MasukRhea POV Isa was wrong. Dorian didn’t love me. He had almost killed me. That was how little I meant to him. He had been seconds away from ending my life over a kiss. Kale would never put his hands on me like that. He would never hurt me this way. “You said you didn’t want kids,” I continued after the silence dragged on, him just staring at me. “You put me on birth control pills so I couldn’t have your child while you fucked me whenever you wanted. I took those pills religiously. I never skipped a single day. Not once.” My voice sounded steadier now. Colder. “I thought you hated the idea of having children,” I admitted quietly before swallowing the painful lump in my throat. “But maybe… maybe you just hated the idea of having one with me.” Which was fine, I guessed. I never wanted a child with him either. And now that I finally understood that much, maybe I could stop hoping he’d eventually change. Stop letting my mind wander into stupid fantasies that were never going to
Rhea POVDorian had his head tilted back against the couch cushion, eyes closed while a cigarette rested between his lips as he slowly puffed smoke into the air.My brows pulled together slightly when my gaze landed on the dark red stains smeared across his left hand.Blood.Dried blood.Was it his?…Or had he killed someone?The entire sitting area of his chambers was suffocating with smoke, thick gray spirals curling lazily toward the ceiling. Dozens of cigarette butts overflowed from the ashtray sitting on the floor. Alcohol bottles were scattered across the carpet, some empty, others tipped over with their contents soaking into the expensive fabric beneath them.But that wasn’t even the worst part.The sitting area looked completely different from yesterday.There was barely anything left untouched.Furniture had been flipped over. Glass was shattered across the floor. Decorations had been ripped down. Anything breakable had either been smashed to pieces or cracked beyond repair.
Rhea POVA heavy, awkward silence hung between us as Sarah led me back toward the banquet hall.Why wasn’t she saying anything?Why wasn’t she interrogating me?She had literally seen me in Kale’s arms kissing him, yet she hadn’t reacted at all. What was she thinking?Maybe it was because I was so used to being questioned over things like this that the silence itself made me nervous.I couldn’t take it anymore.“Sarah… can I talk to you?” I whispered, my voice shaky around the edges while my heart pounded hard against my chest.Her steps slowed before she finally turned to look at me.“About… about what happened… I…”“You don’t need to explain yourself to me,” she cut in calmly.I blinked at her.“You don’t hate me or anything?” I asked quietly, worried this would somehow make her pull away from me.We were only just starting to get close, and the last thing I wanted was for this to ruin that. I knew how people around here acted once someone became a target of gossip or judgment. I di
Kale POV“His cover name was John, but his real name was Alberto. How we caught him is a long story, but he was sent to find a woman. A woman with black hair and blue eyes who was supposed to be dead over two decades ago. But his employers believed she somehow survived and escaped,” Damian explained.“What happened to the spy?” I asked.“Well… he got complications after Dorian had his legs broken, so there’s a high chance he’s dead,” Damian said, making me gasp softly.“How certain are you that she’s the one they’re looking for, though? I mean, they said her name is Lydia,” I asked.Damian shook his head slowly. “You really can’t be that stupid,” he muttered. “Do you honestly think a woman on the run would keep using her real name? Especially someone who’s been hiding for over twenty years?”“Right,” I muttered, my mind already racing.“Look… I’m not a hundred percent certain she’s the one,” Damian admitted, “but she’s one of the very few people I could barely find anything on. The ot
Kale POV “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there in about 30 minutes,” I said into the phone to Damian, who had been whining nonstop about me bringing him fresh clothes to the hospital. “No,” he cut in with a frustrated sigh. “Just hurry up. I need to take a bath.” “Sure thing, Your Highness,” I replied with a chuckle before I hung up, then let out a breath as I made my way toward his bedroom. A room he never really liked me stepping into, but of course, he didn’t have much of a say right now, not while he was stuck in a hospital bed. Too bad for him, because I was fully prepared to snoop around. Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. Damian’s room was exactly how I remembered it. Neat, organized, and completely devoid of any personal touch. No photos, no trinkets, nothing that hinted at the man who actually lived here. It was like he was trying to erase himself from his own space. I shook my head and walked over to his closet, pulling out a set of fresh clothes: a shirt, pants, underwea
Kale POV “Sarah,” she whispered, taking a few quick steps back and putting distance between us. “What are you…” “We need more hands at the banquet hall,” Sarah spoke slowly, her expression fixed solely on Rhea as if she was doing everything she could not to meet my gaze. “You were taking so much time. I was getting worried…” An awkward silence followed, with Rhea fidgeting nervously with her fingers as both women continued to stare at each other. Ah. So much for keeping it a secret. It hadn’t even lasted an hour. Exhaling quietly, I stepped forward, closing the distance before the silence stretched any longer. “Rhea and I are dating,” I said confidently. Maybe a bit too confidently, judging by the soft gasp that slipped out from behind me, but it was already too late to take it back. Sarah had seen us. There was no point pretending otherwise. “You’re her friend, right?” I added, stopping in front of her. Her gaze stayed on the floor, but she gave a small, polite nod.
Dorian POVI woke up groaning in pain as my head felt like I had been shot. Every muscle in my body felt weak, but in a way that was deeply satisfying—in the worst kind of way—as it only meant I had finally, truly, fallen asleep… but it also meant I had lost control.I shifted slightly, trying to s
Rhea POVI heard of Dorian’s return from everyone but him. I’d expected him to text me to resume, and when he didn’t, I didn’t really think much of it. I went back to the pack estate anyway, just to avoid getting in trouble with him.When I walked into his chambers to clean, I half expected him to
Rhea POVI had just finished taking my bath when I stepped out with a towel wrapped around me… only to find Kenzie in the middle of my room, muttering curses under her breath.My steps froze when I realized what she was holding.My phone.My freaking phone.She was the one who’d suggested the sleep
Rhea POV“Good morning,” Damian replied to my greeting as he started walking toward me, while Dorian stayed exactly where he was.“My face is up here,” Damian added when he got close enough, and I forced myself to lift my gaze like he said, mentally screaming at myself not to look at the man standi







