Chapter 397\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the Duskgrave Estate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien Duskgrave stood silently in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a thick stack of documents in his hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke, his ever-efficient Beta assistant, had worked through the night to dig into Riley\u2019s past. Every record. Every file. Every secret.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien had read it all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His expression was grim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every word on the page felt like a blade. Riley\u2019s twenty-three years of life had been nothing short of a tragedy written in blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had grown up in the rogue orphanage system, never knowing the warmth of family. Then, at fifteen, she was found and brought back to the Ebonclaw Pack, only to suffer three more years of cold silence and calculated neglect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was a prodigy-top of her class at Mooncrest Academy for three consecutive years. A dominant force in physics competitions, a record-breaking score of 741 in her final exams-enough to make her a star even at Ashmoor Academy, the most prestigious institution in the werewolf world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And yet, all of it was stolen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
False accusations. A prison sentence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her dreams, her dignity-ripped from her by those she trusted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien was never one to be easily shaken. His world was one of strategy, discipline, and bloodlines. But even he couldn\u2019t stop his brow from furrowing as he read her file.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Behind him, Duke felt the Alpha\u2019s aura darken like a storm front. He said nothing, but the weight in the air was suffocating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2026 What kind of strength did it take to survive all that? So small. So thin. Yet she\u2019d endured twenty- three years of hell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before either of them could say a word, Matriarch Duskgrave arrived, flanked by Mrs. Beck and Mia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien immediately tucked the documents toward Duke. \u201cPut these away. Don\u2019t let Grandmother see.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Alpha,\u201d Duke said swiftly, disappearing with the file.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandmother,\u201d Lucien greeted, \u201cwhat brings you here?\u201d!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matriarch Duskgrave\u2019s eyes sparkled with joy. \u201cWhere\u2019s Riley?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s still asleep,\u201d Lucien replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s already ten. That child\u2019s still not up?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 397\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matriarch Duskgrave frowned and headed upstairs, concern written all over her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
23\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ce Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien didn\u2019t think much of it. Riley had drunk too much last night-it made sense she\u2019d still be sleeping.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But moments later, Matriarch Duskgrave\u2019s panicked voice rang down the stairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRiley! What\u2019s wrong, child?! Don\u2019t scare me like this!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien\u2019s heart seized. He bolted upstairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley was curled tightly on the bed, her skin flushed crimson, her body radiating a dangerous heat. Her lips were dry and cracked, her breath ragged. She clutched the bedsheets in agony, as if fighting off something ravaging her from the inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matriarch Duskgrave stood nearby, frozen in distress. Mrs. Beck and Mia were on the verge of tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing Riley like this-it was as if knives had pierced through their chests.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien didn\u2019t hesitate. He strode forward, scooped her into his arms, and charged down the stairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was burning up-literally. Her body heat scorched his arms like fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the hospital,\u201d he ordered sharply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The household sprang into motion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the car, Mia suddenly spoke, voice urgent. \u201cNot the First Hospital. Go to the Second.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien glanced back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Alaric, Maddox, and Ronan Duskcliff are all tied to the First. If they see her again, things could spiral. That pack has brought her nothing but pain. Let\u2019s not risk it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke slammed the gas pedal down, sending the vehicle speeding toward Mooncrest\u2019s Second Hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They made it in under twenty minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coincidentally, Theo Hale-now one of the lead physicians at the First Hospital-had just finished an academic conference at the Second. He was laughing with a few fellow doctors, exchanging thoughts about new treatment techniques, his usual careless arrogance masked by his medical brilliance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As they exited the hospital lobby, Lucien swept past them, cradling Riley tightly. Matriarch Duskgrave, Mia, and Mrs. Beck followed, gasping for air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo\u2019s steps halted mid-laugh. His brow furrowed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was that\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
No, it couldn\u2019t be.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That woman-those long dark strands flowing from Lucien\u2019s arms, the way she trembled-looked too much like Riley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 397\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the Second Hospital? The Ebonclaws never used this facility. They\u2019d always gone to the First.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shook his head. Probably just a mistake. He\u2019d been overworked lately-his eyes were playing tricks on him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned back to his group, brushing it off with a chuckle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in the emergency room, Riley was already being examined.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a flurry of activity, one of the doctors approached Lucien with a furrowed brow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re her husband, correct?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien blinked, caught off guard. \u201cI\u2019m not-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is!\u201d Matriarch Duskgrave interjected before he could finish. She stepped forward, face pale with worry. \u201cI\u2019m her grandmother-in-law. Doctor, how is my granddaughter-in-law doing?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
856\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u3002\u00a0<\/p>\n
M\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 397 Chapter 397\u00a0 At the Duskgrave Estate.\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 Lucien Duskgrave stood silently in front of […]<\/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-20671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20671","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=20671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20671\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}