Chapter 376\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
072\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
To Riley, Ronan Duskcliff was like a blade suspended at her throat-one wrong move and she\u2019d bleed. Only distance could offer her any safety from a creature like him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan stared at her, his dark gaze filled with something unfamiliar-hesitation? Pity? But it vanished almost as soon as it surfaced, replaced by his usual cold, ruthless indifference.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you so afraid of?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was the noble heir of the Blackmaw Pack, the favored Alpha heir. And now he stood torn between two women-his own sister and the girl he\u2019d secretly cared about for three long years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley should have been the last person to act wronged. And yet, there she was, cowering like a wounded pup. The worst part? He still felt something. He still\u2026 cared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hated himself for it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Especially when his sister-Tessa -was lying unconscious in a hospital bed, her life shattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And Riley was the one blamed for it all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Suddenly Ronan shoved her away, hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Caught off guard, Riley stumbled back. Her shoulder slammed into the wall, pain lancing through her already-injured body like wildfire. If not for that wall, she would\u2019ve collapsed completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She gritted her teeth against the agony, refusing to make a sound. But the strain on her pale face, the sweat soaking her temples, betrayed her suffering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan\u2019s hand twitched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He almost reached for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Almost.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he stopped himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What was he doing? Why was he hesitating?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing her in pain made something twist inside his chest, something he couldn\u2019t name-regret? Guilt? Old affection refusing to die?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley slowly steadied herself. Then, taking a deep breath, she turned and began to walk away,\u00a0<\/p>\n
One step. Two steps. Three.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan didn\u2019t move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t stop her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:29 Wed, Dec 31\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 376\u00a0<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t call her back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
27372\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Each step made her heart race faster, but also lighter. It felt like she was walking away from death\u2019s grip,\u00a0<\/p>\n
But then\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRiley,\u201d Ronan called, his voice low-softer than she\u2019d ever heard it. Like a breeze whispering her name,\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not because she was ignoring him-she simply didn\u2019t hear him. After the head injury inflicted by Luna Zara, her hearing had worsened. Even the one good ear failed her at times.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan\u2019s brows furrowed. He raised his voice. \u201cLucien Duskgrave isn\u2019t someone you can handle. Don\u2019t marry him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice was sharp now, ringing with urgency.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien-the Alpha heir of Stormridge-was a ruthless tactician, forged in blood and power. No mate of his would be spared the brutal demands of his lineage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley didn\u2019t look back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She still didn\u2019t hear him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She just wanted to escape. To get back to her room, to shut the door, to breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan stood there, watching her limp away, each uneven step cutting deeper into his chest. The space between them felt like an uncrossable abyss, but the thought of letting her go\u2026 it burned. .\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wanted to chase her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To stop her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But just as he took a step forward, his phone rang.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hesitated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then fished it out of his pocket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Tessa\u2019s doctor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He answered immediately, voice tense. \u201cYes?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Duskcliff, you should come quickly. Your sister is showing signs of waking up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joy surged through him like wildfire. He glanced toward the direction Riley had gone, eyes lingering a second too long. There was still something there-something that hadn\u2019t died. But it would have to wait.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned and ran toward Tessa\u2019s ward, heart hammering in anticipation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he burst into the room, he was breathless, eyes searching. \u201cDoctor, how is she?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 376\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The physician gestured to the monitors. \u201cWe\u2019re detecting active brainwaves. And her fingers have twitched multiple times. Your sister is conscious, though unable to respond physically.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe can hear me?\u201d Ronan asked, eyes widening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn theory, yes. She\u2019s in a locked-in state-mind awake, body unresponsive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan sat by the bed, grasping her frail hand. \u201cTessa\u2026 can you hear me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes fluttered. Her fingers curled just slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He choked back a sob.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve finally responded. You have no idea how long I\u2019ve waited-how afraid I was I\u2019d lost you forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But then his joy gave way to the storm building beneath it. His gaze darkened. He leaned close to her ear, voice dropping to a whisper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me\u2026 was it Riley who did this to you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Five years ago, he\u2019d already gotten the answer. But a part of him still clung to hope. That it had been an accident. That Riley was innocent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But when Tessa\u2019s eyes glistened with fresh tears, the last of his hope died.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was her?\u201d he asked again, voice as cold as a winter wind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tears streamed down Tessa\u2019s cheeks, silent and steady.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wanted to scream. To tell him it wasn\u2019t Riley. That it had been someone else.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That it had been Scarlett.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she couldn\u2019t move. Couldn\u2019t speak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan\u2019s jaw clenched. The pain in his chest twisted like a knife. He had once seen Riley as brilliant, kind-a girl who\u2019d made even the darkest places feel like home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But now\u2026 all he could see was betrayal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, somewhere deep inside him, something whispered: No. Not Riley. It was someone else.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Tessa\u2019s silent crying drowned out that voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll make her pay,\u201d he vowed through gritted teeth. \u201cEven if she\u2019s already served five years-it\u2019s not enough. Not for this. I will get justice for you, Tessa.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even as the words left his lips, his heart broke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because part of him still didn\u2019t want to believe it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And part of him-deep, dangerous, defiant-still belonged to Riley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
214\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:29 Wed, Dec 31\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Pack\u2019s Daughter\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 376 Chapter 376\u00a0 Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0 072\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 To Riley, Ronan Duskcliff was like a […]<\/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-20650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20650","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=20650"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20650\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}