Semua Bab Her Choice To Make : Bab 41 - Bab 50

Tessa's POV: The night before the day I was meant to die, I didn’t sleep.How could I?My body was caged, but it was my mind that screamed the loudest. I lay awake in the stillness of the dim, soulless room—no windows, no hope, only the cold whisper of death brushing the back of my neck.Tomorrow, I'll be gone.I sat up, heart hammering in my chest. My wrists ached from the ropes, coarse and biting into my skin. The air was thick, heavy, like it already knew what was coming.The door loomed ahead, solid, steel, and silent.I watched it like a hawk watching a snake. Waiting.Praying.Then, I heard it.Footsteps.Soft. Careful. Like the sound of someone sneaking through nightmares. My heart paused, suspended in the tension of that moment. My breath caught in my throat.Bolts unlocked. The handle twisted.A faint creak split the silence as the door edged open. I pressed myself against the wall, heart thudding wildly, eyes wide. Had they come early to end it all?Then, a figure stepped i

Tessa's POV:My gaze was fixed on Tori. She blinked, her mouth slightly open, then scoffed. “What the hell are you talking about?”The room exploded into shocked murmurs. Tori stepped forward, hands raised in disbelief.“What in the world is this?” she said, laughing nervously. “You almost died, and now you're accusing me?”I stayed quiet, watching her carefully.“I mean, come on. Me?” She gestured at herself. “Of all things to waste my precious time on, you think I’d hire people to kill you?”“I don’t think,” I said softly. “I know it. I could read their thoughts. Turns out I'm a witch hybrid.”Her eyes narrowed, and her left index finger pointed at me. “You’re insane,” she spat.Lucian stood then, his body radiating alpha authority. “Mind what you say to her, Tori. Or your head would be off your neck before you can blink.”“Oh, please,” Tori snapped, the mask slipping. “She’s been gone for two days, locked up somewhere; gods know what she’s been through. She probably hallucinated t

Tori's POV:I slammed the door behind me.The echo bounced off the walls, loud and sharp like a slap across my face. My heart was thudding in my chest, and my hands trembled as I leaned against the door, trying to keep the whirlwind inside me from spilling out. Tessa had said it. She’d actually said it out loud, in front of Lucian, the guards, and everyone. My betrayal, dragged into the light like some filthy rag.I slid to the floor, curling my knees to my chest. My breath came in shallow bursts. I could still see the way Lucian looked at her, even in that moment, like she was the sun and he’d been in darkness until she came along. And me? I was the shadow that tried to eclipse her.I hated this. I hated how everything had gone sideways. The plan had been simple, so simple. Kidnap Tessa, stir panic, and create space between her and Lucian. Make him doubt her. Comfort him. Be there. Be needed. Be seen. Then kill her eventually if need be.But she wasn’t supposed to come back. Not so q

Tessa’s POV:Two days had passed since Tori’s mask had finally crumbled to dust.The estate had quieted, physically, at least. The whispers still drifted like smoke between walls, and the air held a tension that hadn’t quite settled. But me? I was wrapped in warmth. Safe. Held.Lucian’s arms encircled me, strong and sure, his chin resting on top of my head as soft sunlight filtered in through the curtains. His breathing was even and deep, but I knew he wasn’t asleep. He hadn’t let me out of his sight since the moment we returned, like he thought I’d disappear again if he blinked.And oddly enough, I didn’t mind.His scent, that mix of pine and something uniquely him, filled my lungs. I curled closer, smiling against his bare chest. This was real. Him. Me. Us.“Tessa,” he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.“Yes?”His arms tightened, and for a moment, he just breathed in. “Stay with me today.”I chuckled lightly, tilting my head to look up at him. His hair was tousled, dark cur

Tessa's POV:I stood there in front of his door, numb. The words Olivia had whispered into my ears earlier still echoed like a cruel chant. Used. Lied to. Betrayed. Each syllable sank its claws into my chest, refusing to let go.Lucian, my supposed mate. My fated one. The man who had kissed me like the world would collapse without me in it, who had held me like I was something fragile and precious. And yet… he’d been playing me. All this time.I burst into his room without knocking, the door slamming against the wall behind me with a loud bang. He was there, standing by the fireplace, his eyes catching mine immediately. “Tessa,” he started, taking a step forward.“Don’t,” I snapped, holding up a trembling hand. “Don’t you dare say my name like you care.”His brow furrowed, but he stopped moving. “What’s the matter?”“Olivia told me everything,” I spat. “The curse. The prophecy. That you needed an act of true love to break it. That I was just a means to an end.”His jaw tightened. “Th