CHAPTER 78: I WILL WATCH YOU CUT HIM

Braelyn’s POV

"So you already know."

My voice didn’t waver, but it felt like my ribs tightened around my lungs. His gaze didn’t shift, didn’t soften. If anything, the silence between us grew heavier.

Lucien’s hands curled into fists at his sides. There was no outburst. No raised voice. Just a frightening calm.

"Was that the excuse he used to torment you?"

His tone was quiet, almost gentle but the anger beneath it was unmistakable.

A slow, humourless smile tugged at the corner of his lips, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes.

I didn’t know what to say honestly. I didn’t want anyone else to know. My nails dug deeper, holding the sheets like it was my lifeline

"I don’t want your pity, Lucien..." I muttered, bowing my head. "Things are just so fucked up.." I muttered.

A short, humourless laugh followed, drawing my attention. I slowly raised my head confused as to why he was laughing. His eyes were still cold but he was clearly laughing.

"This is ridiculous...he used that as an excuse to get what he wanted." He sneered jaw locked. His fists were still clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Don’t tell me you believed whatever silly excuse he gave you," Lucien added then hissed. His gaze wandered around the room like he was lost in his thoughts.

I smiled, I wanted to laugh at myself. "I don’t even know what to believe..." My reply stunned him. His eyes went wide, flickering for a moment before returning to normal.

"It’s been 4 days, Braelyn," Lucien stated, my brows furrowed wondering what he meant. Lucien stepped closer. His eyes carried emotions I didn’t understand or fathom.

Lucien’s lips parted, "4 days and he hadn’t shown up. I know he would probably make up some sick excuse about being busy..." Lucien revealed. I felt my heart squeeze, and the smile on my lips remained

It was kind of what I expected. I was curious, a part of me wanted to know what happened after I blacked out, but the answer also scared me. Lucien wasn’t done making his point.

"Do you know why he is always busy?" He asked me, letting the words sink in. I shook my head despite knowing what he wanted to say. This needed to hurt; this was my final wake-up call.

He clearly saw me in pain but a few words from him made me believe otherwise. I had clung to a small sliver of hope. Honestly, when Lucien said as if I would go back to him if this turned out to be a cruel joke...

I had said no because logically it was impossible, but a tiny part of me, of the heart that once loved him, clung to the delusion that the man I loved was still there, hidden under the horrible mask he wore.

It was not a mask. This was the real Raphael, he was tired of hiding. From the start, I was always wary of his childhood friend, the best friend who was like a sister.

He has reassured me several times that there was nothing and I was just overthinking. How cruel was it that my biggest insecurities were always real?

The reason he had married me and acted like he cared might have never been love. Lucien was still staring at me, watching every emotion that ran across my face.

"I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?" I finally answered. Tears welled up in my eyes. He froze for a second but the storm in his hazel eyes only raged more.

"Someone who loves you will always make time. He simply doesn’t care as much....if he had come to see you once, maybe I would have thought otherwise, but he didn’t." The words went straight to my heart like daggers.

It was like I was breaking all over again just like that night it all fell apart. I wanted to scream that it wasn’t true. I remembered the way he had looked at me, the warmth of his presence but that was in the past. How was I sure what I felt was real then?

Everything choked up in my throat. I felt his presence close in on me. My voice slipped out very low, barely a whisper. I doubt he even heard me. "I guess that’s what the truth is ", I answered, drawing in a deep breath that made me tremble.

I wasn’t going to cry. Not again. A lump formed in my throat which I forced down. I felt his touch brush against my skin. He slowly held my hand.

I wanted to ask why he was saying all this to me. Why did he want me to break?

Despite repeating it over and over again in my head, something wet slid down my cheek, falling on my clenched fist. The tears still rolled down with a sob breaking through my lips.

"I must look pitiful..." my voice choked. I hated the feeling. The look of pity, the whispers.

His grip tightened on my hand, Lucien’s voice came out steady. "Don’t sound like that. You never asked for what happened." He said that didn’t stop the tears; they only fell harder.

"I never asked for it but it happened either way..." My chest tightened like something was clinging there. I couldn’t breathe, choked by my tears.

"Lynn. " He managed to say, his arms wrapped around me pulling me into a hug. My face was buried in his chest, and the scent of his cologne broke something in me and made me cry harder. "Why did it have to be me?" I whimpered, muffled against his chest.

Lucien held me tighter; he didn’t say anything and just let me cry. I remember the desperation, why didn’t he believe me for once?

A cruel thought whispered in my mind that he wanted me dead but it made no sense why Raphael decided to treat me this way.

"Life is cruel, Lynn, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fight back ", Lucien finally mentioned. "If you ever want to make him bleed one way or the other, I will gladly give you the knife and watch you cut him..."

"Only then will the pain ease away..." He swore. His intentions were hard to grasp. I didn’t scramble my head to understand, nor did I refuse.