36.Ivy's POV.I should have been happy watching Ivy’s face fall, seeing that tiny flicker of determination die in her eyes, it should have been satisfying. It should have made me smirk, should have made me want to mock her like I always did, to remind her that she had no control, no power against me. That she was mine to break, mine to shape however I wanted.But it didn’t.Instead, something twisted inside me, sharp and unfamiliar. A strange, uncomfortable sensation that curled in my gut like a sickness. It felt too much like regret. Like guilt.I shoved the feeling down as quickly as it came, the way I always did when it came to her. I wasn’t supposed to care. Ivy was a game, a pet project, something I enjoyed breaking piece by piece. That’s all she was. That’s all this was. That's what it had to be.I had never given a damn about anyone before. Never wasted my time thinking about things that didn’t serve me. So why the hell was I still thinking about her long after she walked away
Ivy's POV.A new date was set for the test, and while most students groaned about having to retake it, I felt hopeful. But I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that I was being set up for failure all over again.That evening, I decided to talk to him, hoping that maybe he’d give me some sort of hint, a warning, anything to let me know if I was expected to “behave” again.So I casually slipped into the living room and found him sprawled out on the couch, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, his other hand scrolling through his phone like he didn’t have a single care in the world.I hesitated for a second before walking over, pretending like my heart wasn’t slamming against my ribs.“Hey.”No response.I perched on the armrest of the couch, forcing my voice to stay casual. “So… Mrs. Reynold mentioned the upcoming oratory contest today. The Global Oratory Championship. She thinks I have a good shot at winning.”Still nothing.I swallowed and tried again. “I still have to prepare my s
Ivy's POV.I pressed my back against the rough stone wall, my hands bracing against it as if I could somehow sink into it and disappear. I needed space, distance, anything to break the suffocating tension between us.But there was nowhere to go. Brandon had me effectively trapped, his body blocking any possible escape, his presence overwhelming every inch of air between us.I refused to look down.I refused.But my gaze had a mind of its own. No matter how hard I fought it, it kept slipping, kept betraying me, drawn to the very thing I swore I wouldn’t acknowledge. And Brandon, the smug bastard, noticed immediately.Of course, he did.“No girl has ever been able to look away,” he mused, voice low and self-satisfied.His words sent a sharp pulse of irritation through me, snapping me back into myself. I forced my eyes up, locking onto his with a glare that I hoped masked the heat rising up my neck.“I came here to talk,” I bit out, keeping my expression neutral.Brandon chuckled, the so
39.Ivy's POV.I can’t do this.That was the only thought running through my mind as I knelt there, my whole body was tense, and my hands curled into fists at my sides. Brandon towered over me, his expression unreadable, though there was a glint in his eyes that made my stomach turn.He was watching me like a predator watches its prey, like he was waiting for something.“Well?” he prompted, cocking a brow. His voice was smooth, expectant, dripping with that familiar taunting edge that made my skin crawl.I swallowed hard. My mouth felt dry, my hands trembling at my sides. I had no idea where to start, no idea what to do.He must have noticed my hesitation because he sighed and cupped my chin, tilting my head up further. “Open.”I did. Automatically.He slid into my mouth and I took him in, inch by inch. His taste exploded on my tongue, salty and musky. I didn't know how to do it. I've never been in this situation before. “Use your tongue,” his voice was a harsh groan, “pretend this
40.Brandon's POV.I couldn’t get her out of my head.Even now, as I stood in front of the mirror, buttoning up my shirt, my mind was stuck on Ivy. On the way she had looked at me, those wide, shocked eyes, the way her lips had parted, like she was about to protest but couldn’t quite form the words. Like some part of her, deep down, didn’t want to.She had that look about her. That perfect, innocent look, like she was made to be corrupted. Like she was just waiting for someone to lead her straight into sin. And the way she responded to me, her body, her breath, the way she trembled, made it painfully obvious she wasn’t as untouched as she wanted to pretend.I could still picture it. The way she tried to steel herself against me, to fight back, but her own body kept betraying her. The shaky breaths, the way her pulse fluttered at the base of her throat, the slight waver in her voice when she said my name like she didn’t know whether to hate me or give in.And the worst part? I wanted
41.Ivy's POV.When the test papers were handed back, I almost couldn’t believe my eyes.98. The highest score in the class.Relief and pride swelled in my chest, spreading through me like warmth on a cold morning. I stared at the bold red marks on my paper, my fingers tightening around the edges."Excellent work, Ivy," Mrs. Reynold announced, nodding at me approvingly. "This is what I was expecting from you. Keep it up."I nodded, still slightly dazed, barely able to register the praise. It had been so long since I had been recognized for something good, something I had earned."And speaking of excellence, the application for the International Oratory Championship is now open. Ivy, Brandon, you both shouldn’t forget to apply. I expect great things from you two."With a smile, she walked away.A hand landed on my desk, dragging me back to reality. Jackie grinned down at me, eyes twinkling with amusement."God, you’re actually blushing," she teased, her voice dripping with exaggerated
