Chapter 316\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett\u2019s elegance was paid for-in full-by wealth, privilege, and attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Me? I had nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
81\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Ebonclaw Pack never gave me their love, nor their resources. Yet somehow, it was still my fault I didn\u2019t turn out \u201cgraceful\u201d enough. They brought me back into their home, but never into their hearts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sometimes, I wondered if my only purpose here was to make Scarlett-the impostor-look more beloved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They say the unloved one is always the outsider. That fit me perfectly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood in the cramped storeroom I\u2019d called home for three years. My eyes landed on the only outfit I had left-a blue-and-white high school uniform. The same one I wore the day I was dragged away in handcuffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Five years ago,\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d received an offer from the country\u2019s top university. Instead of celebrating, the Ebonclaw couple threw a lavish send-off party for Scarlett.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The entire city\u2019s elite had been invited. Scarlett wore a million-dollar designer gown and a diamond tiara, smiling like the fairytale princess she always pretended to be. I stood nearby in plain clothes, watching it all fall apart as the police led me away. That night should\u2019ve been my beginning. Instead, it marked the end of everything I thought I knew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Five minutes later, still in my uniform, I made my way toward the Ebonclaw estate\u2019s ballroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Servants passed by, throwing confused glances my way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s that girl? Why is she dressed like a schoolkid?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably some part-time server from the hotel. Looks like a summer job.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. and Mrs. Vale really went all out for Miss Scarlett-inviting the Empire Hotel\u2019s head chef and all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, they really adore her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of them stopped as they walked past me. \u201cYou\u2019d better change into the The guests are important-don\u2019t embarrass the household.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then she walked off, just like that. As if I was invisible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
proper uniform.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:59 Thu, Dec 25 M.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 316\u00a0<\/p>\n
81\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood still.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael told me this was a welcome-back dinner. He didn\u2019t say they\u2019d invited outsiders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was this really meant to honor me? Or was it just another twisted way to parade my shame?\u00a0<\/p>\n
They arrested me in front of the city\u2019s elite. Now they wanted to welcome me back in front of the same people?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned to leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Kael appeared at the end of the hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes fell on me. His face twisted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you to change,\u201d he barked. \u201cWhat the hell are you wearing? Do you even understand what kind of event this is?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou came out of prison looking like a disaster, and now you want to stand here looking pitiful again? Trying to make people pity you, to paint us as monsters? Riley, you\u2019re disgusting. You haven\u2019t changed one bit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He reached for my arm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He missed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re seriously dodging me now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked him in the eye. That same hateful, disgusted glare I\u2019d endured for three then, it tore me apart. Now, it felt\u2026 empty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have a dress,\u201d I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen buy one!\u201d he snapped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no money.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael\u2019s face turned red with rage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
years. Back\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou lived here for three years. We gave you everything-food, a roof, clothes. You got half a million transferred into your account every month. That\u2019s eighteen million in total! Don\u2019t tell me you couldn\u2019t afford a damn dress.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:59 Thu, Dec 25 M\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 316\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t flinch. \u201cI never got a single cent.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
He sneered. \u201cLiar. You think I won\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
prove it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
M\u00a0<\/p>\n
81\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pulled out his phone and called the finance department.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re on speaker,\u201d he said. \u201cTell me how much we transferred into Riley\u2019s account each month.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
730\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:59 Thu, Dec 25 M.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe 316 Chapter 316\u00a0 Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0 Scarlett\u2019s elegance was paid for-in full-by wealth, privilege, and attention.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20589\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}