She inhaled slowly, then turned her gaze toward Alex.
"I don't understand why you're hiding it from me," she said, her voice calm but edged with tension.
"But I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me just one thing."
She met his eyes directly.
"Are you related to me by blood… or not?"
Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating, until Axel finally spoke in a low, restrained voice.
"I'm directly related," he said softly. "To you Lana."
The moment those words reached her ears, Lana's fingers curled into tight fists.
Her nails dug into her palms as she lowered her gaze, shadows gathering in her eyes.
"So," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, "is there something else you're hiding from me?"
Axel didn't respond.
A cold smirk tugged at Lana's lips as she lifted her head again.
"What?" she asked quietly. "My own family won't accept me, so that's why you're acting like this?"
Axel's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He shook his head immediately.
