Chapter 324\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door slammed open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
81\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alpha Alaric stormed in, already shouting. \u201cKael Vale, get up right now! Why the hell did you unilaterally terminate-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His words caught in his throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lying in the center of Kael\u2019s massive bed was Riley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pale, groggy, her limbs tangled in silken sheets, she blinked against the dim morning light, clearly startled from a restless sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric stood frozen, the fury in his expression slowly morphing into stunned disbelief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Behind him, Luna Zara gasped aloud. \u201cRiley? Why are you sleeping in your brother\u2019s bed?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brother?\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a heartbeat, Riley forgot where she was. The scent of cedar and smoke, Kael\u2019s scent, still clung to the sheets. It was surreal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why had he brought her here?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had always hated her. For years, she had been forbidden from even stepping past the threshold of his room, while Scarlett had wandered in and out as if she owned the place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, suddenly, this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s expression darkened again as he scanned the room, clearly searching for his son.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Kael was nowhere in sight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is he?\u201d Alaric demanded, his voice sharp and clipped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley didn\u2019t answer. Her face was unreadable as she slowly rose from the bed, her movements hindered by her injured leg. She limped toward the door, expression impassive,\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Alaric and Zara stood in her way, blocking the exit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley paused, brows slightly furrowed. \u201cStep aside.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s jaw clenched. His earlier anger, fueled by the crumbling alliance with Ronan\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:02 Thu, Dec 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 324\u00a0<\/p>\n
Blackmaw Pack, surged forward in full.\u00a0<\/p>\n
M\u00a0<\/p>\n
81\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m your father,\u201d he snapped. \u201cIs this how you speak to your elders? No shame, no discipline. Just like always. A disgrace.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara tugged on his sleeve. \u201cAlaric, please-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He cut her off. \u201cWhy wasn\u2019t she in her own room? What is she playing at? This is the very first night she returns to Ebonclaw, and she\u2019s already causing problems.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s not a child anymore,\u201d he growled. \u201cAnd even if Kael is her blood brother, sneaking into his bed like this-what the hell is she thinking?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Luna Zara\u2019s face paled. \u201cEnough! Don\u2019t say another word.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the implication lingered, venomous and vile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s fingers curled at her sides. She felt it-the bitter sting of humiliation, the slow burn of betrayal rekindling in her chest. The way Alaric looked at her-it wasn\u2019t the gaze of a father. It was the stare of a hunter sizing up a threat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice was calm but cold. \u201cAre you done?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her father\u2019s breath caught. Riley\u2019s tone had the razor edge of someone who had long since stopped begging to be loved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen step aside. I\u2019m leaving.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric refused to move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Riley attempted to edge past them, a cold, brutal grip clamped down on her forearm. Without warning, she was shoved backward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She crashed to the floor with a muffled cry, her injured leg twisting beneath her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pain was immediate and blinding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlaric!\u201d Zara shrieked. \u201cYou\u2019ve lost your mind!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s not going anywhere until I get some answers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley pushed herself upright with shaking hands, biting back the pain. She lifted her head, forcing herself to meet Alaric\u2019s gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you call Kael if you\u2019re so desperate for answers?\u201d she said through gritted teeth. \u201cMaybe he can explain why I\u2019m here. Because I sure as hell can\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:02 Thu, Dec 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 324\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara fumbled for her phone, quickly dialing. The ringing began-nearby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the study next door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two of them turned in unison and burst into the adjacent room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The lights were off. The scent of alcohol hung heavy in the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara turned on the lights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
81\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael was slumped against the wall, legs sprawled, surrounded by empty whiskey bottles. His eyes fluttered open at the intrusion, and he squinted against the sudden brightness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric was livid. \u201cLook at yourself. Look at what you\u2019ve done.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael didn\u2019t answer. He only lifted a bottle, realized it was empty, and let it drop with a hollow clink.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did\u00a0<\/p>\n
you dissolve the alliance with Blackmaw?\u201d Alaric roared. \u201cDo you know what this means for Ebonclaw? For Scarlett?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael\u2019s eyes gleamed with something like contempt. \u201cDid Ronan consider all that when he turned the prison into hell for Riley?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone fell silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael rose, swaying slightly but focused now. \u201cHe ordered his people to beat her. They snapped her bones. Forced her to drink from toilets. Zapped her with silver needles. You want to know why she limps? Her leg was shattered with wooden clubs. That\u2019s why.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara staggered back, hand clapped over her mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric blinked, stunned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re lying,\u201d he said weakly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, then held it out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their own phones buzzed simultaneously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s eyes scanned the screen. Cold, clinical notes. Hospital logs, Surveillance stills. Photographs of injuries that should never have been inflicted in a licensed detainment facility.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara sobbed openly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric stared at the images, color draining from his face. \u201cYou\u2026 were too rash. You should\u2019ve consulted us. Ending the alliance like that will cost us-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 324\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt already cost us,\u201d Kael said quietly. \u201cIt cost her five years of her life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s phone rang again. He stepped aside to answer it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His expression collapsed into horror. \u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara moved toward him. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve lost ten billion,\u201d he muttered. \u201cOvernight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara\u2019s knees gave out. She caught herself on the desk. \u201cWhat are we going to do?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s only one option,\u201d Alaric said after a pause. \u201cWe need to restore the alliance. Grovel if\u00a0<\/p>\n
we must.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the price?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric hesitated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric exhaled. \u201cRonan says\u2026 Riley has to kneel before his sister\u2019s hospital bed and beg for forgiveness.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A chilling silence fell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Scarlett\u2019s voice rang sweetly from behind them. \u201cSister, it\u2019s so late-why are you loitering by Kael\u2019s study door?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley turned slowly, her eyes meeting the girl who had taken her place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett\u2019s smile didn\u2019t reach her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u3002\u00a0<\/p>\n
730\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:02 Thu, Dec 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe 324 Chapter 324\u00a0 Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0 The door slammed open.\u00a0 81\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 Alpha Alaric stormed […]<\/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-20597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20597","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=20597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20597\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}