Ivy's POV.I cried all night.Silent, aching sobs that I tried to muffle with my pillow, but they didn’t stop. They just kept coming, wave after relentless wave, until I had no tears left, until my pillow was soaked, my throat raw, my body too exhausted to move.But sleep never came.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. My mom, in a pool of blood, gasping for air. I heard her voice, weak and desperate, calling for me. And beneath it all, looping in my mind like a sick, twisted echo, was Brandon’s voice from weeks ago.Pregnancies are easily aborted.By morning, I felt hollow. Empty. Like something inside me had been scraped out and discarded.I didn’t wait for Brandon. I didn’t even consider it. I arranged for a different ride and left the house without seeing him, without giving him a single chance to look at me, to speak to me, to exist anywhere near me.But, of course, luck wasn’t on my side.Because the second I stepped into school, I ran right into him.Brandon was already the
43.Brandon's POV.I must be running mad. That was the only explanation for why I felt this way.Nothing else made sense. Nothing else explained why Ivy’s accusation had gotten to me the way it did. People had said things about me before, and I had never once cared. Never lost sleep over what someone thought of me.But this?This wasn’t the same.This felt like something sharp had been driven straight into my chest, lodged between my ribs, refusing to let me breathe properly. It sat there, heavy and unmovable, pressing down on me in a way I couldn’t shake off.Ivy had looked at me like I was capable of something that vile. Like I was the lowest kind of filth. Like I had hurt her mother and the baby out of pure malice.I had tried explaining, but she hadn’t let me. She hadn’t even given me the chance. She had just screamed at me, her voice shaking with fury, telling me exactly what she thought of me. Telling me how despicable I was. How vile and horrible I had to be to do something lik
Amari's POVI panted softly, trying to catch my breath as Brandon rolled off me, his arm flopping down beside mine on the bed. The sheets were tangled around our legs, sticking to our damp skin. This was the first time after the last time we had sex, but all I felt was a strange, hollow feeling amidst the pleasure.It felt like I wasn’t fully there. Like I was watching myself from somewhere outside of my body, detached and floating. The whole thing had felt so distant, as if my body was going through the motions without my heart being anywhere in it.Still, I clung to the tiny thread of hope inside me.It didn’t matter how it felt. What mattered was that it happened. After all these years of chasing him, begging for scraps of his attention, humiliating myself again and again just to get a fraction of what he used to give her, this meant something more now.He was finally starting to see me.Brandon’s breathing was steady against the back of my neck, his arm thrown lazily over my wais
Amari's POVArlena kept begging.Her voice was raw from too many screams, too many desperate cries. She clawed at the filthy floor with shaking hands, her tears leaving streaks across her hollow cheeks.“Please,” she sobbed, her whole body trembling, “please. Not them. Please, not them.”She sounded broken. Shattered into pieces so small she couldn’t even gather herself anymore.But my father stood there, unmoved. His arms folded neatly across his chest. His face didn’t so much as twitch at her cries.“Do it,” he said again, his voice sharp enough to cut through steel. “Now.”There was no emotion in it. Just a cold, demanding order.Arlena shook so hard I thought she might collapse again. But somehow, she forced herself to move. She wiped the back of her shaking hand across her face, smearing dirt and tears across her skin, and pushed herself up onto her knees.Her mouth opened, and a low, broken chant spilled out.The very air around us shifted. The walls seemed to pulse in rhythm wi
Amari's POVI wasn’t even sure when things started to change between us. It had been slow and gradual. But it was there now, clear as day. He treated me differently. He spoke to me not because he had to, but because he wanted to. He listened, and I mean really listened. He laughed when I told a joke and even remembered little things I said, things I didn’t think he cared about. And it was all starting to make me feel something I didn’t expect.Hope.I stood by the window, arms folded lightly over my chest, eyes fixed on Brandon down in the courtyard. He was practicing archery again. His stance was solid and his movements were smooth.Every arrow he shot sliced through the air and each one landed dead center which made him look ten times more attractive than he already was.I think I was starting to get lucky.“Are you falling in love with him now?”I turned sharply at the voice, and all the warmth drained out of me in an instant.My father stood in the doorway. Arms crossed, jaw tig
