Chapter 334\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
B\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The fluorescent lights of the Healer\u2019s Ward burned into my eyes. I could barely see through the blood and tears that blurred my vision, but I didn\u2019t stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stumbled down the corridor, slamming into walls and brushing past startled wolves. Some of them gasped, others recoiled at the sight of me-bloodied, limping, barely upright-but I didn\u2019t care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Let them look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Let them see what the Ebonclaw Pack does to its own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was only one thought in my mind: get away from Ronan. As far as possible. Before he changed his mind and decided he hadn\u2019t had enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I ran harder, heart pounding, lungs burning. My injured leg screamed with every step, but I ignored it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So I didn\u2019t see the man coming out of the private consultation room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not until I slammed straight into him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The impact jolted me back, and I nearly fell to the floor-but a strong arm snapped around my waist, steadying me before I hit the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRiley.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Familiar. Soft. Careful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Terrifying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked up and found myself staring into Maddox\u2019s eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His amber gaze reflected the panic in mine, like he\u2019d already seen the fear before I even knew it was there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He reached for me like I was something fragile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But all I felt was revulsion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shoved him away with all the strength I had left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He barely budged, but he let go. I turned without a word and tried to walk away, only to feel his hand clamp down on my wrist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Firm. Unyielding,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just like him in the courtroom five years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
26\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
R2 III O <\u00a0<\/p>\n
it care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had no right to look at me like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No right to act like I mattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho did this to you?\u201d he asked, eyes narrowing. \u201cTell me, Riley. I\u2019ll make them pay\u00a0<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was serious. He thought this was how it worked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I remembered it all-how he had stood across from me in the Court of Elders, not beside me. How his voice, once soft and warm, became the blade that slit my throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was the one who defended Scarlett. Who called me a liar. Who listed every false accusation like it was scripture, until they caged me like a rogue and threw away the key.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He could\u2019ve been my shield.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, he helped gut me alive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now he wanted to protect me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I kept my eyes on the floor, silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re still mad at me, aren\u2019t you?\u201d His voice cracked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t wait for an answer. \u201cI had my reasons, Riley. I didn\u2019t want to hurt you. I had no choice-please, just let me explain.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Explain?\u00a0<\/p>\n
As if an explanation could give me back the years I lost.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As if words could fix a shattered leg, a deaf ear, a missing kidney.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As if anything could erase the humiliation of sitting in that courtroom, looking into his eyes, and realizing I was completely alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to pull away again, but his grip didn\u2019t loosen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So I lifted my gaze and looked him in the eye.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cold. Empty. Done.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet go,\u201d I said flatly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t. His hand only tightened slightly, like he thought I\u2019d crumble if he held on long enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll take you to a healer,\u201d he murmured. \u201cLet them patch you up, okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice was almost a whisper, soft and trembling, like he was scared I might disappear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
FRI\u00a0<\/p>\n
26\u00a0<\/p>\n
R\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
O\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
M\u00a0<\/p>\n
It made my skin crawl.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t want softness. I didn\u2019t want sympathy. Not from him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you not hear me?\u201d I said, louder now, ice lacing every word. \u201cLet. Go.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something in my tone must\u2019ve hit him, because he flinched like I\u2019d struck him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw the pain in his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Good.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He deserved it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it wasn\u2019t enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had reached my limit. My fury boiled over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without thinking, I yanked my head to the side-and slammed it into the wall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Blood erupted down my face. Pain exploded behind my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, I didn\u2019t stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet go?\u201d I hissed, blood running down my chin. \u201cOr do I keep going?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was frozen, horrified.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think I won\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slammed my head again. Thud.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
And again. Thud.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sound echoed through the hallway. Sharp. Sickening,\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If hurting myself was the only way to make him let go, I\u2019d do it again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His face had gone pale as bone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re insane,\u201d he choked. \u201cYou\u2019d hurt yourself-just to get away from me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was that really so hard to believe?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI said let go,\u201d I growled, the taste of iron on my tongue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Blood dripped from my forehead onto his arm. I saw it land. Watched him flinch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He finally released me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stumbled back, nearly collapsing. But\u00a0<\/p>\n
Caught myself before he could touch me again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
334\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you dare come near me,\u201d I spat. \u201cWe\u2019re done. We\u2019ve always been done.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t wait for a reply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned and limped away, dragging my useless leg behind me. Every step felt like knives under my skin, but I didn\u2019t stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wouldn\u2019t stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Behind me, I heard nothing. No footsteps. No pleading.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I knew he was still there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Following. Watching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like a ghost too cowardly to speak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t want to go home-not yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Vale estate would only bring more cruelty, more silence, more blame.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So I collapsed onto a bench outside the Healer\u2019s Ward and stared blankly at the road beyond the trees, where the moonlight painted the pavement silver.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t cry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There were no tears left in me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u00a0<\/p>\n
was just\u2026 tired.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Behind me, I felt his presence again. Maddox. Watching. Hovering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t look back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
ngen\u00a0<\/p>\n
But when a strange woman approached me with a quiet voice and a small medical bag, I knew it was him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw your wound,\u201d she said softly. \u201cMind if I help?\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at the supplies-gauze, disinfectant, cotton swabs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then I looked over my shoulder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
730\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe 334 Chapter 334\u00a0 Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0 B\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 The fluorescent lights of the Healer\u2019s Ward burned […]<\/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-20607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20607","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=20607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20607\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}