Chapter 329\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
The atmosphere in the dining hall dropped to freezing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone\u2019s movements halted as though suspended mid-breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alpha Alaric\u2019s brows drew together, but he said nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearly caught off guard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael, however, slammed his utensils down with a sharp clang, making a nearby servant flinch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is the meaning of this?\u201d he barked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The servant, pale and trembling, bowed her head. \u201cMaster Kael, the household has only ever prepared four portions\u2026 I didn\u2019t realize-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t realize what?\u201d Kael\u2019s voice was a low growl. \u201cThat my sister is back under this roof? Or did you know, and decide she didn\u2019t deserve to eat?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The woman opened her mouth, but Kael cut her off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re dismissed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Terror flickered in her eyes. She turned instinctively to Scarlett, silently pleading. But Scarlett merely kept her head down, expression unreadable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric cleared his throat. \u201cMia, prepare another plate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mia gave a relieved nod and hurried to the kitchen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett, always quick to seize an opportunity, pushed her plate toward Riley. \u201cHere, sister. You can have mine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley didn\u2019t look at her. She didn\u2019t say a word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she also didn\u2019t refuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She picked up a fork and began to eat with calm, measured movements, as if nothing had happened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett stared at her, clearly expecting something. A nod. A word. Gratitude.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley gave her nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The silence stretched. Scarlett\u2019s hopeful expression withered into a pout.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric rapped his knuckles against the table. \u201cRiley.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still eating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He cleared his throat pointedly. \u201cRiley.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 329\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara stepped in, gentle but firm. \u201cRiley, your sister gave you her food. Shouldn\u2019t you say thank you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley finally set her fork down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked up, sweeping her gaze across the table, her eyes sharp as shattered glass.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank her?\u201d Her voice was calm-dangerously so. \u201cShould I thank her for stealing my life? For framing me? For five years in a cell?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A crackling silence followed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She leaned forward slightly, her voice now a blade. \u201cYou all want gratitude over a plate of breakfast? For three years I wasn\u2019t given one. I ate your scraps-if anything was left. I came home to insults. And not once, not once, did any of you offer me thanks or apology.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou demand more of me than you\u2019ve ever demanded of yourselves.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara looked hurt. \u201cBut that\u2019s all in the past. Can\u2019t you just-let it go?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe past lives in my body,\u201d Riley said. \u201cIt lives in my limp, in my ear that barely hears, in every scar. You don\u2019t get to tell me when to forget.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara clutched at her chest, as if Riley\u2019s words had physically struck her\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric lost his patience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI am your father!\u201d he roared, rising to his feet. \u201cYou will show respect!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019m your daughter!\u201d Riley shot back, standing too. \u201cYet you\u2019ve treated me like dirt beneath your boots. You never wanted me back. Don\u2019t pretend now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think I came back here by choice? You dragged me here to fix your problems with the Blackmaw Pack.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes flared with fury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not your pawn.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s face turned crimson. Without warning, he lifted his hand and struck her across the face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Smack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The force of it knocked her against the table, plates and silver crashing to the floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s head snapped sideways, lip split open. Blood slid down her chin and dripped onto the pristine white tablecloth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her right ear-already damaged-rang with deafening static.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t cry out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t cry at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But her chest rose and fell like a storm was building beneath her ribs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Riley stood-slowly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And flipped the entire table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dishes, cutlery, glasses-all of it went flying in a thunderous crash.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone backed away, stunned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett shrieked. Zara gasped. Alaric looked ready to explode.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think this is about rebellion?\u201d Riley shouted. \u201cIt\u2019s not. It\u2019s about survival. I\u2019ve done everything to earn a place here, and you still spit on me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara tried to approach. \u201cRiley, please. We\u2019re still your family-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley shoved her arm away. \u201cYou are a prison sentence with a family name.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric pointed a shaking finger. \u201cYou disgrace this house. You\u2019re an ungrateful, disobedient child!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett peeked from behind him, her voice trembling with faux remorse. \u201cIt\u2019s all my fault, sister. I never meant for any of it to happen\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley didn\u2019t hear her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t hear any of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All she could hear was the high-pitched hum in her right ear, the chaos in her chest, the thundering echo of her heartbeat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stumbled for the door, vision blurring, limbs shaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then everything spun.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And she collapsed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael moved fast-faster than anyone thought possible-and caught her before her head hit the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice cracked. \u201cRiley\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara rushed forward. \u201cWhat\u2019s happening? Is she-?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric scoffed. \u201cShe\u2019s pretending.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael\u2019s head whipped around. \u201cPretending? She passed out! You\u2019re more concerned about your damn ego than your own daughter\u2019s condition.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And with that, he lifted Riley in his arms and carried her upstairs without looking back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric shouted behind him, \u201cIf she weren\u2019t mine, she wouldn\u2019t have the privilege of talking to me at all!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe 329 Chapter 329\u00a0 Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0 The atmosphere in the dining hall dropped to freezing.\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-20602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20602","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=20602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20602\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}