyes like polished steel.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJC8P9XgEb
Smile that felt carved out of charm and calculation.
“Hi,” the stranger said.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcwak79d6H
“I’m Caden. New neighbor. Power went out next door. Mind if I charge my phone?”
Daniel blinked.
But Lilith—hidden behind the bedroom wall—knew.
Her blood turned to smoke.
Caden stepped in.
He smelled like incense and ambition.
And something older.
Something holy.
He passed by the bookshelf and his finger grazed a photo of Daniel and Lilith.
“Cute couple,” he said smoothly.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5sg49b7lF
“She around?”
Daniel hesitated.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRa1INbJUON
“She’s… sleeping.”
“Right.”
Caden smiled wider.
Lilith emerged from the shadows.
Her eyes burned.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQoyH3uYwq
Her wings shimmered beneath her skin, almost surfacing.
“You’re not here to charge anything.”
Caden turned, no surprise on his face.
“No. I’m here to offer you mercy.”
In a blink, his charm vanished.
A halo of gold flame erupted behind his head.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfD1MItuizp
From his back—wings made of light and bone unfurled.
Daniel stumbled back.
“Who—what the hell are you?”
“Heaven’s contingency plan,” Caden said coldly.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUP1St8RXb7
“She was supposed to burn. She didn’t. Now I clean the mess.”
But Lilith didn’t flinch.
Instead, she smiled.
“You're late. I've already chosen my war.”
Caden lunged.
A blade appeared in his hand — etched with Heaven's language, forged to pierce even divine flesh.
He aimed for her chest.
But Daniel screamed her name—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CAWrACuzA
And that scream gave her speed.
She moved faster than she ever had before.
The blade sliced across her arm—but missed her heart.
She kicked Caden through the wall.
Smoke and dust filled the air.
Lilith stood panting, golden blood dripping from her arm.
Daniel ran to her.
“What the hell was that?!”
Lilith didn’t answer.
She turned toward the hole in the wall.
But Caden was gone.
Not defeated.
Just… watching.
Waiting.
And worse—
He now knew what Daniel meant to her.
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