𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

Iliana's whole body shakes as she climbs the stairs to find Andre. She takes a deep breath then follows his body heat to a room, not even bothering to knock she pushes the door open to find him lay out on the couch.

He turns his head to the side, seeing the one and only person he wants to be with right now.

"Magnet?" She croaks.

"Come here." He says softly and she hurries over, knees finally giving in as she falls to the floor in front of the couch and dives into his torso and his arms immediately wrap around her. "I know, I know." He coaxes her as she clings to his hoodie.

Everything Iliana has known, every piece of comfort she's had left... has just ripped out from underneath her. Like a rug being jerked, and her slamming to the ground... over and over and over again.

When was enough enough? When was she finally going to be able to rise to the surface for a breath of fresh air? When was she going to wake up from God awful, never ending nightmare???

Hasn't she suffered enough? Hasn't she given enough?

Was ditching the love of her life, sacrificing her body, her heart, her soul, her morals, her will, EVERYTHING, not Goddamn enough?!

How much more of a price does Iliana Riordan have to pay?

"She knew." Iliana chokes out a sob. "Oh, God. She knew about everything."

Her baby brother, the little bit of light in her and Luke's life, has been fucking tortured these past three years that they thought he was dead... and Cate did nothing?!

All those nights and hours spent consoling the Riordan twins was fake. A facade.

"Do you-" Iliana swallows harshly as Andre continues to rub her back, trying to get her to calm down, ignoring the heat that's making it hard for him to breathe. He didn't care. He was going to sit here and listen to his best friend and try to ease her pain as much as he possibly fucking could, no matter the pain or blistering heat coming off of her. His chest ached with guilt over him and Cate... but he couldn't think of that now. He has to help Iliana. "Do you think she drove Luke mad?"

"Of course she fucking did." Andre spits out.

Iliana pulls back to look at him. "I, uh, I saw the Tek Knight interview." She says and his face drops. "In my head."

"Goldie- I am so fucking sorry." He shuts his eyes for a moment, the returned memory taunting his mind- though there's much worse.

Iliana shakes her head. "It's okay."

"No." Andre quickly objects. "No, it's not."

"We were all grieving." Iliana places her hand on his arm, before her eyes darken. "Or so I thought."

Andre stares up at the ceiling. "You had every right to storm out." He sighs. "And be angry."

Iliana chews on the inside of her lip. "Well, I'm not anymore.  I was, initially." She admits. "But I need you. So I don't give a fuck."

Andre sniffs, nodding before he pulls her in again.

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

Cate, Marie, Jordan, and Emma move to the living room as Cate gives them each their memories back, one by one.

Jordan see's exactly what Iliana saw...

The argument, their kiss. Dancing. Sex. That Iliana told them to be in their girl form... it was like she was letting loose and didn't give a fuck about the world around them, for once.

Maverick's words and advice ring through their head.

"Did you ask her if she was disgusted this morning?"

"Do you think she told you that on purpose, maybe?"

Jordan didn't think it was possible. For the past year they've spent so much of their time bitter and angry at golden blonde that they've never stopped being in love with.

How could they?

Iliana was intoxicating. And Jordan Li will never be able to get enough...

As Emma cusses at Cate and storms out Cate stumbles slightly.

"Shetty made you do this?" Marie speaks softly.

"You were in my fucking head." Jordan snaps, taking a step towards her. And Iliana's.

"Why?" Marie asks.

"I'm sorry." Cate croaks.

"You had no fucking right." Jordan spits out.

Cate continues to back up. "I thought I was..." She falls forward.

"Woah." Marie holds her arms out.

"... doing the right thing." Cate continues, teetering into the table.

How could she do this to us?

Cate hears Marie's thoughts...

I'll never forgive her for this.

Jordan thinks, staring at Cate harshly.

She stands up, beginning to cry again, and hurries off.

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

A soft knock on the door draws their attention.

"Andre? Iliana?" Marie calls out, creaking the door open.

Iliana and Andre numbly look up at her.

It was strange for Iliana. When Marie first arrived she was so thrown into the middle of everything, Iliana couldn't stand her. Not giving a fuck about Luke dying and capitalizing off it.

