Chapter 318\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
My life had already been destroyed, and now he suddenly cared about my education?\u00a0<\/p>\n
How ironic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0e41\u0e23\u0e07\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had spent my entire youth chasing the light-ten years of studying until my fingers bled, just to rewrite the fate I had been handed. I dreamed of breaking through my circumstances with nothing but sheer determination. My dream was Ashmoor Academy, the most prestigious institution in the Werewolf Alliance. I wanted to become a combat instructor, stand at the front of a classroom, and help kids like me escape the chains of their birth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But dreams are fragile things.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Vale family crushed mine with one careless decision. A single false accusation, and I was sentenced to five years in hell. All my hard-earned potential, all those sleepless nights\u2026 buried.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because in their world, effort meant nothing. Power and bloodline ruled all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The ache in my chest flared as I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms, but I barely noticed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMooncrest Academy,\u201d I said softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment those three words left my lips, the atmosphere shifted. Alpha Alaric. Luna Zara. Kael. Their faces went pale.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because Mooncrest wasn\u2019t just any school. It was the top-ranking academic institution in Mooncrest City. Entry wasn\u2019t bought with gold or influence-it demanded scores.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unlike Halston Academy, where Scarlett had studied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled bitterly. \u201cI didn\u2019t go to Halston Academy with Scarlett. We were never classmates. Never even had breakfast together. Mooncrest\u2019s morning study sessions started at six. I left home every day at four a.m., riding my old bike for two hours just to get there on time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a breath. \u201cI never came home for lunch-there wasn\u2019t time. And I had no money, so I just drank water and pushed through until the day ended. When I finally got home, you\u2019d all already eaten. I ate leftovers, if there were any. And when I did, you called me a stray. A parasite. Greedy, disgusting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Luna Zara started to cry. \u201cRiley\u2026 I didn\u2019t know it was this bad. I\u2019m sorry. It\u2019s all my fault.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at her, calm as still water. \u201cYou have nothing to apologize for,\u201d I said coolly. \u201cYou didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:00 Thu, Dec 25 M.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 318\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
81\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
raise me. I was just the daughter you abandoned. I don\u2019t expect anything more from you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her sobs choked in her throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My memories burned behind my eyes-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley, I know you\u2019re stronger than Scarlett. You survived Rogue Pack. I know you\u2019ll adapt to prison too. Please\u2026 take the blame for her. For your sister.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That voice had haunted me for five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael snapped, trying to save face. \u201cWe may have neglected you, but that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re blameless. You\u2019ve always hated Scarlett. You used every chance to retaliate against us. You\u2019re bitter, jealous, mean.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t even blink.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Luna Zara grabbed his arm. \u201cDon\u2019t talk to her like that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Kael shook her off. \u201cShe framed Scarlett over Tessa\u2019s disappearance in the Black Forest, and now she\u2019s putting on this show in front of the guests. She\u2019s manipulative, vindictive, and ungrateful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara looked at me, eyes darting like a trapped animal. I knew that look. Guilt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had deleted the only surveillance footage that could have cleared my name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough.\u201d Alaric finally stepped in, his Alpha authority darkening the air. \u201cRiley, if you were coming home today, why didn\u2019t you say something? We could\u2019ve prepared a proper dress.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know I was being released today?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He blinked. \u201cOf course not. If we had, I\u2019d have sent the driver. How did you get home?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Kael picked me up. He said you were throwing me a welcome banquet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gasps spread across the hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWelcome banquet? Isn\u2019t today Scarlett\u2019s birthday party?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what my invitation said-Scarlett Vale\u2019s birthday celebration.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of family throws a release party for a convict?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The whispers started. Gossip buzzed like flies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:00 Thu, Dec 25 M\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 318\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
81\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael\u2019s face burned red. He opened his mouth but couldn\u2019t say a word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And there it was-the truth. I wasn\u2019t being welcomed. I was a footnote in Scarlett\u2019s day. An afterthought.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What did I expect?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them back and turned to leave. I\u2019d had enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But fate wasn\u2019t finished humiliating me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A blur of white lace came barreling into me. I didn\u2019t even have time to dodge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
CRASH.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pain exploded in my elbow and leg as I hit the ground hard. My breath caught, my limbs screaming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I opened my eyes, I saw them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alpha Alaric. Luna Zara. Kael.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hovering over Scarlett, who lay at the center of their protective circle, wailing like a porcelain doll.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cScarlett, are you okay? Did she hurt you? Did Riley hurt you?!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael\u2019s voice cracked with rage. \u201cWhat the hell is wrong with you, Riley? Can\u2019t you even watch where you\u2019re walking?!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared up at them, lying on the cold marble floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My blood seeping out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My dignity gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My crime? Being born into the wrong life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
730\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u3002\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe 318 Chapter 318\u00a0 Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0 :\u00a0 My life had already been destroyed, and now he […]<\/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-20591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20591","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=20591"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20591\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}