Riley’s POV

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 bMaddox/b.

After what he did to me, after all the betrayal and cruelty wasn’t pping him the least he deserved:

I could see it his eyes turning red around the edges, like he bwas /bon the verge of tears. He looked at me like he bwas /bbegging to find a glimpse of the old Riley in my eyes.

But all I had for him bwas /bcold, bitter contempt.

Scarlett stood quietly beside him, her expression soft and sweet, but I knew better. I bsaw /bthe satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. She was reveling in the chaos, hoping this would be the final wedge between Maddox and me.

Still, bshe /byed 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 byou /bmust me someone, me me. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t havee. If hitting me helps, then…. then hit me again.”

I almostughed. The way her voice quivered, bhow /bpitiful she sounded…. Anyone unaware of who she truly was would probably fall for the act.

But not thE.

I let out a dry, coldugh, “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’tst much longer anyway. I bcould /bfeel it–every bscar/b, every bruise lingering beneath the surface. I bhad /bmaybe a few years left.

bSo /bwhen I died. I was taking her with me.

I red at both of them with unfiltered disgust. “You two make me sick. Don’te here again. Don’t pretend you care. Just stay away from me.”

arlett flinched, but not because she was scared. I bsaw /bthe venom sh 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 bshes /blike 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’lle 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 btrailing /bbbehind /bbhim /blike a smug little bshadow/b.

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 hadpletely tanked.

I just wanted to get out of this damn hospital, breathe some real air, and pretend–for five minutes–that I bwasn’t /bstill stuck bin /bthe middle of a nightmare.

But then I looked up.

And locked eyes with him.

Dark, prating, and bcold /bas the northern winds-

Ronan Duskcliff.

No. No, no, no.

Why was he here?

What did he want?

I couldn’t breatheb. /b

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 bwasn’t /blike Maddox or Scarlett or even Kael. bRonan /bdidn’t use lies or maniption. He used force. Raw, brutal, terrifying

force

He was ruthless.

Unforgiving.

A nightmare dressed in a tailored bsuit/bb. /b

The moment I uw bhim/b, the memories came flooding bback/b.

The beatings. The cold stone floor. The way they’d yank my hair back in prison and bhiss /bin my ear-

“Don’t me us. Your beloved Alpha Duskcliff bsaid /bif we yed nice with you, he’d cut our sentences. We’re bjust /bfollowing

order”

They never said his name outright, bbut /bI 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 bssical /bmusic.

But that version of him… was ba /blie.

A well–constructed mask.

The real Ronan bwas /bice and steel band /bvengeance.

My blood ran cold.

I took a step back.

Then banother/bb. /b

But he didn’t bstop/b..

He kept closing the distance between us, like a shadow I couldn’t outrun.

bPanic /bsurged 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 bthe /bwaist 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 balways /bhad.

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I could feel the calluses on his palm, the quiet strength in his fingers. Even through the hospital gown, bhis /bgrip was like iron.

His brows furrowed slightly.

Too thin, his eyes seemed to say.

Too fragile.

His concern wasn’tforting–it was terrifyingb. /b

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 breatheb. /bTo bthink/b.

But nothing worked.

He tilted his head slightly, his ck eyes scanning mine. I could feel the heat of his gaze,

Like a storm brewing just beneath his bcalm/b.

“Running away?” he murmured.

The sound of his voice–low, smooth, maic–was somehow worse bthan /ba bshout/b.

thered into bmy /bspine like frost.

I pushed against bhim /bwith shaking hands, pressing into the bsolid /bwall of his chest.

“Let let me go,” 1 whispered, hating how weak bmy /bvoice sounded.