But now, again, Iliana didn't have it in her to give a fuck.

She wasn't sure what changed, but the memory of her saving Marie in class made sense as to why Marie seemed to cling to her and trust her... even when they both couldn't remember it.

Luke welcomed Marie with open arms, of course he did. And Iliana had told herself that she could be better, could do better. For him.

"I think she made Luke kill Brink." Andre says as Marie enters the room and Iliana pats on the carpet space beside her. "And kill himself."

"I don't... I don't think so." Marie says, taking a seat next to Iliana. "I don't... think she would do that."

Iliana leans her head back against Andre. "Why not?"

"No. That is exactly what she does." Andre argues. "She makes you fall in love with her..." He frowns. "And then she fucks you over."

Iliana gazes up at the ceiling, tears prickling the corners of her eyes. She was so fucking tired of crying.

But she loved Cate. They got stick-poke tattoo's together. They ate cherries together in the library while "studying." Iliana couldn't have been more thrilled that her twin was dating her best friend and that Cate would be her sister someday, though she already saw her as one.

"No. This school fucks you over." Marie counters.

Iliana's head snaps up and she turns to Marie. "This school..." Her breath shudders. "Has fucked me over more than any fucking body." Marie looks at her, a bit startled. "But it doesn't change the fact that Cate a fucking bitch. That she fucked me over, and Sam, and Luke, Marie!" Her voice raises. "She fucking KNEW what was happening to Sam in The Woods. And drove Luke mad to forget about it. She made me forget about it. So don't sit there and try to say that it's just the school." She finished, nostrils flaring, and the sun boring in through the window so much it starts to burn a hole through the wall.

Marie looks down at her hands. "I'm sorry." She takes a deep breath, pausing for a moment. "You know, getting in God U... was the best day of my life." She nods slowly. "And it's no different than the shithole I grew up in."

Getting into God U changed everything for Iliana and Luke... it was supposed to anyway.

"You know what's wild?" Andre speaks up again, twitching his leg towards Marie. "I can handle that. I can even deal with the fact that my..." He hesitates, "My father's a coward piece of shit. But all of this? After everything... Cate?"

"Wasn't she fucked over like the rest of us?" Marie asks, trying not to upset Iliana, but needing to ask all the same.

Iliana lets out a bitter chuckle while Andre shakes his head.

"No. No. She was a part of it, Marie." He tells her.

"She fucked us over." Iliana spits out.

"I think we should talk to her." Marie says.

Iliana tilts her head at Marie. And she would what? Say more lies? Make them forget all over again?

Andre sits up. "No. Because then I'd just forgive her."

"And say what Marie?" Iliana throws her hands up.

"Don't you think we deserve an explanation? That you deserve one?" Marie looks at Iliana solemnly and the back of Iliana's teeth grind together.

If anyone deserved one the most, it was Iliana. Andre next.

And Marie was right, unfortunately. Iliana did deserve an explanation for how Cate could fucking do this to her. To her family. To her best friend, to Jordan, Marie... to her.

Cate owed Iliana that much.

"Help! I need some help in here!" Jordan's voice suddenly yells in distress.

Iliana is instantly to her feet and out the door as Marie and Andre glance at each other before following her downstairs...

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Hey, heyyy!! Welcome back to Golden Facade ;)

We have officially hit the Gen V premiere monthhh, omg... it feels like just yesterday I started watching this show whattt....

I really loved how this chapter turned outtt!!! It goes pretty deep in here, oof... My poor girl Iliana guys, ugh! She has got to me one of most trauma oc's ever, holy shit!! She's been through so much </3

And y'all got a little bit of Jordan's povvv as they're coming to their sensessss ;)

I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!! Also gave y'all a Magnet & Goldie momenttt bc it's far too long & yes she was truly upset of first over Andre & Cate, but like she said she does it have it in her to stay mad at him & she too has fallen into Cate's trap... but we all know what's revealed in this episode so... enjoy their reunited moment now...

Also... WE JUST HIT 13K READSSS!! THANK Y'ALL SO SO MUCH, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! Until next time, mwah!!