Chapter 65
Those five years in prison.
Do they even know what I went through?
Every single day was darkness. A void. A hell that never ended. And the person who started it all–the one who pushed me off the edge–was Maddox.
After what he did to me, after all the betrayal and cruelty wasn’t slapping him the least he deserved:
I could see it his eyes turning red around the edges, like he was on the verge of tears. He looked at me like he was begging to find a glimpse of the old Riley in my eyes.
But all I had for him was cold, bitter contempt.
Scarlett stood quietly beside him, her expression soft and sweet, but I knew better. I saw the satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. She was reveling in the chaos, hoping this would be the final wedge between Maddox and me.
Still, she played her role.
“Don’t be upset, Maddox,” she said gently, tugging at his sleeve like some helpless flower. “Riley’s probably just… angry. That’s
all-
Then, as if remembering she was supposed to be the victim, she turned to me with teary eyes, her voice full of trembling innocence. “Sister, if you must blame someone, blame me. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have come. If hitting me helps, then…. then hit me again.”
I almost laughed. The way her voice quivered, how pitiful she sounded…. Anyone unaware of who she truly was would probably fall for the act.
But not thE.
I let out a dry, cold laugh, “Save it, Scarlett. You think I’ve forgotten what you did? Every lie, every trap–I remember it all. One by one.”
I’d get her back. Just not now. Not while Mia and Carmen were still vulnerable.
But when the time came?
I’d drag her to hell with me.
My body wouldn’t last much longer anyway. I could feel it–every scar, every bruise lingering beneath the surface. I had maybe a few years left.
So when I died. I was taking her with me.
I glared at both of them with unfiltered disgust. “You two make me sick. Don’t come here again. Don’t pretend you care. Just stay away from me.”
arlett flinched, but not because she was scared. I saw
the venom flash in her eyes when she realized I’d caught onto her act. Sell, she tried to maintain her image.
ster, how can you say that
I raised my hand slightly
the shut up immediately.
The way she cowered behind Maddox, peeking at me with wide eyes and quivering lashes like some cornered cub–it was pathetic. A little too perfect.
Maddon just stood there, staring at me like I was someone else entirely. He looked like he wanted to speak, to reach for me, maybe even to apologize.
+8 Pearls
But he didn’t move.
And after a long, awkward silence, he finally muttered. “Riley- you’re not yourself today. I’ll come see you again in a few days.”
His voice was hoarse. Like saying that hurt more than he expected it to.
Then he turned and walked away. Scarlett trailing behind him like a smug little shadow.
The second they left. I finally exhaled.
“Foul energy,” I muttered under my breath.
Whatever calm I’d managed to scrape together this morning had shattered. My mood had completely tanked.
I just wanted to get out of this damn hospital, breathe some real air, and pretend–for five minutes–that I wasn’t still stuck in the middle of a nightmare.
But then I looked up.
And locked eyes with him.
Dark, penetrating, and cold as the northern winds-
Ronan Duskcliff.
No. No, no, no.
Why was he here?
What did he want?
I couldn’t breathe.
He started walking toward me, slow and deliberate, like a predator zeroing in on prey. The pressure rolling off of him was suffocating
My heart began to pound wildly. My lungs felt tight. Every nerve screamed for me to run–but my legs wouldn’t move.
was the one person I couldn’t deal with right now.
Ronan was
The one person I feared most.
He wasn’t like Maddox or Scarlett or even Kael. Ronan didn’t use lies or manipulation. He used force. Raw, brutal, terrifying
force
He was ruthless.
Unforgiving.
A nightmare dressed in a tailored suit.
The moment I uw him, the memories came flooding back.
The beatings. The cold stone floor. The way they’d yank my hair back in prison and hiss in my ear-
“Don’t blame us. Your beloved Alpha Duskcliff said if we played nice with you, he’d cut our sentences. We’re just following
order”
They never said his name outright, but I knew.
It had to be Konan
Only he had the power to pull strings like that behind bars.
I used to think he was gentle. Refined. A quier Alpha heir who loved books and chess and classical music.
But that version of him… was a lie.
A well–constructed mask.
The real Ronan was ice and steel and vengeance.
My blood ran cold.
I took a step back.
Then another.
But he didn’t stop..
He kept closing the distance between us, like a shadow I couldn’t outrun.
Panic surged in my chest. My vision blurred. I stumbled back on shaky legs–and nearly fell.
But his hand shot out Fast. Unyielding.
He caught me by the waist and pulled me flush against his chest,
Hard.
Too hard.
His hand gripped my side, and for a moment, he just held me there.
Like he owned me.
Like he always had.
+8 Pearls
I could feel the calluses on his palm, the quiet strength in his fingers. Even through the hospital gown, his grip was like iron.
His brows furrowed slightly.
Too thin, his eyes seemed to say.
Too fragile.
His concern wasn’t comforting–it was terrifying.
My heart hammered against my ribs. My body wanted to break free, but my limbs refused to obey.
I could smell his cologne–clean, sharp, unmistakably him. His presence swallowed mine whole.
I tried to struggle. To breathe. To think.
But nothing worked.
He tilted his head slightly, his black eyes scanning mine. I could feel the heat of his gaze,
Like a storm brewing just beneath his calm.
“Running away?” he murmured.
The sound of his voice–low, smooth, magnetic–was somehow worse than a shout.
slathered into my spine like frost.
I pushed against him with shaking hands, pressing into the solid wall of his chest.
“Let let me go,” 1 whispered, hating how weak my voice sounded.