Chapter 66
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Third Person’s POV
To Riley, Ronan Duskcliff was like a blade suspended at her throat–one wrong move and she’d bleed. Only distance could offer her any safety from a creature like him.
Ronan stared at her, his dark gaze filled with something unfamiliar–hesitation? Pity? But it vanished almost as soon as it surfaced, replaced by his usual cold, ruthless indifference.
“What are you so afraid of?”
He was the noble heir of the Blackmaw Pack, the favored Alpha heir. And now he stood torn between two women–his own sister and the girl he’d secretly cared about for three long years.
Riley should have been the last person to act wronged. And yet, there she was, cowering like a wounded pup. The worst part? He still felt something. He still cared.
He hated himself for it.
Especially when his sister–Tessa-was lying unconscious in a hospital bed, her life shattered.
And Riley was the one blamed for it all.
Suddenly Ronan shoved her away, hard.
Caught off guard, Riley stumbled back. Her shoulder slammed into the wall, pain lancing through her already–injured body like wildfire. If not for that wall, she would’ve collapsed completely.
She gritted her teeth against the agony, refusing to make a sound. But the strain on her pale face, the sweat soaking her temples, betrayed her suffering
Ronan’s hand twitched.
He almost reached for her.
Almost
But he stopped himself.
What was he doing? Why was he hesitating?
Seeing her in pain made something twist inside his chest, something he couldn’t naine–regret? Guilt ? Old affection refusing
to die?
Riley slowly steadied herself. Then, taking a deep breath , she turned and began to walk away.
One step. Two steps . Three
Ronan didn’t move.
Didn’t stop her.
Didn’t call her back .
Each step made her heart race faster, but also lighter. It felt like she was walking away from death’s grip.
But then
Riley Ronan called, his voice low–softer than she’d ever heard it. Like a breeze whispering her name.
She didn’t respond
Not because she was ignoring him–she simply didn’t hear him. After the head injury inflicted by Luna Zara, her hearing had.
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worsened. Even the one good car failed her at times,
Ronan’s brows furrowed. He raised his voice. “Lucien Duskgrave isn’t someone you can handle. Don’t marry him.”
His voice was sharp now , ringing with urgency.
Lucien–the Alpha heir of Stormridge–was a ruthless tactician, forged in blood and power. No mate of his would be spared the brutal demands of his lineage.
Riley didn’t look back.
She still didn’t hear him.
She just wanted to e escape. To get back to her room to shut the door, to breathe.
Ronan stood there, watching her limp away, each uneven step cutting deeper into his chest. The space between them felt like an uncrossable abyss, but the thought of letting her go. it burned.
He wanted to chase her.
To stop her.
But just as he took a step forward, his phone rang.
He hesitated.
Then fished it out of his pocket.
It was Tessa’s doctor.
He answered immediately , voice tense. “Yes?”
“ Alpha Duskcliff, you should come quickly. Your sister is showing signs of waking up.”
Joy surged through him like wildfire. He glanced toward the direction Riley had gone , eyes lingering a second too long. There was still something there–something that hadn’t died. But it would have to wait.
He turned and ran toward Tessa’s ward, heart hammering in anticipation.
When he burst into the room, he was breathless, eyes searching. “Doctor, how is she?”
The physician gestured to the monitors. “We’re detecting active brainwaves. And her fingers have twitched multiple times. Your sister is conscious, though unable to respond physically
“She can hear me?” Ronan asked, eyes widening.
“In theory, yes. She’s in a locked–in state–mind awake , body unresponsive.”
Ronan sat by the bed, grasping her frail hand. “Tessa can you hear me?”
Her eyes fluttered. Her fingers curled just slightly.
He choked back a sob.
“You’ve finally responded. You have no idea how long I’ve waited– how afraid I was I’d lost you forever”
ut then his joy gave way to the storm building beneath it. His gaze darkened. He leaned close to her ear, voice dropping to whisper
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“Tell me was it Riley who did this to you!”
Five years ago, he’d already gotten the answer. But a part of him still clung to hope. That it had been an accident. That Riley
But when Tessa’s eyes glistened with fresh tears, the last of his hope died.
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“It was her?” he asked again, voice as cold as a winter wind.
Tears streamed down Tessa’s cheeks, silent and steady
She wanted to scream . To tell him it wasn’t Riley. That it had been someone else.
That it had been Scarlett.
But she couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak.
Pearls
Ronan’s jaw clenched. The pain in his chest twisted like a knife. He had once seen Riley as brilliant, kind –a girl who’d inade even the darkest places feel like house,
But how all he could see was betrayal.
Still, somewhere deep inside him , something whispered: No. Not Riley. It was someone else.
But Tessa’s silent crying drowned out that voice.
“I’ll make her pay,” he vowed through gritted teeth. “ Even if she’s already served five years–it’s not enough. Not for this . I will get justice for you, Tessa”
Even as the words left his lips, his heart broke.
Because part of him still didn’t want to believe it.
And part of him–deep, dangerous, defiant–still belonged to Riley.
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