All Chapters of Tied to the Ruthless Three: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

207 Chapters

61. Something Feels Off

Even though I was exhausted, my eyes refused to close. I just sat there on the balcony, staring at the stretch of forest ahead—dark, quiet, and only making my heart ache more.Why did I ever have such a foolish thought that Alexei might care for me, even just a little?That foolish thought grew into empty hope, and now I had to face the consequences. Me and my stupidity—for wanting a love that would never be returned. But now, everything is shattered.I let out a long sigh, feeling the pain in my chest. God, why do I always fall in love with the wrong person?“Anna?”The voice startled me.I turned toward the balcony door and saw Isolde standing there. Her expression hardened instantly, and she hurried over to me. There was a look of concern in her eyes.“Where have you been? You disappeared after lunch. Even Gabriel was looking for you,” she said.“Nowhere.” I shrugged.Isolde looked me up and down, then tilted her head slightly. “New necklace? Looks kind of intimidating.”Reflexiv

62. The Funeral

Friday night, Gabriel, Nathaniel, and I left Bastorin and headed back to our city. I actually felt bad for Isolde, since I couldn’t go with her to the movie as we had planned. But I had to attend Dimitri’s father’s funeral the next morning.My father had already sent a driver to pick us up. I sat in the back with Gabriel while Nathaniel sat in the front. My eyes accidentally met the driver’s through the rearview mirror—he was watching us. Maybe he found it strange to see me sitting in the back with one of the twins. Usually, I’d have chosen the front seat. But things had changed. Twisted, even.The whole ride passed in silence, and before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep. …A gentle shake on my shoulder woke me up. I opened my eyes to see Gabriel beside me, his hand still resting lightly on my arm. “Anna, we’re here,” he said softly.“At home?” My voice came out hoarse.“Yeah. Where else would we go?”Honestly, I wanted to just stay in the car and sleep until morning. The word home ma

63. The Scene in the Funeral

I saw Alexei turn and look straight at Marva. Everyone froze in shock, stepping back cautiously. There were no screams, no shouts—but no one moved to stop Marva either. It was as if they were waiting for the bullet to pierce Alexei. As if they wanted to see whether the man who always seemed unshakable could face hot steel.Gabriel grabbed my arm, as if trying to protect me. But I immediately shook his hand off. “Let me go!” I hissed.Marva was already crying, holding the gun with trembling hands. “Why? Why were you so cruel to my family? Answer me, Mr. Alexei!”Alexei didn’t move at all. He stood like a man carved from stone—unfazed, immovable. Marva took slow steps toward him, looking desperate, sad, and furious all at once.“Do you even have a heart? Is every Nightshade like you?” Marva screamed.Without thinking, I ran toward her. I couldn’t let Marva do something she’d regret. Whatever happened to her family, shooting Alexei would only make things worse.“You called my father

64. What I Shouldn't Feel

ALEXEI POVWhen I saw the twins staring at me suspiciously as we passed each other at the door, I couldn’t help but smile. Those two arrogant young men—whether they realized it or not—were already caught in Anna’s web. That’s the terrifying thing about the power of the heart or love. It’s something I’ve avoided for a long time.Anna truly has something within her—a wild card, I guess. Something that keeps me intrigued, wondering what she’s capable of with that power. Alistair doesn’t realize that what he thinks he holds in his hands is just a gentle breeze, while Anna could be a storm in the right hands. My hands, of course.The echo of my footsteps sounded softly down the quiet corridor. Then I noticed something that made me stop. The daughter of Nightshade’s supreme leader was injured, yet there was no security around her. Not a single guard posted by Alistair.A wave of annoyance simmered in me. Was Anna really that worthless as a member of the Lancroft family? Or was it that bein

65. The Seeds of Treachery

Seeing Alexei freeze for a moment, I immediately felt uneasy. Was something wrong? Why did he have to come back here? The thought of that kiss he left on my forehead earlier made my face flush with embarrassment.“I just wanted to make sure Anna is all right,” Alexei said.“Yeah, she’s fine.” Nathaniel stood up and approached him. “We’ll stay here and watch over her until she’s discharged from the hospital. Right, Gabriel?”Gabriel nodded. “Right.”I blinked in surprise. There had been no such conversation between us before. I thought Gabriel and Nathaniel were leaving soon, but how could I tell them I wanted to be alone, right?“Oh, have you informed your parents?” Alexei asked.Again, Nathaniel answered casually. “What for? Anna’s our sister. Taking care of her is our duty. We don’t need anyone else.”For a brief moment, I caught a flicker of discomfort cross Alexei’s face before he nodded quickly. His eyes shifted to me, as if to make sure I was really fine. Well, other than the d