Amari's POVDays passed, and little by little, I started to notice a change in Brandon. It wasn’t anything dramatic or obvious, not at first. But it was there, subtle, and almost easy to miss if you weren’t looking closely. But I was. I always was.I saw it in how he started being with Bella.It used to be that he barely acknowledged her, only offering her the occasional distracted nod or completely ignored her. But now? He actually paid attention. He went out into the garden with her in the mornings, letting her chatter endlessly about the bugs she’d found or how high she could jump. He started teaching her archery. At first, he just showed her how to hold the bow properly, but then I saw him actually crouch beside her, correcting her stance gently, patiently.Bella adored him. She always had, but now it was like she was getting the version of him she’d always deserved. And he was trying. For her. For once, it looked like he was actually trying to be a father.Even at dinner, he di
Amari's POVI screamed.It came from somewhere deep and full of everything I’d been holding in for far too long. I didn’t even think before I grabbed the vase and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall with a hard, cracking sound, exploding into pieces that rained down like glass rain, sharp and glittering.I didn’t stop there.The table next to me, decorated just this morning with fresh flowers, went flying too. I kicked it hard, sending it crashing to the floor, the wood cracking with a split that echoed around the room.The lamp followed, my hand curling around the base before I smashed it down onto the floor with enough force to make it shatter.Then the photo frame.That one made me pause for a split second, just long enough to see the smiling faces frozen behind the glass. Me, Brandon and Bella. I didn’t care. I threw it with even more force than the others. It hit the wall and shattered, glass and photo separating mid-air, falling in different directions.Six years.Six f
Amari's POVThe grand dining hall shimmered under the soft, golden glow of the chandeliers. The light bounced gently off polished surfaces, crystal glasses, silver cutlery, and the golden designs along the edges of the table.The scent of roasted meat, herbs, and wine filled the air, settling over everything like a blanket meant to comfort and impress.I sat next to Brandon who was seated at head of the table, dressed in midnight-blue silk. My hair was pinned up, and I wore the same polite, polished smile I’d been holding since the first Alpha arrived.Beside me, Brandon looked composed enough. His suit was neat, though his tie had taken some convincing earlier. His expression was blank, his eyes dull, but he was sitting upright, eating slowly. I considered that a win.My father sat at the other side of Brandon, directly in front of me, like he always did, confident and regal.Seated with us were three visiting Alphas from smaller packs. They looked a bit overwhelmed by the size of th
Amari's POVBella giggled as she stabbed at her fruit slices with her tiny fork, completely focused on chasing a grape around her plate. Her face was a mess, syrup smeared around her mouth, a little on her chin, some even caught in her curls. I smiled and reached over with a napkin, wiping her face gently. She squirmed and giggled harder, but didn’t pull away.“Sit still,” I murmured, laughing softly as I cleaned the last of the stickiness from her cheek.She gave me a look, and then went right back to her fruit. I leaned back slightly and took a bite of my toast, chewing slowly as I watched her.Mornings like this almost felt real. Something normal families had. It was nice to pretend like I wasn’t neck-deep in secrets and schemes, tangled up in power plays I hadn’t asked to be part of. For a few quiet minutes, it was just me and Bella, a simple breakfast, and the illusion that everything was fine.Then the doors slammed open, the force of it echoed through the hall, and we both fl
Amari's POV6 years later.“Mummy!”The sound of Bella’s voice echoed down the hallway, breaking through the quiet afternoon and pulling my attention away from the book I’d been reading. I looked up just in time to see her tiny figure racing toward me, curls bouncing wildly with every determined little step.She came barreling in like a force of nature, bare feet, messy dress, cheeks flushed with excitement, and launched herself straight into my arms. I caught her with a soft laugh, lifting her up and holding her close.“There’s my sweet girl,” I said softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She smelled faintly of flour and sugar, and her small arms looped around my neck like she never wanted to let go.She giggled, wriggling excitedly, the kind of energy that made it clear no nap was happening anytime soon. But just as I opened my mouth to ask what she had been doing, the front door opened and Brandon stumbled in. The scent of alcohol hit before he did, clinging to the air l
Brandon's POV Ivy crawled over to her mom slowly. She was shaking all over, hands trembling as she knelt down and pulled her mom’s head into her lap. Her fingers hovered over her mom’s face for a second, unsure, before finally brushing gently across her cheek, like the soft touch might somehow bring her back.“Please wake up,” she whispered, her voice breaking halfway through the words. “Please, just wake up.”Her hands were barely steady. She kept touching her mom’s face like she was trying to memorize every part of it. Her thumb smoothed over her mom’s forehead, then her temple. And all the while, Ivy’s whole body shook like she was coming apart from the inside.I stood there, frozen. Watching her fall apart in front of me. It felt wrong to even breathe.Her voice cracked again as she whispered something else, but it was too low to hear. Her shoulders shook harder now, her head bowed over her mom’s, and I could see her tears falling, soaking into the blood-smeared skin below her.