Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Scarlett put on her best mask of worry, her voice trembling as she stepped forward and tugged gently at Lady Seraphina Duskgrave’s sleeve
“Lady Seraphina, she’s my sister. Her name is Riley Vale. Maybe–maybe there’s some misunderstanding here?”
Hearing this, the fury in Seraphina’s eyes only intensified.
So this shameless hussy was Scarlett’s sister? That made everything worse.
Scarlett had long been her confidante. Ever since they grew close, Scarlett had frequently, almost innocently, spoken of being mistreated and bullied by her elder sister.
Seraphina had already harbored distaste for the infamous Riley Vale. But when she realized the same woman who had once dared raise her hand against Scarlett was now also the one in the photo Matriarch Duskgrave had sent her husband—it was as if oil had been poured onto an open flame.
She loathed Riley Vale with every fiber of her being.
And she knew Andi.
That flamboyant little peacock might act harmless, but he was one of the North’s most sought–after stylists. Some of the Stormridge Pack’s most iconic looks had come from his hands.
Though stylists like him were impossible for most to book, the Duskgrave family could get anyone. Yet today, it wasn’t Lady Seraphina he’d dressed–it was Riley.
The rage twisted in her gut like a curse.
Was that old bat. Matriarch Duskgrave, really so disappointed in her after all these years? Seraphina had been married to Lucien’s father Ford for over two decades, living under the weight of judgment, enduring cold glances and hushed rumors. And yet, she had never won the matriarch’s favor,
And now this?
That woman was grooming a new Luna–a young, fertile one.
A replacement.
Her eyes dropped to Riley’s flat stomach. She imagined her swelling with his heir.
Her vision went red.
She couldn’t bear it. Wouldn’t
No woman would give the Duskgrave bloodline an heir if she couldn’t.
That right belonged to her–and her alone
She hadn’t been barren by choice. It was that cursed brat Lucien–only five years old when he pushed her down the stairs.
her pregnancy and her womb in a single, vicious moment. The doctors said it had been an accident.
She knew better
She would not let Riley give him another.
cream that was more beast that woman. Seraphina lunged forward and grabbed Riley by the hair, yanking her head.
down hard
“You think fucking your little tail will make men crawl after your she shrieked “Il teach you what happens to whores who mistake lust for power
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Chapter 128
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Riley gritted her teeth, pain shooting through her scalp. She grabbed at Seraphina’s hands. “Let go! I don’t even know your husband
But no one was listening.
Andi tried to intervene but was instantly surrounded by a pack of feral Lunas. They scratched at him with manicured claws, drawing blood across his cheeks and arms until his face was streaked with crimson.
“Back off” he shouted. “Do you even know who she is? She belongs to Lucien Duskgrave! If you touch her again, he will bury you and your pack with a single command!”
His voice boomed down the corridor.
Everything went still for a second.
And then Seraphina laughed.
A loud, manic laugh.
“She belongs to Lucien? My stepson? The one who hasn’t looked at a single woman in thirty years suddenly has a little Omega peta
Her eyes gleamed. wild and unhinged.
“Oh, you’re good,” she hissed, pulling harder. “But not good enough.”
The crowd surged again.
Insults flew like daggers.
“Filthy bitch!”
“Bedwarmer
“Gold–digging mutt
Riley fought to stay on her feet, but Seraphina’s grip was ruthless. Someone slammed a heel into the back of her calf–sharp,
She stumbled
Thud
She hit the ground hard, her knees slamming into the marble floor with a sickening crunch.
Before she could catch her breath, two hands grabbed her arms and wrenched her upright again, forcing her into a kncel
Seraphina released her hair Riley’s long dark strands fell across her face in tangled waves, blood trickling down her lip.
She could feel every sneer every side look piercing her like arrows. Her wolf whampered inside, not from weakness–but
rom the weight of injustice. The need to rip and tear surged just beneath the surface.
But she held back
Seraphina stood tall towering over her eyes alight with vicious triumph
m—SLAP
Her hand cracked across Riley’s left cheek. The sound echoed like a whip anap through the comdor
Riley’s head snapped to the side. Her check blossomed red instantly
HPMP P
Chapter 128
SLAP–the other cheek this time,
Riley’s head reeled
Her face burned. Her ears rang. Her mouth tasted of blood.
SLAP
SLAP
SLAP
Again. And again.
And again.
By the fifth strike, Riley no longer felt the pain. Only numbness.
Her eyes stared blankly at the ground.
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Her knees dug into the cold stone. Her hair hung like a curtain, sticky with blood and sweat. The hallway around her buzzed and blurred, voices blending into a cruel, faceless mob.
And Seraphina?
She smiled.
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