Chapter 20: The Kiss That Wasn’t a Lie Part One: Aftermath and Accusation

Veronica Lin didn't sleep.

She'd left the Ferris Estate long after the ambulances had come and gone, after the heiress was revived and escorted away under the guise of "an allergic reaction." But the black velvet petal still burned in her clutch long after she returned home.

It sat on her desk now. Silent. Soft. Mocking.

The symbol of her past refuses to stay buried.

And now… this.

Her phone screen was littered with notifications. Hundreds of them.

@CrimsonCrownGala

Is this Lin Group's youngest heiress caught kissing her bodyguard in the middle of a blackout?

@NoFilterGossip

Someone zoom in. Tell me that isn't Veronica Lin and her "assistant" dancing too close for comfort. That hand placement???

A single blurry photo.

Taken during the chaos. Shadows in the background. Half her face was hidden by her mask. Lucas's jaw was tight, his mouth near her cheek. Her hands—visible. On his chest. Too close.

Her lips parted slightly. A moment frozen like a whisper of something forbidden.

Her inbox was full.

Two from Iris.One from her second brother.

Twelve from Serena Wu—most were just laughing emojis.

And then—

Unknown Number

Not everyone dies, sweetheart. Some of us get better at pretending.– A.W.

Veronica's stomach dropped.

Alexis Wu.

Amy's first and only love. The boy, the original Amy Lin, had trusted more than her blood. The boy who'd been framed as a traitor—and allegedly died in a mental institution shortly after.

No one was supposed to know that name.

Let alone send it to her like a dare.

She stood too fast, the edge of her desk jamming into her hip.

Everything was unraveling again.

But she couldn't afford to fall apart. Not now. Not when her heart was thundering for reasons far more dangerous than revenge.

The photo wasn't the problem.

Lucas was.

Or rather… what he'd said.

Lin Academy – Rooftop Garden

Veronica hadn't even made it through second period before Lucas cornered her.

He wasn't in uniform—he never was. His dark coat flared behind him as he stepped into the sun-dappled rooftop garden where she'd gone to breathe.

He didn't bother announcing himself. Just walked toward her like gravity was nothing, like the marble tiles existed only to carry him to her.

She was sipping tea like nothing was wrong. Like her life hadn't just cracked open again.

"You saw the photo?" she asked without turning.

"I did."

"Ignore it. It's blurry. Could be anyone."

Lucas stepped closer. Close enough that the scent of sea salt and steel that clung to him filled her lungs.

"I'm not ignoring it," he said.

She stiffened.

His voice was calm. Quiet. But behind it, truth hummed like a blade unsheathed.

"Lucas."

"We kissed, Veronica."

"It was dark."

"We kissed," he repeated, firm now. "And I'm not pretending otherwise just because you're scared of how real it felt."

She whirled on him. "That's not what I'm scared of."

His eyes searched hers. "Then what?"

She hesitated. Her mouth opened. Closed.

And then, voice cracking, she whispered: "I overheard Serena last night. She said Alexis Wu is alive."

Lucas stilled. Completely.

She stepped back, her hand pressed against her chest. "And someone texted me this morning. Used his initials. Called me sweetheart. That was what Amy's Alexis used to say to her."

Lucas didn't say anything at first. Just studied her like she was breaking in real time—and he didn't know whether to hold the pieces or protect her from their edges.

Then he said, "Alexis Wu died in custody. He was declared clinically unstable."

"I know. That's what we thought. But what if we were wrong?" She turned away. "Amy made me promise that if I ever got the chance, I'd clear his name. I thought it was a gesture. Something I'd never have to fulfill. But now—"

Her voice trembled.

The memory clawed at her: Amy, curled inside her consciousness, eyes already fading."I loved him. Even if he betrayed me, I need you to promise… if he didn't… you'll find the truth. You'll save him if no one else will."

Veronica blinked hard.

She didn't cry.

Not anymore.

Lucas moved behind her. "If he's alive…"

She nodded. "Then someone has gone to great lengths to keep him hidden."

His silence was agreement.

But then he said, "And the kiss?"

She froze.

"You can run from the rest," he murmured, stepping close. "From ghosts and secrets and your need to carry the world on your shoulders. But don't lie to me about that kiss."

"It shouldn't have happened."

"But it did."

"And it doesn't mean anything."

Lucas's jaw flexed. "You kissed me back."

"I didn't know who I was kissing," she shot back. "It was chaos. People screaming. Lights flickering. You were just… there."

That should have made him step back.

It didn't.

Instead, he laughed—a low, broken sound.

"That's the worst lie you've told today, Veronica."

And then he turned and walked away.

Lin Academy – Student Affairs Office

By lunchtime, the real storm hit.

Her phone vibrated just as she entered the cafeteria. The air was tense. Too quiet.

And then—gasps.

Heads turned. Screens were lifted.

The new image was crisp. Clear.

Her and Lucas. In the Ferris ballroom. Just before the blackout.

His hand was at her waist. Her hand was on his chest. Eyes locked. The tension between them is molten.

The photo was beautiful.

Deadly.

And leaked.

An anonymous account had posted it with the caption:

"So much for professional boundaries. What else is the Lin princess hiding?"

Veronica didn't even sit.

An attendant from the office intercepted her halfway to the table.

"Miss Lin, the Dean requests your presence. Disciplinary board meeting. Immediately."

Lucas appeared behind her before she could respond.

"I'll go with her," he said.

The attendant blinked. "You can't—"

"She doesn't go anywhere without protection. Those are the rules, aren't they?" Lucas said coolly, flashing his bodyguard ID with a subtle smirk.

The attendant glanced at Veronica.

She gave a polite smile. "It's fine. He stays."

As they walked through the hall, the walls whispered behind them.

The buzz of scandal. Of headlines. Of cracks forming in the porcelain image of Veronica Lin.

Lucas leaned close as they turned a corner.

"Want to guess who submitted the photo?"

"I don't need to guess," Veronica murmured. "The real question is—what do they think they'll get from dragging me into the light?"

And then, almost to herself, she added: "They're forgetting something important."

Lucas's brow lifted.

Veronica's smile didn't reach her eyes.

"I don't break when cornered."

As they reached the double doors of the disciplinary boardroom, Veronica paused.

Her phone buzzed one last time.

A message. No name. No number.

Just a photo.

Another one.

Not of the gala.

But of her.

Twelve years old. Standing next to a man with kind eyes and a Crimson Vow ring.

Her old mentor.

Dead.

Or so she thought.

Caption: "How many ghosts do you want, Veronica?"

Her hand clenched around the phone.

Lucas saw the shift in her eyes.

"What is it now?"

Veronica's smile was like a blade.

"I think the real party just started."