Leo
The question hung heavily in the air. A tense, suffocating silence filled the room as Miller just stood at the entrance of the villa, staring directly at me without saying anything else.
It was exactly what I had expected from him.
I had noticed his deep withdrawal for a few days now. I wasn’t blind. I saw how easily he would abruptly stop a conversation, how his gaze would wander, and how he constantly seemed to be pulling away from me. I couldn’t understand why he was acting like that, as if I had done something terribly wrong.
But looking back at our time here, there was absolutely nothing. I had been extremely careful around him since we landed on this island, making sure that my Enigma side remained completely dormant so that I could maintain perfect control around him.
it seemed that my plan didn’t work. Because after everything, after all my endless effort to keep him safe from my nature, there was still this obvious distance growing between us.
"I asked you a question, Miller. Where the hell were you?" I repeated, my voice dropping an octave even though I already knew the answer.
Out of pure curiosity and growing suspicion, I had asked Fati earlier, and She told me everything. He told me about Miller meeting with Director Gerald, and how he had been dying to see him for days, practically visiting the administration building over and over again.
When I heard that, my mind instantly raced through a dozen different scenarios. I thought of so many reasons why he would do something like that behind my back, about why he was so desperate to meet with Gerald of all people.
The only logical conclusion my brain could come up with was that he was digging into my past. He was curious about my father.
What other possible reason would he have to see Gerald without me? He was so desperate to find out about my past that he went to Gerald.
"I... I just stepped out for some air," Miller lied, finally breaking his silence. He started walking towards me, forcing a warm smile onto his face. It was a beautiful, comforting smile—the kind of smile I would have completely fallen for if I didn’t already know the absolute truth.
I let out a bitter chuckle as he stepped into my personal space.
He stretched out his hands, gently cupping my face with his warm palms. "You should be sleeping, Leo. Why are you still up?"
"I was waiting for you," I began slowly, trying so hard to keep my voice low and calm despite the hot anger bubbling in my chest. I wanted him to confess, to stop the game of lies and just tell me everything. "I have been standing right here waiting for you, only to get lied to the second you walk through the door."
Miller’s green eyes widened as they met mine, and he shook his head immediately, his hands dropping from my cheeks. "That’s not what happened, Leo. Everything is..." He heaved a deep, exhausted sigh, rubbing his forehead gently as if a massive headache was setting in. "I didn’t lie to you, Leo. It’s just complicated."
"I know that you met with Gerald, Miller," I snapped, refusing to let him twist the narrative. "Drop the act. It’s not looking good on you right now because I already know the truth."
Miller let out another heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping as he realized his cover was entirely blown. "Yes. I met with Gerald."
"About me?" I demanded, the betrayal stinging raw in my chest. "Are you really that desperate to know about my father that you went completely behind my back to find out what happened? You were that hungry for information that you didn’t even think to seek my permission before you started digging into my life?"
Miller ran a frantic hand through his hair, stepping closer and placing both of his hands firmly back onto my shoulders. "It is not what you think, Leo. What really happened is..." He paused, his jaw tightening. "Look, I wasn’t trying to maliciously dig into your life."
"Yet you went to meet Gerald behind my back without telling me a single thing about what that meeting was for," I countered, my voice rising as I stared at him. "Why couldn’t you just tell me the truth? Why did you keep it from me and go to him instead of just asking me directly?"
"I..." he tried to speak, his lips parting, but no words came out.
I shook my head, lifting my hand to point an accusing finger directly towards his chest. "Stop," I begged softly, my voice trembling slightly. "I am really not in the mood to hear what you have to say right now. I know whatever comes out of your mouth next will just be filled with your bullshit to cover it up, and I don’t think that I am ready to hear it."
I reached up to push his hands away from me slowly, but he refused to let go, his grip tightening as he brought his palms right back down onto my shoulders.
"Miller, I am not in the mood right now," I warned, my breathing hitching. "I hate liars so much, and right now, you are acting exactly like one. But the worst part is, I can’t even hate you, can I? I can’t hate you because I love you so damn much. And that’s exactly why I am so angry. You didn’t let me know about the meeting, and then when I stood here and asked you directly, you lied right to my face, making me seem like a complete fool."
Miller held my shoulders even tighter, shaking his head fiercely. "No, you are not a fool, Leo. Never. What really happened was..." He tried to explain again, but the sheer frustration inside me boiled over, and I cut him off with a sharp wave of my hand.