Chapter 408\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as Riley heard the crash behind them, she instinctively turned her head. Duke glanced into the rearview mirror, his brows knitting together. \u201cLooks like there\u2019s been an accident,\u201d he muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s heart sank. She could\u2019ve sworn she heard someone calling her name through the chaos.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A wave of dread swept over her. \u201cDuke, drive. Quickly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Suppressing the anxiety threatening to rise in her chest she urged him to speed up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until they safely arrived at the Duskgrave estate that she finally let out the breath she\u2019d been holding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside the villa, Matriarch Duskgrave, Mrs. Beck, and Mia were already waiting. The three women looked like anxious hens awaiting their lost chick\u2019s return. The moment they spotted Riley, they rushed forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But when they saw how pale she looked, their concern deepened instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to you, child?\u201d Matriarch Duskgrave\u2019s voice trembled with maternal worry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you feeling unwell?\u201d Mia stepped in, placing a hand gently on Riley\u2019s forehead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mrs. Beck\u2019s gaze scanned her face. \u201cYou look absolutely dreadful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Surrounded by their sincere concern, Riley was genuinely moved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She shook her head slightly, just about to speak when Duke answered in her stead. \u201cMiss Riley was frightened by the accident earlier.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
All three women gasped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAn accident?\u201d Matriarch Duskgrave\u2019s face turned ghostly pale. She immediately took Riley\u2019s hand. \u201cDid you get hurt? Let me see!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley quickly grasped her grandmother\u2019s hands to calm her down. \u201cI\u2019m fine, Grandma. It wasn\u2019t us. Someone else crashed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only then did the tension in their faces begin to ease.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank the Moon Goddess,\u201d Mia murmured. \u201cYou scare us half to death.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the so-called \u201csomeone else\u201d who crashed \u2013 Maddox had already been subdued by the local patrol enforcers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even as they cuffed him, his eyes searched wildly, desperate to catch one last glimpse of Riley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t fully register the severity of what he had done until he was forced into the back of the patrol vehicle. Only then did it dawn on him: he had made a colossal mistake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back at the Duskgrave estate, Duke was reporting to Lucien Duskgrave, the Alpha prince of the Stormridge\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Lucien,\u201d Duke said respectfully, standing in the office. \u201cWhile escorting Miss Riley from the hospital,\u00a0<\/p>\n
|||\u00a0<\/p>\n
O\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:11 Mon, Jan 5\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 408\u00a0<\/p>\n
W G\u00a0<\/p>\n
we passed a multi-car collision. I thought I heard someone shouting her name. I had the enforcers investigate. One of the drivers was Maddox.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
73%\u00a0<\/p>\n
+5 Pearls\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien\u2019s expression remained unreadable. He sat behin his sleek desk, long legs crossed, his elegant fingers tapping lightly on the surface. The sound was sharp and rhythmic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke continued, \u201cHe\u2019s now in custody. Since the incident didn\u2019t cause any casualties, the enforcer\u2019s ruling will likely be a fine between 200 and 2,000 marks, a suspension of his driver\u2019s license, and up to 15 days in detention.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hesitated for a beat, then asked, \u201cWould you like us to influence the outcome?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien\u2019s eyes flickered coldly. \u201cGo with the maximum sentence.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke gave a small nod. \u201cUnderstood. If there\u2019s nothing else, I\u2019ll take care of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as he reached the door, Lucien\u2019s voice called him back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke turned, surprised. \u201cYes, Alpha?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien\u2019s eyes narrowed, his thoughts drifting to Riley \u2013 the years she had lost, the pain she had endured, all because of Maddox. Prison. A shattered leg. A missing kidney.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fifteen days in custody? That was far from enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke noticed his Alpha\u2019s darkening expression and asked cautiously, \u201cIs there something more you wish to be done?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien\u2019s tone was glacial. \u201cMake sure he\u2019s\u2026 well attended to inside. I don\u2019t want him walking out looking the same.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke\u2019s pupils dilated ever so slightly. The message was crystal clear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Alpha was protecting his future Luna \u2013 and making a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He suppressed a flicker of excitement. If Miss Riley knew what Lucien was doing for her behind the scenes, she\u2019d be overwhelmed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cConsider it handled, Alpha,\u201d Duke said with a smirk before quietly exiting the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Left alone, Lucien pulled out a cigarette and lit it with practiced ease. The tip glowed softly in the dim study.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As he drew in a slow breath, the smoke swirled and danced, cloaking his face in mystery. The scent curled in the air like a predator\u2019s warning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was no warmth in his expression \u2013 only the icy resolve of an Alpha who would tear down anyone daring to touch what was his.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Send Gifts\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u3002\u00a0<\/p>\n
924\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/2\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 408 Chapter 408\u00a0 As soon as Riley heard the crash behind them, she instinctively turned […]<\/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-20683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20683","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=20683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20683\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}