All Chapters of Her Choice To Make : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Tessa's POV:The recorder burned in my pocket like a hot packet of freshly made toffee. All night, it had stayed there, tucked away beneath layers of fabric, humming softly against my skin like a live wire connecting the dots. Every time I moved, I swore I could feel it pulse — a tiny reminder of what I had. Of what, I still didn’t know.Tori’s confession.Summer’s bravery.The threat that still loomed.And yet… it wasn’t enough.I’d listened to the recording four times. Each time, the truth had unraveled clearer and uglier. Yes, Tori had stolen the necklace. Yes, she’d tried to frame me. Yes, she’d used Summer like a pawn and threatened to burn her life to the ground if she said a word.But still — the necklace was gone. Vanished. Removed from my room before anyone could find it. And that… that changed everything.Because Tori didn’t have it now.Which meant someone else had taken it.I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes as I sat curled on the edge of the old boiler room cot

Tessa's POV:She was the last person I expected to see.“Summer?” I whispered, heart racing.She flinched as if my voice burned her, her wide eyes shimmering with panic. The mask slipped off completely—both the literal one and the one she’d worn for weeks. Her hands trembled as she tried to scramble back, but I was already on her, pinning her wrists down.“You followed Tori?” I hissed. “You stole the necklace?”“I—I didn’t mean to.” She gasped. “Not at first. I saw her do it. I swear I wasn’t part of the plan. I just—I needed a way out.”My mind reeled, barely able to keep up.“You needed a way out, so you stole Olivia’s necklace?”Summer nodded miserably. “I thought… if I could sell it, I could leave the manor. Start fresh. Somewhere else. Away from all this.”Her voice cracked. I stared at her—at the same girl who once clung to Tori like a shadow, the same girl who had tried to help me when I was accused. The pieces started falling into place. She’d watched everything unravel and ne

Tessa's POV:It’s been a month since everything with Summer went down, and yet, I still feel the echoes of that chaos. Like the scent of rain after a storm, faint, but always there. Things have been... peaceful lately. Strangely so. The kind of peace that makes you pause, like the castle itself is holding its breath.Today was one of those rare warm, golden days. I was curled up cross-legged in my room, basking in the comfort of laughter and idle chatter. My maids flitted around busy with brushes and ribbons,while Olivia sat beside me, her presence a confort I hadn't expected. Strange how someone who used to intimidate me now feels like a sister. Maybe more than that... a friend. My best friend, even.Sunlight poured lazily through the windows, casting lace-like shadows on the floor. Around me, the girls were in full relaxation mode, braiding, painting nails, slicing fruit. It was the kind of noisy, soft joy I didn’t know I craved until I had it.It was one of those moments you wis

Lucian’s POV:I was smiling.Really smiling. The kind that felt foreign on my face, like stretching a muscle I hadn’t used in years. It didn’t come easy, not with everything this cursed title had done to me. Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. The name alone came with blood, bruises, and burdens stacked so high they nearly crushed me.Alpha of war.Alpha of losses.Alpha of the Damned.But today… I wasn’t any of those things.Today, I was just a man. A man holding a bunch of wildflowers, the kind she loved. Their colors were ridiculous: sunburst yellow, deep violet, a few soft pinks, and I’d spent way too long picking the best ones. She’d probably laugh, saying they clashed horribly. But that was part of the point. She’d smile, roll her eyes, and maybe, if I was lucky, she’d let me kiss her.Because today, I was just a man in love with his mate.And she was waiting for me by the waterfall.I could already hear her voice in my head, teasing me for being late. She always folded the napkins in

Lucian's POV:“She didn’t come back,” I said, my voice rough, barely above a whisper. But she heard me.Olivia’s lips parted, confusion flashing across her features. “She didn’t show?”I shook my head. “No. The basket was there. The food. Everything was untouched. She left it, just like she said she would. But not her.”Olivia took a shaky step forward, her brows knitting tightly. “But she was excited this morning,” she said, worry creeping into her voice like a crack through stone. “She wouldn’t have missed it, Lucian. Not unless…”The pressure in my chest doubled. I knew what she was thinking. I was already thinking about it.And then, like poison seeping into clean water, Tori arrived.Slow clapping.Her boots echoed too loudly on the stone, her smirk as sharp as a blade. “Well, maybe she finally came to her senses,” she drawled, venom laced in every syllable. “Realized she was never fit for the Alpha.”That did it.Something inside me snapped, clean and merciless.Before she could