Semua Bab Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine: Bab 51 - Bab 60

ARDENThe room dimmed even further as the door closed quietly behind the newcomer. Cade stiffened beside me, his eyes narrowing in the direction of the sound. Mr. Winters.I recognized that silhouette even before the overhead glow from a monitor illuminated the sharp angles of his face. He moved calmly, exuding the confidence of someone who had all the time in the world and nothing to fear. Striding directly to the computer, he began typing a password.Click. Click. Click. Enter. And then the screen came to life.A curious impulse overtook me; I leaned ever so slightly to peek through the narrow gap between the desks. My eyes widened in horror when I caught sight of a slew of thumbnails featuring naked bodies. Just then, a series of moans echoed from the speakers. Cade stiffened beside me, clutching my body instinctively. The moans crescendoed further, forcing a gasp from deep within me—a sound I could not hold back, born not of fear but of sheer disgust. At that moment, the reali

ARDEN I sat on my bed, knees tucked to my chest, mulling over the conversation Cade and I had in the garden. He had offered to sleep with me again, but this time, it didn’t sound offensive. Instead, it felt as though he had thrown an anchor into the stormy waters of my mind. With a groan, I sank backward, pressing a pillow to my face with a muffled whine. “Why am I even thinking about this?”Tessa, just emerging from the shower—the scent of her honey body wash wafting through the room—leaned against the door frame. “You alright?” she asked, her tired smile doing little to mask her curiosity.I slid the pillow away from my face and turned to her. I simply sighed and sat up. “I’m just thinking.”Tessa gently closed the door behind her. “About Cade? I saw him walk you to our third class this morning. You also smelled like him during class.”My face flushed at the memory of how he had silently guided me to class after our conversation. “What? No! I mean—” I caught her playful smirk. “O

ARDENI felt the grip on my wrist loosen as Cade’s voice resonated throughout the expansive room. Instead of the disgusting, clammy body of Trevor pressing against mine, Cade enveloped me in his warmth, removing his jacket and wrapping it around my shoulders.Safe. I felt safe again. “A-Alpha Cade?” Sienna stammered, hastily putting her phone down and shoving it into her pocket. “I asked—what the hell are you doing?” he demanded. Kieran was the first to respond, his tone lacking any hint of seriousness. It felt like what he had done was just a casual affair, which only made me want to hurl in disgust. “Calm down, Alpha. We came here, and it was like this already,” he said nonchalantly. “We were just trying to help him film because proof is needed in the Aftersound. We're being very good friends.” Cade’s frown deepened, and my heart quickened as I felt his body tense against mine. “Is that so?” “Yes,” Kieran replied shamelessly, appearing proud of his actions. “Pathetic,” Cade

ARDENWe were all seated in Mr. Winters’ private office. Kieran, Trevor, and Sienna sat on one side. On the other side, Tessa and I sat stiffly, hands clenched over our knees. Owen had been sent to the clinic, barfing and disoriented. They were checking his head for signs of trauma.“So,” Mr. Winters began. “Someone tell me the story.”Kieran was the first to speak, casually leaning back in his seat. “He started it,” he said, gesturing vaguely toward the empty chair Owen should’ve occupied. “That dude came storming into my place throwing punches. I was just defending myself.”Trevor nodded beside him, the perfect loyal minion. “We were just talking. Then he comes in swinging like some lunatic.”Tessa’s frown deepened. “It was only because of what they did to Arden. They drugged her last night when she was just cleaning up after the Ivory Solstice. It’s sexual assault.”Mr. Winters sighed, tilting his head toward our side of the room. “Is that true?”Kieran gave a snort. “Of course n

ARDENThe view from our seat was absolutely unreal. Cade and I found ourselves at a hotel half an hour away from Elite, where he had ordered an impressive spread for our dinner. As I gazed out the window, I could see Elite shimmering from a distance, its bright lights and the tall trees surrounding it making it stand out like a jewel in the night. Turning back to Cade, I noticed he was silently cutting up the steak. “You didn’t have to bring me here, you know?” I said, awkwardly pretending to fixate on the massive chandelier above us rather than acknowledging the significance of this night. He gave a small nod and pushed the plate of meat toward me. My eyes lit up at the sight, and I immediately seized a piece with my fork. “I know,” he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched me devour my food. “But I don’t want to catch my unit on camera, and I’m guessing you wouldn’t want your first time to be in the Elite mansions.” I swallowed my bite. Fair. I couldn’t refu