Chapter 25

Serena’s POV

I stared at the heavy oak desk until the sun began to peek through the curtains. The lock was still closed. It looked cold and mean. I had no key. I had no magic. All I had was a desperate need to save my sister.

Penelope sat on the floor, hugging her knees. She looked so small in the big, dark room. 

"Serena, the wedding is only one week away," she whispered. Her voice was thin and shaky. "What if we never open it? What if he marries me off before we find the truth?"

I knelt down and pulled her into a tight hug. "We will find a way, Pen. I promise. I will not let you be a pawn for his gambling debts. I have already been a pawn. I am finished with that life."

"I am so scared," she cried, hiding her face in my shoulder. "He is my father, but he feels like a stranger. He looks at me and only sees a price tag. I don't want to leave you."

"You won't," I said, rubbing her back. "We are in this together. No matter what happens, we stay together. I will find that key. I will take it from his neck if I have to."

Gale stood by the window, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He looked worried. "My lady, you have to be careful. Caden is still in the house. He is watching you. I saw him near the kitchen earlier. He looked like a wolf waiting to pounce."

"Let him watch," I said, standing up. My legs felt weak, but my heart was steady. "I am not afraid of him anymore. He chose his path when he picked Liliana. He does not get to own me, and he certainly does not get to stop me from saving my sister."

"He is a dangerous man," Gale warned, stepping toward me. "Do not underestimate his pride. He hates that you left him. He thinks he still owns your loyalty."

"He is wrong," I replied, my voice hard. "I am loyal to only one thing now: my freedom and my sister. That is all."

I walked out of the room, needing air. The castle hallways were long and quiet. I kept my head down, trying to look like a simple guest. But my mind was racing with plans. 

I needed to get close to my father. I needed to find a distraction.

Suddenly, a hand shot out from a dark doorway. It grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I gasped, but a firm hand covered my mouth before I could scream. I was pressed hard against a stone wall.

It was Caden. His eyes were dark and stormy. He smelled like pine and anger. He leaned in close, his face only inches from mine.

"Going somewhere, Serena?" he whispered. His voice was deep and rough.

I shoved him away with all my might. "Get off me, Caden! You have no right to touch me!"

He didn't move. He actually chuckled, a cold, dry sound. "You look beautiful when you are angry. Much better than that boring girl I left behind."

"You are a monster," I spat. "Liliana is your perfect match. Go back to her."

He stepped closer, blocking my path. "Liliana is a beautiful shell. She is a status symbol. She is nothing without the title I gave her. But you? You have fire. You have power. You are everything I wanted."

"I am not your toy," I said, my voice trembling with rage. "You threw me away. You made your choice. Stay away from me."

"I made a mistake," he muttered. He reached out and placed his hand on my waist. His touch burned through my dress. 

I shivered, but not from desire—from pure hatred. "I miss you, Serena. I miss the way you made me feel like an Alpha. Liliana just wants the power. You... you were my partner."

I stared into his eyes. They were wide and searching, almost desperate. "You miss the power I gave you. You miss being the winner. You don't miss me, Caden. You miss the person who cleaned up your messes."

"Is that all you think of me?" he asked, his grip on my waist tightening. "That I am just a user?"

"I think you are a liar," I said, looking him dead in the eye. "I think you are a thief who stole my life for three years. And now, you want to come back and play hero? You are too late."

"I can give you everything," he whispered, leaning in even closer. "I can take you away from this place. We can leave your father. We can leave your sister. We can start over."

My heart hammered against my ribs. Was he serious? Or was this another one of his games? "You would leave Liliana?" I asked, testing him. "You would throw away your 'perfect' family?"

He laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Liliana is a means to an end. But you? You are a temptation I cannot stop thinking about."

"You are sick," I said, pulling away, but his hand stayed firm. "You are just like my father. You only see people as things to use."

"I see you as mine," he growled.

He moved his face closer, his nose brushing against my cheek. I turned my head, refusing to let him kiss me. The tension in the hallway was thick enough to suffocate. I felt like a trapped animal.

"Let me go," I said, my voice shaking.

"You want me to," he whispered. "I can see it in your eyes. You still have feelings for me."

"I have hatred," I corrected him. "And it is growing every single day."

He sighed, his breath hot against my neck. "You are a stubborn woman. But that is why I loved you."

"You never loved me," I said, pushing him again. "You loved that I was easy to control. Well, the easy Serena is dead. She is gone."

He finally let go of my waist, taking a small step back. His expression was unreadable, a mix of anger and something that looked almost like regret. "You think you have it all figured out, don't you? You think you can save your sister and take down your father?"

"I am going to try," I said.

He stepped into my space once more, leaning down so his lips were right by my ear. His hand slid back to my waist, holding me in place.

"Liliana's nothing without the title," he murmured, his voice sending a cold shiver down my spine. "But you... you'd be everything with mine."