9

Feyre's eyes turned red with anger.

Who did Grant think he was?

She remembered what the training center head had told her.

She was the top student in her class and the most qualified person for the Imperial Academy spot.

But if Grant interfered with it, that opportunity would never be hers.

Feyre swallowed her anger.

“I'll show up for work tomorrow,” she said through gritted teeth.

Grant nodded, satisfied.

Suddenly a paper appeared in his palm. It was a message from Anna.

He left in a hurry.

Feyre stood alone in the living room after he left.

She looked at a set of glass wolf figurines he had bought for her.

Then she picked them up and smashed them against the floor.

She had to run, she had to get out.

Out of the cage Grant had built around her.

...

At the Phillips Estate.

When Feyre arrived at work the next day, Anna was already there.

“Feyre.”

Anna greeted her gently.

Her voice was full of concern.

Feyre looked pale.

She hadn't been able to sleep at all last night.

“Good morning, Ms. Remington.”

Feyre answered politely and tried to walk away.

“I'm sorry.”

Anna's voice was soft and filled with guilt.

“I brought them here to apologize. I didn't know they were the ones who pushed you into the water. A servant said she saw them do it.”

Feyre looked at Anna.

Then she looked at the three people standing near her desk.

Tonya, Phil and Lydia.

Tonya was sitting on a chair with a cold smile on her face.

Feyre looked back at Anna.

Was this their idea of an apology?

“Anna told us to apologize.”

Phil spoke loudly, making sure everyone in the kitchen could hear.

The other workers looked over, curious about what was happening.

“Sure, you're only a servant and you're trying to seduce Grant even though he's completely out of your league. But fine. I'm sorry for pushing you into the water yesterday.”

Phil grinned.

Gasps spread through the kitchen.

“She tried to seduce Master Phillips?”

“Feyre? She was trying to seduce Master Phillips? She should know her place.”

“Girls like her think being pretty means they can do anything.”

The whispers spread around the kitchen.

Feyre swallowed the anger rising in her chest.

Then she walked straight toward Tonya.

“Leave.”

Tonya slowly stood up.

She sneered.

“Grant is going to make Anna his mate. They'll be mated soon. If you don't want to live in shame for the rest of your life, stay away from him.”

Lydia giggled.

Feyre was shaking so badly that she couldn't speak.

Anna hadn't brought them there to apologize.

She had brought them there to threaten Feyre.

To warn her to stay away from Grant.

Feyre looked at the other servants who were whispering, they were treating her pain like cheap gossip.

"Maybe if you humble yourself and kneel before us, I can consider making you my mistress" Phil sneered, he reached out to touch Feyre's cheek.

Feyre felt dizzy.

Her ears were ringing.

Her fingers became cold and numb.

Kill them.

Goddess, I want to kill them.

She grabbed the glass bowl beside her and smashed it against Phil's head.

The entire kitchen went silent.

Everyone stared at her.

Feyre stood there breathing heavily.

Phil slowly straightened up.

He touched the back of his head.

When he pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood.

He stared at Feyre in shock.

He never expected her to actually hit him.

And she hadn't held back.

“Phil!”

Anna screamed and rushed toward him.

“Call the healers!”

She shouted at Tonya and the others.

The kitchen erupted into chaos.

The noise brought Grant out of study to the kitchen.

“Call the guards! She attacked him! This is assault!”

Lydia screamed.

She clearly wanted Feyre arrested.

“What the hell is going on?”

Grant stormed in.

His face was dark as his eyes went straight to Phil's injury.

Anna's eyes filled with tears.

She looked at Grant.

“He was only here to apologize. She attacked him. Lydia wants to call the guards.”

Grant looked at Feyre.

“You did this?”

Feyre looked up at him.

“Yes. I did it.”

“Master Phillips, are you really going to defend her? She attacked Anna's brother.”

Lydia's words added fuel to the situation.

Anna stared directly at Grant.

Grant froze.

Then he looked away.

“Call the guards.”

Feyre gave a faint smile.

She nodded and stood there quietly, waiting for them.

“You hit me? You little wretch”

Phil finally snapped and tried to rush toward her.

Grant frowned and pulled him back.

“Don't move. You'll lose too much blood.”

Phil froze.

Fear flashed across his face and he remained calm.

When the guards arrived, Feyre didn't say a word in her defense.

“They're young. They're just fooling around. There's no need to make this bigger than it is.”

Anna suddenly stepped in.

She was trying to look like the reasonable one.

“Grant, have Feyre apologize to my brother and let's forget about this.”

Grant looked at Feyre.

“Apologize to Phil.”

He clearly didn't want her to go to prison.

But he couldn't defend her in front of Anna.

Feyre raised her head and smiled at Phil.

“I'm sorry.”

She paused.

“I am sorry for not hitting hard enough. Next time, I'll kill you.”

Phil's eyes widened.

Her voice was calm, but her eyes were cold.

Tonya and Lydia immediately exploded in anger.

