Chapter 6 A CRIMINAL ONCE MORE

OLIVIA’S POV

The accusations hung in the air like a death sentence.

The world had come crashing down around me.

The weight of Elder Alyosha’s death suffocated me, and with it came an unbearable sense of dread. I knelt on the cold floor, my entire body trembling as I tried to make sense of what was happening. My hands clutched at Dominic’s wrist desperately, my fingers digging into his skin as though holding onto him would make him hear me—make him see me.

"Dominic, please," I gasped, my voice breaking. "I didn't do this! You have to believe me!"

“I was with you the whole time!” My voice screeched.

But the man standing before me was not the Dominic I had once known—not the boy who had once shielded me from cruel whispers, not even the man who had hesitated before condemning me to an existence of solitude.

No, this was Alpha Dominic.

Cold. Ruthless. Unforgiving.

The air was thick with the weight of judgment, and every breath I took felt like a battle against an unseen force trying to crush me completely.

Dominic stood tall, his golden eyes staring down at me with something that wasn’t just cold—it was absolute, unshakable conviction. His gaze, which had once held even the smallest flicker of warmth, was now empty, void of any emotion except duty and justice.

"Silence, Olivia," he ordered, his voice cutting through me like a blade. "You will not talk your way out of this, not this time. Yes, you were with me, but you also visited Elder Alyosha after dinner."

I flinched as his grip on my arm tightened, forcing me back.

He was serious.

This wasn’t just a moment of blind anger. He had already passed judgment.

Tears welled up in my eyes, my vision blurring as desperation clawed at my throat. "You don’t understand!" My voice cracked, raw with emotion. "Elder Alyosha helped me! She was the only one on my side! I would never—"

"I said enough!" His roar echoed off the walls, the sheer authority in his voice commanding silence.

A shudder ran down my spine, but I forced myself to stand my ground.

“All the evidence is against you, Olivia," Dominic continued, his voice lower but no less dangerous. "And yet you still think you will be spared this time?"

This time.

The implication stung like a slap to my face. He truly believed I was a criminal. That I had done this.

I shook my head violently, my hands trembling as I reached for him again, but he yanked his arm away from my grasp as if my touch burned him.

And that realization… it shattered something deep inside me.

He didn’t care.

No matter how much I begged, no matter how many times I swore on my very life, he would never believe me.

I had always known I meant little to him, but this moment—this painful, gut-wrenching moment—made me realize that to him, I was nothing.

Dominic had made up his mind.

His truth was absolute. And in his truth, I was already guilty.

But I couldn’t accept it.

"Just listen to me this once, Dominic," I pleaded, my voice trembling. "At least think about it! What would I gain by killing her? She was the reason I was released from the confinement room—why would I do something to her?"

My heart pounded as I searched his face, praying to the Moon Goddess for even the smallest crack in his resolve. But there was nothing. No hesitation. No doubt.

Just cold, unwavering judgment.

"You expect me to believe that when Evelyn herself saw you leaving Alyosha’s room?" he scoffed.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as frustration burned inside me. "Evelyn?" My voice turned sharp, desperate. "You’re trusting her over me? Dominic, she—"

"Enough," he said sharply.

My body stiffened.

"Do you think I’m a fool, Olivia?" His voice was laced with quiet fury, the kind of anger that left no room for argument. "Do you truly believe that you can manipulate me with your tears and desperate lies?"

A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "Manipulate you?" I whispered, my voice shaking. "That’s what you think this is?"

I stared at him, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might crack my ribs. "You know what hurts the most, Dominic?" My voice wavered, but I held my ground. "It’s not just that you don’t love me. It’s not just that you never wanted me. I knew that already."

He didn’t flinch.

"But I thought, at the very least, as your mate, you’d believe in me. Even a little." My breath hitched, my fingers curling into my tattered sleeves. "But no matter what I do, no matter how much I endure, you’ll never see me as anything other than a burden, will you?"

Dominic remained silent.

And that silence—that—was worse than any insult he could have thrown at me.

I let out a shaky breath, my legs threatening to give out beneath me. But I refused to fall. Not yet.

"Tell me, Dominic," I whispered. "If it were Evelyn in my place, if she had been accused… would you even hesitate to believe her?"

A muscle in his jaw ticked.

He didn’t answer.

And that was all I needed to know.

My heart clenched as I turned my gaze to the side, my eyes burning with unshed tears. I was exhausted. So incredibly exhausted.

Dominic stepped closer, his presence casting a heavy shadow over me. "You will come with me," he said, his voice devoid of anything but duty. "And you will answer for what you’ve done."

I had no choice.

So, with one final glance at the man I had once loved, I let out a quiet, broken whisper.

"Then let’s go, Alpha."

He hesitated for only a second—just a second—before his grip on my arm tightened once more, and he dragged me toward the grand hall.

Every step felt like the final toll of a death bell.

And deep in my heart, I knew.

This wasn’t just about Elder Alyosha’s death.

This was the end of whatever fragile connection had once existed between us.

And it was the beginning of something far, far worse.

This wasn’t my mate.

This wasn’t my husband.

This was my judge, jury, and executioner.

And he had already passed his sentence.

With a sudden jerk, he grabbed my arm once more and dragged me toward the grand hall. I stumbled behind him, my wrist burning from his iron grip. The cold stone beneath my feet felt like ice seeping into my bones, and yet, nothing—nothing—felt as cold as the man who held me like I was nothing more than a prisoner.

As we reached the hall, my stomach twisted in dread. It was already filled with familiar faces—my adoptive father, Beta Jason, my mother-in-law, Luna Grace, and of course… Evelyn.

My heart pounded in my chest as all eyes turned toward me, their gazes filled with nothing but accusation.

Dominic shoved me forward, and I barely caught myself before falling to my knees.

"Tell her," Dominic ordered, his voice as cold as ever.

Jason sighed heavily, looking at me with deep disappointment. "Elder Alyosha was killed by a sneak attack." His voice wavered. "And Evelyn saw you enter her bedroom last night."

A gasp rippled through the room, but I barely noticed. My body froze, my mind reeling from the accusation.

"I—No!" I stammered, shaking my head frantically. "Yes, I visited her, but why would I harm her?! She—She was the only one who believed in me!" My voice cracked. "I loved her like a mother!"

I tried to justify myself in front of everyone else, hoping that at least one of them would believe me.

A sharp, mocking laugh cut through the tension, and my blood ran cold.

Evelyn.

She stepped forward, a twisted smile on her lips as she tilted her head at me. "Oh, Olivia," she sighed dramatically. "It makes sense now. Elder Alyosha must have discovered your secret."

My brow furrowed. "What… what are you talking about?"

She smirked and slowly rolled up her sleeve.

The room fell into stunned silence.

A single breath left my lips as my entire world crumbled.

Because there, on Evelyn’s arm, was the unmistakable mark of the Phoenix.

I stumbled back, my pupils constricting in shock. "That’s—That’s impossible."

Evelyn let out a soft laugh, tilting her head at me. "Is it?"

I could hear the murmurs already, the whispers spreading like wildfire.

"But Olivia has that mark…"

"No… her mark was on her neck, wasn’t it?"

"Then why is Evelyn’s here? Did Olivia fake it?"

The questions clawed at me, suffocating me as I struggled to make sense of what I was seeing.