All Chapters of After Betrayal, I Married The Cursed Alpha King: Chapter 21 - Chapter 29

Across the city, Selene smiled at her reflection.The rumors were spreading beautifully.Whispers of a monster. Of red eyes seen in the dark. Of a beast guarding its territory.She had fed them carefully—anonymous posts, frightened “witnesses,” leaked photos edited just enough to feel real.A shadowed figure. Claws. Blood.“People don’t need truth,” Selene said softly, scrolling through her phone. “They need fear.”And fear traveled fast.Especially when it wore the face of a king.Her smile sharpened.“If she’s going to stand beside him,” Selene murmured, “then she should know exactly what kind of monster she married.“What are you planning, Selene? You know how dangerous this move this? What if he finds out about your secret trick… are you ready to face the consequences too?” Her mother said, and she rolled her eyes in frustration. “Mother! You are here to support me, not to make me fail. But, I think you are not aware of your role, right? Do not forget that all the luxuries wh

The house stayed awake even when Violetta couldn’t.Paper covered the dining table, spilled onto the floor, and was stacked on the couch. Half-drawn silhouettes, fabric swatches, color palettes taped together with trembling fingers. She had been working for hours—erasing, redrawing, starting over—her mind racing faster than her body could keep up with.“You have to win this challenge, Vee. You have to show them what you are capable of,” She said to herself and put the empty cup of coffee on the table, but still a lot of work was left. By midnight, her eyes burned.By one, her hands shook.She told herself just one more sketch, but exhaustion won.Her head tipped forward slowly, cheek resting against a spread of papers, pencil slipping from her fingers as sleep claimed her without mercy.The room was quiet when Draven stepped in. He paused the moment he saw her.Mask still on, he stood there longer than he meant to—watching her breathe softly, lashes resting against flushed skin, hai

The office floor went unnaturally quiet when Asher arrived.Not because he raised his voice. Not because he caused a scene.But because something about him shifted the air. Everyone knew about his power and authority and how much Alpha Draven gave value to his private guard. Even Gerald came after him, so it was better to respect his authority. He walked in with measured steps, his presence sharp and unyielding, eyes scanning the room until they locked onto one figure. Claudia.She froze.Asher stopped a few feet away from her, his expression calm—, but it was the kind of calm that came before a storm. No one was expecting him to visit the office today, so it was quite a surprise for everyone. “You,” he whispered while looking towards Claudia. His anger made her shudder. Claudia swallowed. “I… I was just—”“Enough,” Asher interrupted, his tone slicing clean through the space. “You will not speak unless I ask you to.”Every head turned. Violetta stood near the washroom entrance,

The first thing Draven felt was wrongness.It hit him mid-sentence when he was giving his speech in another building... miles away from Violetta. A sharp, gut-deep pull—violent and unmistakable.Violetta… she was in danger. He could feel her fear through the bond which became strong because of her closeness to Asher. His voice faltered for half a breath during the speech. No one noticed. No one ever noticed the moment a predator woke.His fingers curled slowly at his side.The bond screamed.He didn’t finish the applause.He left the building and called the guards. Gerald was ready with the car and he felt like his life was on the line. “Hurry up, Gerald! Or It will be too late,” The strain in his voice made Gerald worried. *****************The room was dark.Too dark.Violetta’s back hit the wall, the impact knocking what little breath she had left from her lungs. Her hands pushed weakly against the man in front of her, her body heavy, unresponsive, traitorous under the drug flo

The night didn’t end with tears. It ended with silence—heavy, sacred silence. Violetta lay awake long after Asher thought she had fallen asleep, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing beside her. His arm rested protectively across her waist, as if he were afraid she might disappear if he loosened his hold even slightly. For the first time since the attack, the room didn’t feel like a cage. It felt like shelter. But somewhere deep inside Asher, something shifted. At first, it was subtle—an ache beneath his skin, a heat that bloomed slowly in his chest. He frowned in his sleep, jaw tightening, breath growing uneven. The curse was awake. It always sensed closeness. Safety. Attachment. Those were its favorite things to corrupt. Asher’s fingers twitched against Violetta’s side, claws threatening to surface. His heartbeat thundered, loud enough that Violetta fel