Chapter 26%
Lucian
“S–Stop,” she stammered as I tightened my grip around her neck.
She was pinned against the wall, her feet dangling off the ground, lips paling, eyes rolling back from the lack of air and the sheer agony.” “It’s you, isn’t it?” I snarled, spitting the words out. “You came here, telling me all that, thinking I wouldn’t be suspicious?”
She tried clawing at me, but I shoved her harder against the wall with my free hand.
“How dare you, Beverly!” I growled, throwing her across the room when I noticed she could barely breathe.“]
She landed on the ground, coughing and gasping, retching from the force of trying to catch her breath.
“I accepted you in this court, thinking you fucking changed,” I barked. “And now you come back, thinking you’ve sharpened your fangs and claws enough to kill me?”
I let out a bitter laugh, full of rage, not amusement.
“Where did you take my wife and son?” I asked, voice sharp with impatience.}
She glared at me, tears welling in her eyes as she opened her mouth to speak.
“You left me for Chesca,” she choked out, trembling.
My lips parted in disbelief, stunned by the audacity of her words.
“And you cheated on me with Derek, didn’t you? You think I’d want a bone already chewed by someone else?”
I expected her to lash out, to finally spill what I needed, but instead, she just laughed, a broken, bitter sound.}
know,” she whispered with a twisted smirk. “That’s why those men… they’ll taste her first. They’ll strip all the sweetness off Hestia’s bones until, like me, you’ll throw her away too-“}
ry clouded my vision. I yanked the table and hurled it toward her. Her shriek echoed off the stone walls. Outside, I heard the court men ounding at the door. I couldn’t kill Beverly yet, not until a judgment was passed, but if she didn’t tell me where my family was, she would not leave this room alive.
“Answer me, Beverly,” I demanded through gritted teeth.”
I crouched before her. She tried holding onto her pride, refusing to break, until I said it.”
“I heard Derek’s alone in those woods. And he’s sick…” I whispered every word like venom.
The moment her eyes widened in horror, I knew I hit the mark.
“Don’t you dare…” she hissed, trembling, voice heavy with warning.}
She loved him. I knew she did. I wouldn’t have entered any arrangement with her without knowing the woman I was binding myself to. Beverly was supposed to be my fiancée. I investigated her. I knew about the human she truly loved. She was forced into my world, and when she got pregnant, I had no desire to bring that chaos into my life.
I chose Chesca because, somehow, she made me feel something real. And now Beverly was blaming her? Blaming me??
“I won’t ask you again, Beverly. Where. Is. My. Son. And. Wife?”
Hestial
I hugged myself tightly, covering my body with scraps of torn clothing from those men. Before they could do worse, a loud crash outside distracted them.
“Mommy… you still there?” Lorde’s weak voice barely reached me.”
“Yes, baby. Mommy’s here…” My body trembled.
Maybe because I knew I wasn’t fine. Those men had kissed me, touched me. They hadn’t completed their vile plans, but still, I was left bare, broken, and ashamed. But at least, at least, they hadn’t laid a hand on my Lorde.}
“Is Dad coming for us?”
“Of course,” I lied, masking my despair with a soft voice. “He’s coming. I can feel it. Your dad won’t fail us…“}
You won’t, right, Lucian? You won’t fail us?
“He… he won’t, right?” I whispered the last part, almost praying.}
The door suddenly exploded off its hinges, sending shards flying. Lorde’s eyes fluttered open at the sound, and I shielded him instinctively.
“Mommy…” he sobbed.
Through the smoke and debris, I saw a shadow. Solid, powerful.
“It’s Daddy,” I whispered, clutching Lorde. “Daddy came. I told you.”!
“Hestia! Lorde!”
Lucian rushed toward us. The moment he saw my battered state, he cursed under his breath, shedding his coat and wrapping it around
me.%
“Matt! Take Lorde out!” he ordered sharply.
He draped the coat over me, securing me quickly before lifting me into his arms.
“Keep him safe, Matthew,” I begged, locking eyes with Lucian.
2/2
92.9%
10:39 АМ
‘Matt‘ Take Lorde out!” he ordered sharply.
He draped the coat over me, securing me quickly before lifting me into his arms.
“Keep him safe, Matthew,” I begged, locking eyes with Lucian.”
They nodded. I should have felt safe then, but something gnawed at my instincts. We were out of that hellish place, but I knew we weren’t free yet.”
“Is Beverly… dead?” I asked weakly as Lucian placed me inside the car, Matthew following with Lorde in his arms.
Before I could breathe a sigh of relief, a shadow moved behind Matthew, then came the gleam of a blade.}]
“No!” I screamed.
But it was too late.
The knife struck Matthew’s side. He staggered. And then, with vicious precision, the blade turned toward my son.”
“No one will be happy!” the woman shrieked.
Through the dim light, her face became clear, it showed Beverly’s face, with the aura of the woman’s shadow that night of the accident. It was her!!
212