66. His Brother's Betrayal

GABRIEL POVWhen Alexei showed up the next morning to take Anna back to Bastorin, irritation flared in me instantly. It felt like everything we'd done the night before—staying by her side, watching over her—had all been for nothing. It was as if Alexei suddenly had more right to her than we did.My eyes flicked toward Anna, sitting quietly in the car. She glanced between me and Nathaniel, confusion clouding her eyes. Poor thing, tossed around like this when she was still recovering."Anna should be resting at home," I said, trying to sound reasonable with Alexei, who was standing right in front of us. "With all due respect, sir, Anna is our family.""And you want to risk another attack?" Alexei countered coldly, his arrogance cutting through the air. "Your city isn't safe for her."His tone made my stomach twist. Ever since Alistair had been attacked and Dimitri's father had been killed, everything had spiraled into chaos, making it easy for Alexei to claim Anna as his own. I hated th

67. His Home

I woke up with a jolt, realizing I was wrapped in Alexei's arms. Slowly, I tried to move away, but his hand pressed gently on my arm. "Go back to sleep, Anna. We still have thirty more minutes to go," he whispered.Alexei's voice was so soothing. It felt like he would never let me be alone, like a knight in shining armor protecting me. It made my heart ache and flutter all at once.But none of it meant anything, because there was no love behind it.I could not fall back asleep, so I just stayed quiet, listening to the steady hum of the car engine as it carried us toward Bastorin.Except that the view outside was different. The trees that usually lined the road to the academy were missing. Normally, the thirty-minute drive to Bastorin passed through a long stretch of forest and rolling hills."Where are we going?" I asked.Alexei only chuckled softly. I lifted my gaze to his sharp jawline, and he tilted his head slightly toward me, his breath warm against my ear. "Home," he whispered

68. The Spare Son

GABRIEL POV"This is just a small matter, isn't it? Right, Alistair?" Mother's voice dripped with contempt, as if everything that had happened was trivial. "Yes, no need to worry," Father Alistair replied.I had been sitting silently, listening to Father Alistair, Mother, and Nathaniel discuss what happened at the cemetery and the conspiracies they kept throwing around.But none of it interested me. Only disgust built up the longer I stayed there."Yes," Father Alistair nodded, his expression flat."Did you hear the rumors going around Bastorin? That Alexei orchestrated the whole scene using Marva?" Nathaniel took a sip of water. "Since Marva's family is under his supervision, how could they slip through that easily?"Mother's lips tightened. "I'm not surprised. Alexei always loves to make a spectacle, only to play the hero afterward. He's been like that ever since he joined Nightshade."My eyes met Nathaniel's, but he immediately looked away. Suddenly, Mother's hand touched my arm,

69. How Did He Know?

The hours leading up to dinner were eerily quiet. I sat across from Alexei, who calmly enjoyed his meal as if nothing had happened. I glanced at him from time to time, trying to match his composure, though my heart raced uncontrollably."What are you thinking about, Anna?" Alexei asked, not looking at me.I hesitated, unsure if it was wise to tell him about the gossip spreading in Bastorin. Meanwhile, here we were, hiding away from the storm outside."Anna?" His voice was low but demanding."There's a rumor going around in Bastorin," I said, swallowing hard. "They said—"Clink. The sharp sound of a knife and fork being set down cut me off. I froze instantly, my words dying in my throat."Do you think I enjoy drama?" Alexei asked out of nowhere.I looked up at him. "I don't know.""What reason would I have to tell Marva to cause trouble at Dimitri's father's funeral? What would I gain from that?"I shook my head. "Nothing, sir.""Then there's nothing for you to worry about. Finish your

70. A Throne Made of Lies

ALEXEI POVI stopped in front of my office, where Yuri was already waiting. He opened the door for me, then followed after I went inside. I dropped myself onto the armchair while Yuri stood straight by the door, waiting for further instructions.“Bring my lunch here. Let them talk alone,” I said.This time, Yuri looked a little startled. “Sir, are you not going to listen to their conversation?”“You will. Watch and listen carefully. They will never talk about anything important if I am there.”Yuri did not answer right away. A trace of worry appeared on his face.“Sir, with everything that has happened, should you really take this lightly? Those two children are from the Lancroft family.” Yuri took a deep breath. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I am worried about you.”“Only Anna. Gabriel is not.”“But still, the conspiracy from the past leans toward Alistair Lancroft’s involvement in your family’s tragedy.”I could hear the anger in Yuri’s voice.Having served my father for

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