Chapter 351\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks,\u201d I said, my voice barely audible, husky from fatigue and something heavier I didn\u2019t care to name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I mimicked his motion, placing the cigarette between my lips, though I\u2019d never smoked a day in my life. It wasn\u2019t about nicotine. It was about pretending I wasn\u2019t on the verge of falling apart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sound of a lighter broke the stillness. Then his hand appeared-lean, strong fingers and a flickering flame illuminating the shadows of the stairwell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hesitated, then leaned down, lighting the cigarette from his\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first drag hit my lungs like fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I coughed violently, doubling over, the taste of nicotine and ash clawing down my throat. I spat the smoke out quickly, blinking away tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He arched a brow. \u201cYou don\u2019t smoke.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head, trying to steady my breath. \u201cJust figured I\u2019d try it\u2026 seemed fitting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t reply. Just leaned back against the wall and stared into the silence like he belonged to it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sank down onto the stairs, the concrete cold beneath me. The cigarette trembled between my fingers as I forced myself to take another drag-shallower this time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t ease the ache in my chest or the weight in my bones.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was the kind of silence that didn\u2019t need words. The kind that swallowed sound, leaving behind only questions no one wanted to answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He smoked in silence too. When he finished, he crushed the butt beneath his heel and rose.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Step by step, he ascended the stairs, boots echoing like a war drum.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And just before he reached the exit, he turned back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked at me-really looked. At the hunched shoulders. The gaunt face. The spark at my fingertips that barely passed for fire anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he walked away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I sat there for a long time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eventually, I stood. My body felt like stone. I just wanted to lie down. To not feel anything anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But when I opened the door to my hospital room, any hope of rest was obliterated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:13 Mon, Dec 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 351\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maddox.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sitting by the window, sunlight casting a halo around him like some divine lie. His tailored clothes. His clean-cut face. That soft, familiar scent that used to bring comfort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now it made my stomach twist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stood the second he saw me. \u201cRiley-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped aside, letting him reach out, and then brushed past his hand like it meant nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His hand hovered in the air for a beat, then curled into a fist. \u201cWhere did you go?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I climbed into the bed and turned my back to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He tried again. \u201cDo you want fruit? I can peel you an apple.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My laugh was humorless. \u201cThe honorable Judge Maddox is a busy man. If you\u2019re here, it\u2019s not to peel fruit. Just get to the point.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That hit him. I didn\u2019t care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He sighed. \u201cDid you push Scarlett down the stairs?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I should\u2019ve known.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not a word in five years. Not a visit during my sentencing. But now that Scarlett had a scratch on her porcelain skin, suddenly he had time for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at him, voice cold. \u201cYes. I did it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He reeled slightly. \u201cYou\u2019re not even going to deny it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Why should I? You\u2019re not here for the truth. You never were.\u201d I gave him a flat, bitter smile. \u201cSo what\u2019s next? Another sentence? Five years? Ten? Just tell me how long this time, and I\u2019ll pack my bags.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stared at me, stunned silent. \u201cRiley\u2026 you are my mate and I\u2019d never want to hurt you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nearly laughed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it wasn\u2019t funny.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve already done worse,\u201d I said softly. \u201cYou stood on the witness stand and let them cage me like a beast. You called me dangerous. You rejected me as your mate. And now you want to talk about what you would never do\u2019?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His jaw clenched. \u201cI came to check on you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned my back. \u201cI don\u2019t need your concern.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice cracked. \u201cWhat do you want from me, Riley? You think I haven\u2019t suffered too? I\u2019ve been trying to\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:13 Mon, Dec 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 351\u00a0<\/p>\n
OG\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
reach you ever since you were released, but you won\u2019t even look at me. What do you want me to do?!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I finally looked at him, eyes like ice. \u201cI want you to understand what it means to be falsely accused. To be betrayed by the people who were supposed to protect you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t stop. \u201cYou talk about pain like you invented it. But I lived it, Maddox. Every minute of those five years. And you want me to move on? Let it go? Just because it\u2019s convenient for you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes were red. \u201cScarlett saved my life. She paid for my education. I owed her-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d My voice was steel. \u201cYou repaid that debt by sentencing the wrong person. Don\u2019t tell me about honor. You weaponized the law to break me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He opened his mouth, then closed it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood. \u201cIf you\u2019re not here to put me back in chains, then get out. If you are-well, I\u2019m not afraid of prison anymore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not here to hurt you,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you already have.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stepped forward. \u201cPlease, Riley-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He moved too fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His hand clamped over my mouth. His weight crushed me into the mattress. I thrashed, trying to break free, but he was stronger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was always stronger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His hand shifted, covering not just my mouth-but my nose.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Panic exploded in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Couldn\u2019t scream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The world spun, stars bursting behind my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then-\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLET HER GO!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mia\u2019s voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A flash of silver.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The clang of a thermos crashing against his head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 561\u00a0<\/p>\n
And in the same second he snapped. Maddox whirled and kind die across the exchang\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hit the wall with a vishening thud\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMIA!\u201d I screamed, staggering toward her, blood roaring in my cars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
798\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:13 Mon, Dec 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph King is an editor and storyteller who ensures every chapter is clear, polished, and engaging for readers.<\/p>\n
Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe 351 Chapter 351\u00a0 Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 \u201cThanks,\u201d I said, my voice barely audible, husky from […]<\/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-20624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20624","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=20624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20624\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}