The Twisted Obsession-Chapter 262: Unanswered

Lily stared at her phone, her heart racing in her chest. She had been trying to reach Cage for hours, but to no avail. Every call went unanswered, every text message unreplied. Panic and frustration welled up inside her. She needed him now more than ever, and his silence was unbearable.

She sat in the dimly lit living room of her apartment, the curtains drawn tightly to keep out the prying eyes of the media. Ever since the scandal broke, reporters had camped outside her home, their cameras and questions a relentless reminder of the chaos her life had become.

"Lily, are you okay?" Alice’s voice came from the other end of the room, filled with concern. She had come over to keep Lily company, but even her presence couldn’t quell the anxiety that gnawed at Lily’s heart.

"No, I’m not okay," Lily snapped, immediately regretting the sharpness of her tone. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I’m sorry, Alice. It’s just... Cage isn’t answering my calls. I don’t know where he is, and I need him. I need to talk to him."

Alice walked over and sat beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I’m sure there’s a good reason why he hasn’t answered. Maybe he’s just as overwhelmed as you are. This scandal is affecting everyone."

Lily shook her head, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes. "But I need him, Alice. He’s the only one who understands what I’m going through. I feel so alone."

Alice squeezed her shoulder gently. "You’re not alone, Lily. I’m here for you, and so is your mom. We’ll get through this together."

Lily wiped away a tear, her fingers trembling. "I just don’t understand why this is happening. Everything was going so well, and now... now it’s all falling apart."

Alice looked at her with sympathy. "Scandals have a way of doing that. They tear apart everything you thought was solid. But you’re strong, Lily. You’ll get through this."

Lily nodded, though her heart still ached with uncertainty. She glanced at her phone again, willing it to ring, to bring some word from Cage. But the screen remained dark and silent, a stark reminder of her isolation.

She stood up, pacing the room, her thoughts a whirlwind of fear and confusion. "What if something’s happened to him? What if he’s in trouble?"

Alice stood up as well, trying to keep her voice calm. "Lily, we don’t know that. He could just be in a place where he can’t get to his phone. Let’s try not to assume the worst."

Lily bit her lip, nodding reluctantly. "You’re right. I’m probably overreacting. It’s just... everything feels so out of control."

Alice pulled her into a hug. "It’s going to be okay, Lily. We’ll figure this out. One step at a time."

As they stood there, the sound of Lily’s phone ringing broke the tense silence. She pulled away from Alice, her heart leaping as she saw Cage’s name on the screen. She answered it quickly, her voice trembling.

"Cage? Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you."

Cage’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that Lily hadn’t heard before. "Lily, I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch. Things have been... complicated."

Lily’s heart sank at his tone. "What do you mean? What’s going on?"

There was a pause on the other end, and Lily could hear the faint sound of traffic in the background. "I can’t explain everything right now. But I need you to trust me. I’m doing everything I can to fix this."

"Fix what, Cage?" Lily asked, her voice rising with frustration. "I don’t understand what’s happening."

Cage sighed, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer. "I know it’s hard, Lily. But you have to trust me. I’ll explain everything when I can. Just... be safe, okay?"

Lily’s eyes filled with tears. "Cage, please. I need you. I need to see you."

"I’ll come to you as soon as I can," Cage promised. "But for now, just stay safe. I love you, Lily."

"I love you too," Lily whispered, her heart aching as the call ended. She stared at her phone, her emotions a tangled mess of relief and fear.

Alice stepped closer, her eyes filled with concern. "What did he say?"

Lily shook her head, wiping away her tears. "He said things are complicated and that he’ll explain everything when he can. But he sounded... different. Like something’s really wrong."

Alice nodded slowly. "We’ll figure it out, Lily. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it together."

Lily sat back down on the couch, still clutching her phone. The brief conversation with Cage had left her feeling even more unsettled, and the silence from Alex had faded into the background of her chaotic thoughts. She hadn’t given him much thought in the turmoil of the past few days.

"What about Alex? Have you heard from him?" Alice asked, breaking the silence and bringing a new wave of anxiety over Lily.

Lily’s eyes widened as she realized she had completely forgotten about Alex. The last time she had seen him, she had stolen the documents that linked him to money laundering and other illegal activities. Since then, she hadn’t heard a word from him.

"No, I haven’t," Lily said, her voice trembling. "I haven’t heard from him at all. I don’t know where he is or what he’s doing."

Alice frowned, her concern deepening. "That’s strange. You’d think he’d be all over this scandal, trying to control the narrative or at least confront you. Do you think he knows about the documents?"

Lily bit her lip, the fear and uncertainty gnawing at her. "I don’t know, Alice. I thought he’d have contacted me by now, if only to lash out. But there’s been nothing."

Alice nodded, her mind working quickly. "We need to be careful. If he knows about the documents, he could be planning something. Or he could be hiding, trying to figure out his next move."

Lily felt a chill run down her spine. The thought of Alex plotting in the shadows, waiting to strike, was terrifying. She knew how dangerous he could be, and the silence only made it worse.

"What should we do?" Lily asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

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