Deception is but perception{Edited}

Leo, oblivious to the impending storm brewing behind him, offered a tentative hand to stroke Anna's hair.

Her porcelain skin, usually flushed with a youthful vibrancy, was now pale and clammy, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"…hic,"

Yet, a keen observer would notice a flicker of something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface – a steely glint that betrayed the carefully crafted facade of damsel in distress.

However…

*Coughs*

A cough, sharp and laced with disdain, sliced through the tense silence.

Leo stared his gaze away from the wailing Anna, in time to see her.

Lyla, the very last person he wanted to see now, stood there, her lips curved into a twisted smile that didn't dare cross her eyes.

The air around her crackled with a barely concealed hostility.

"Long time no see, Leo," Lyla purred, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness that sent shivers down his spine.