Chapter 375\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Those five years in prison\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Do they even know what I went through?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every single day was darkness. A void. A hell that never ended. And the person who started it all-the one who pushed me off the edge-was Maddox.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After what he did to me, after all the betrayal and cruelty\u2026 wasn\u2019t slapping him the least he deserved?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could see it-his eyes turning red around the edges, like he was on the verge of tears. He looked at me like he was begging to find a glimpse of the old Riley in my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But all I had for him was cold, bitter contempt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett stood quietly beside him, her expression soft and sweet, but I knew better. I saw the satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. She was reveling in the chaos, hoping this would be the final wedge between Maddox\u00a0<\/p>\n
and me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, she played her role.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be upset, Maddox,\u201d she said gently, tugging at his sleeve like some helpless flower. \u201cRiley\u2019s probably just\u2026 angry. That\u2019s all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, as if remembering she was supposed to be the victim, she turned to me with teary eyes, her voice full of trembling innocence. \u201cSister, if you must blame someone, blame me. It\u2019s my fault. I shouldn\u2019t have come. If hitting me helps, then\u2026 then hit me again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I almost laughed. The way her voice quivered, how pitiful she sounded\u2026 Anyone unaware of who she truly was would probably fall for the act.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But not me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let out a dry, cold laugh. \u201cSave it, Scarlett. You think I\u2019ve forgotten what you did? Every lie, every trap-I remember it all. One by one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d get her back. Just not now. Not while Mia and Carmen were still vulnerable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But when the time came?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d drag her to hell with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My body wouldn\u2019t last much longer anyway. I could feel it-every scar, every bruise lingering beneath the surface. I had maybe a few years left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So when I died, I was taking her with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I glared at both of them with unfiltered disgust. \u201cYou two make me sick. Don\u2019t come here again. Don\u2019t pretend you care. Just stay away from me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:29 Wed, Dec 31\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 375\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett flinched, but not because she was scared. I saw the venom flash in her eyes when she realized I\u2019d caught onto her act. Still, she tried to maintain her image.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSister, how can you say that-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I raised my hand slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She shut up immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The way she cowered behind Maddox, peeking at me with wide eyes and quivering lashes like some cornered cub-it was pathetic. A little too perfect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maddox just stood there, staring at me like I was someone else entirely. He looked like he wanted to speak, to reach for me, maybe even to apologize.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he didn\u2019t move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And after a long, awkward silence, he finally muttered, \u201cRiley\u2026 you\u2019re not yourself today, I\u2019ll come see you again in a few days.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice was hoarse. Like saying that hurt more than he expected it to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he turned and walked away, Scarlett trailing behind him like a smug little shadow,\u00a0<\/p>\n
The second they left, I finally exhaled,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFoul energy,\u201d I muttered under my breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whatever calm I\u2019d managed to scrape together this morning had shattered. My mood had completely tanked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I just wanted to get out of this damn hospital, breathe some real air, and pretend-for five minutes-that I wasn\u2019t still stuck in the middle of a nightmare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But then I looked up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And locked eyes with him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dark, penetrating, and cold as the northern winds-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan Duskcliff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No. No, no, no.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why was he here?\u00a0<\/p>\n
What did he want?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He started walking toward me, slow and deliberate, like a predator zeroing in on prey. The pressure rolling off of him was suffocating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart began to pound wildly. My lungs felt tight. Every nerve screamed for me to run-but my legs\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:29 Wed, Dec 31\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 375\u00a0<\/p>\n
wouldn\u2019t move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan was the one person I couldn\u2019t deal with right now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The one person I feared most.\u00a0<\/p>\n
472\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t like Maddox or Scarlett or even Kael. Ronan didn\u2019t use lies or manipulation. He used force. Raw, brutal, terrifying force.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was ruthless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unforgiving.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A nightmare dressed in a tailored suit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment I saw him, the memories came flooding back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The beatings. The cold stone floor. The way they\u2019d yank my hair back in prison and hiss in my ear-\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t blame us. Your beloved Alpha Duskcliff said if we played nice with you, he\u2019d cut our sentences. We\u2019re just following orders.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They never said his name outright, but I knew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It had to be Ronan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only he had the power to pull strings like that behind bars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I used to think he was gentle. Refined. A quiet Alpha heir who loved books and chess and classical music.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But that version of him\u2026 was a lie.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A well-constructed mask.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The real Ronan was ice and steel and vengeance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My blood ran cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a step back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then another.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he didn\u2019t stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He kept closing the distance between us, like a shadow I couldn\u2019t outrun.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Panic surged in my chest. My vision blurred. I stumbled back on shaky legs-and nearly fell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But his hand shot out. Fast. Unyielding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He caught me by the waist and pulled me flush against his chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:29 Wed, Dec 31\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 375\u00a0<\/p>\n
Too hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His hand gripped my side, and for a moment, he just\u2026 held me there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like he owned me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like he always had.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could feel the calluses on his palm, the quiet strength in his fingers. Even through the hospital gown, his grip was like iron.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His brows furrowed slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Too thin, his eyes seemed to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Too fragile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His concern wasn\u2019t comforting-it was terrifying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart hammered against my ribs. My body wanted to break free, but my limbs refused to obey.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could smell his cologne-clean, sharp, unmistakably him. His presence swallowed mine whole.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to struggle. To breathe. To think.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But nothing worked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He tilted his head slightly, his black eyes scanning mine. I could feel the heat of his gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like a storm brewing just beneath his calm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRunning away?\u201d he murmured.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sound of his voice-low, smooth, magnetic-was somehow worse than a shout.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It slithered into my spine like frost.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pushed against him with shaking hands, pressing into the solid wall of his chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2026 let me go,\u201d I whispered, hating how weak my voice sounded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t loosen his grip.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just looked at me, eyes unreadable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I realized, with a sinking feeling-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan Duskcliff wasn\u2019t here to visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:29 Wed, Dec 31\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 375 Chapter 375\u00a0 Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0 Those five years in prison\u2026.\u00a0 Do they even know what […]<\/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-20649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20649","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=20649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20649\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}