6

Grant deliberately avoided Feyre's eyes.

He gave Tonya a warning look before leaving the room.

No matter how hard Feyre tried to communicate with him through her eyes, he ignored her.

He was punishing her.

He believed she had brought the cookies to provoke Anna.

Tonya smirked.

Then she, Lydia, and Phil all started laughing.

Their laughter was sharp and cruel.

“Come sit, Feyre.”

Anna smiled sweetly and waved her over.

But Feyre couldn't move.

Her legs felt heavy.

Her mind was drowning in memories of everything those three had done to her.

“Anna, isn't this Feyre? She was the class queen back then at the training center”

Phil sneered.

His words were full of sarcasm.

Anna's face lit up.

“Oh? You guys are classmates? That's great. Get along, then.”

Feyre remained where she was.

One part of her wanted to run.

Another part wanted to fight.

“Ms. Remington...”

Feyre's voice remained steady.

“I... I just remembered an errand I need to do. I have to leave. I'm sorry.”

She turned around and tried to leave.

But Phil stood up and pushed her to the ground.

“Let's walk our old friend out.”

Tonya took the lead and stepped closer.

Feyre tried to stand, but Phil pushed her down again.

“What's wrong? Can't get up?”

Phil grabbed the back of her dress and pulled her up.

“Our queen isn't going to wet herself again, is she?”

Feyre lowered her head.

Her deaf left ear was ringing with pain.

Her face felt hot, and her skin was covered in goosebumps.

She tried to stand again.

Phil pushed her down once more and stepped on her fingers.

“Grant is going to become my sister's mate. Now tell me, how should we deal with you trying to seduce my future brother in law?”

Phil grinned as he threw an arm around her shoulder and dragged her toward the door.

Feyre knew Phil.

He never needed a reason to torment her.

He had approached her on her first day in the training center.

Back then, Feyre had no idea she had caught the attention of a monster.

She had gently let him down but he kept harassing her with his advances so she rejected him publicly.

That was the beginning of her nightmare.

After that, Phil used her rejection as an excuse to humiliate her. He couldn't believe that a poor orphan like her had dared to reject him.

He stripped her, took naked pictures of her, and burned her skin with candles.

He also had Tonya and Lydia beat her.

They locked her inside a tiny room.

They even forced her to sleep in the restroom.

And whenever she resisted, they had plenty of ways to make her more miserable.

They also threatened her foster mother and siblings.

Feyre was the eldest child, she was the hope of the family.

She couldn't afford to get expelled from the training center.

So even if they forced her to swallow nails, she had to endure it.

“Say something!”

Lydia kicked her to the ground.

“What's with the silent act? Grant isn't on your side anymore, understand? And if you don't behave, we can throw your family out of that ramshackle you call a house!”

Feyre lay on the grass and brushed the dirt from her sleeves.

She still had to wear this outfit tonight when she met Ryder.

She had wanted to make a good impression.

That was probably ruined now.

“What? Deaf and mute now too?”

Lydia slapped her hard across the face.

A servant walked past.

She saw everything but kept walking as if nothing had happened.

Everyone here had silently agreed that these elite rich werewolves could do whatever they wanted to Feyre.

Still, Feyre said nothing.

She never begged.

She simply sat there stubbornly and took the hits.

Back then, Phil had asked her, “What do you think about while you're sitting there getting beaten?”

Feyre hadn't answered him then.

The truth was that every time, she thought the same thing.

Maybe she should just die, take these three down with her and end everything.

But every time, she stopped herself.

Because if she died, what would happen to Doris and her siblings?

She had regretted almost killing herself back then. Doris had been so distraught then.

Doris had struggled to gather enough money to send Feyre to the training center.

She couldn't die before paying them back.

Over the years, Grant hadn't really given her much.

Apart from her monthly wage of a hundred gold coins. And the money he gave her occasionally to placate her when she was angry. Feyre usually sent all this money home.

Even before Grant took her in, she worked part time jobs every day in addition to studying.

Every penny she earned went back to her family.

“Damn! You're boring as hell.”

Phil cursed and leaned against the wall while drinking alcohol.

Tonya glanced at him.

“Grant doesn't want her anymore. You've been after her for years. Just take her.”

Phil's eyes lit up.

Then he sneered.

“She is damaged goods, who knows how many servants she has slept with. Why would I want her?”

Feyre stood up.

She ignored them and walked straight toward the door.

“What the hell? Is she trying to die?”

Tonya exploded.

They were used to being worshiped.

Feyre's defiance drove them crazy.

Lydia suddenly rushed forward.

She kicked Feyre hard from behind.

Feyre lost her balance and fell straight into the fountain.

The water was freezing.

Feyre slowly climbed out and wiped the water from her face.

“Enough.”

Finally, Grant stepped outside.

Anna followed him outside, looking surprised.

“Feyre, how did you end up in the fountain?”

“She fell in herself.”

Lydia answered nervously, trying to make it sound like an accident.

Feyre climbed out of the pond and stared at Grant.

But he said nothing.

“I'll go home now.”

Feyre wiped the water from her face.

“Feyre...”

Grant called her name.

His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed.

He almost stepped toward her, but stopped himself when he remembered Anna.

“I'll have a servant take you to your room on a horse”

Feyre looked back at him one last time.

Then she smiled.

“No, thank you.”

She made a silent promise to herself.

This would be the last time she ever thought of Grant as someone she loved.

As Grant watched her leave, soaked and humiliated, he felt as if a heavy stone had been placed in his chest.

For some reason, he had a terrible feeling that he would regret this.

...

Feyre didn't have time to change out of her soaked clothes, she had to be there on time.

Luckily, the Winchester estate wasn't far from the Phillips estate.

She arrived in fifteen minutes.

She had first met Ryder at a party held in the Philip's estate.

That day, Grant had been entertaining several other elites in the pack including the Alpha.

Ryder was one of the guests.

Feyre had been by Grant's side, when Ryder noticed her for the first time.

Right in front of Grant, Ryder asked to see her later.

Later, Ryder invited Feyre to dinner. She had gone to hear what he had to say.

He had offered her a contract to become his mate.

Feyre was so against it, that had been when she still believed in Grant. She had immediately rejected his offer.

Now, Ryder was her only lifeline.

She wanted to borrow Ryder's power, build a life of her own, and make enough money to take care of her foster mother and her siblings. And most importantly he was her key to surviving.