“Grant, look! She's not even sorry!”

“If I ever stop wanting to live, I'll make sure I take all three of you with me.”

Feyre said it calmly.

“Feyre!”

Grant shouted angrily.

He was furious that she wasn't behaving the way she normally did.

She hadn't been like this before.

Before, she was obedient.

She was careful not to offend anyone.

She always swallowed her pride.

But today, she wasn't willing to do that anymore.

As Feyre walked past Anna, she glanced at her.

She understood.

Anna had won.

Feyre knew Anna was smart.

This entire situation was a warning.

Stay away from Grant.

Anna smiled with satisfaction.

She knew exactly who Feyre was.

The mistress Grant had been keeping on the side.

Even after Anna's four year being a mate to someone else, she had kept track of Grant and knew his relationship with Feyre was more than a master-servant relationship.

Feyre followed the guards out without looking back at Grant.

Four years of love meant nothing.

As the guards led her away, panic finally appeared in Grant's eyes.

“Go with her. Handle it.”

He ordered his personal guard, Andrew, to follow her and take care of everything.

The guards would frighten her for a while, go through the proper process, and eventually release her.

“Master Phillips, you have a meeting with the Alpha." another servant reminded him.

Grant rubbed his forehead, irritated and hurried out. Normally Feyre kept his schedule but since she started her tantrums, his schedule was all over the place.

“Phil is my brother. And you know how much Ryder cherishes me.”

Anna looked at Andy.

Her meaning was clear.

“You know what that means, right?”

Andy froze for a moment.

Then he nodded.

Feyre had attacked Anna's brother.

That was a serious matter.

Phil only had a minor injury.

Normally, a warning would have been enough.

But if they decided to take the matter further, Feyre could spend some time in detention.

...

When Andy arrived at the prison, he told the pack police to treat the case seriously.

Feyre remained silent.

She didn't try to defend herself.

She understood exactly how powerful people played the game.

To please Anna, Grant wouldn't make things easy for her.

“Feyre, why did you attack Phil?”

The officer asked.

Feyre paused.

“It was personal.”

The officer looked at her carefully.

His expression changed.

“Four years ago... the bullying case at the training center. I was the guard who saved you, do you remember me?.”

That bullying case should have become a criminal case.

But the Phillips family had buried it.

The training center never called the authorities.

Only after Jon escalated the issue were the authorities forced to step in.

Even then, Feyre refused to pursue the case.

The case was eventually dropped.

But Jon remembered it.

A group of rich werewolves had ganged up on an orphan.

Feyre had only been nineteen.

The teachers had sided with the Phillips and Remington families.

They threatened her.

If she reported the incident or caused trouble, they would make sure she never graduated.

Even after she left the hospital.

The weak couldn't fight the powerful.

If Feyre wanted to graduate peacefully, she had to cooperate.

She had to keep the scandal quiet and protect the school's reputation.

“Phil was one of them, wasn't he?”

The guard, Jon Lewis, looked at Feyre.

Feyre stiffened in her chair.

She stared at him in shock.

Her lips moved, but no words came out.

That year had been the darkest period of her life.

It wasn't only the beatings.

It was the way the entire pack had allowed her to be treated like she was worthless.

Her greatest crime had been being a poor orphan.

“The healers called. Phil is fine. But he insists on pursuing the case. You struck first. Even if what happened back then triggered this, it doesn't justify assault. Do you understand?”

Jon's voice was gentle.

After recognizing her, he understood why she had fought back.

But the law couldn't always protect people like Feyre.

Especially when the other side refused to let the matter go.

“Thank you.”

Feyre whispered.

“Why don't you leave the pack? Get away from the Phillips and Remington families?”

Jon asked.

“I can't.”

Feyre gave a bitter smile.

Four years ago, when she had been struggling under the pressure of school and bullying, Grant had stepped in front of her.

“Don't be scared. I'll protect you. No one is going to hurt you again.”

Right in front of her, Grant had slapped Tonya and sent both Tonya and Phil overseas.

After that, nobody at school dared touch Feyre.

During the years when she wanted love the most, Feyre was weak and helpless.

She fell in love with Grant.

When she discovered they were mates, she had been the happiest girl in the world.

Until she realized she was living in a nightmare.

She had tried to leave many times.

But she couldn't. She would die doing so.

“If someone is threatening you, you can call the police.”

Jon frowned.

Even as he said it, he didn't sound convinced.

Some problems couldn't be solved by the law.

There wasn't always real fairness in the world.

People said everyone was equal.

But everyone knew that wasn't always true.

“Do you have any friends who can bail you out? If someone helps you, you can leave tonight.”

Andy had insisted that Feyre be detained.

But the case wasn't very serious, and Jon wanted to help her.

If someone paid her bail, she could leave.

Feyre shook her head.

Grant was too controlling.

She didn't trust anyone.

She had no friends.

She didn't want to involve Doris either.

Being in prison was not something she wanted Doris to worry about, she already had enough on her plate.