Chapter 425\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Truth be told, Riley was stunning-truly breathtaking. But the years of abuse and neglect had carved deep shadows into her soul. No matter how carefully she smiled or how still she stood, the self-doubt inside her always managed to seep through her pores, like a lingering scent of fear no shift could hide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More than once, when the Matriarch of the Duskgrave Pack showed her kindness, Riley\u2019s expression would flicker with a haunted look. As if she wanted to say: I don\u2019t deserve this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And anyone else-any rogue orphan or broken omega-wearing that look might\u2019ve seemed pathetic. Small. Weak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But not Riley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke, Alpha Lucien\u2019s second-in-command, had seen what she came from. Knew the scars beneath her skin. And after learning the full breadth of her story-from the betrayal of her family to the five years locked away for a crime she didn\u2019t commit-his only response was a quiet, burning ache in his chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had survived.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had clawed her way back from ruin with nothing but grit and grace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, the Matriarch and Alpha Lucien had given her a place. A home. And Duke? He believed she would only rise higher from here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stepped forward and gave her a respectful bow, gesturing toward the door like she were royalty. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, now held genuine warmth. A silent promise: We serve those who have survived fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s throat tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was no mockery in his gaze. No pity. Only pride.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that made her eyes well up, a thin sheen of emotion blurring the world around her for just a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So this is what it felt like-to be protected. To be treasured.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She drew in a slow, deep breath, steadied herself, and lifted her chin with renewed confidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was no longer the omega pup cowering in the Family Vale dungeon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was the woman Alpha Lucien had personally entrusted to the pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She walked toward the waiting black Lycan SUV parked just outside the manor, her long gown brushing softly against the marble floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke quickly stepped behind her, lifting the hem of her dress so it wouldn\u2019t snag or drag.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The driver stood ready beside the vehicle, white gloves immaculate, and opened the door with practiced elegance. He even held a hand above her head to shield her from the doorframe-an instinctive act of deference reserved only for the most honored females of the pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 425\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just behind them, Andi stood at the doorway, arms crossed, his expression a whirlwind of mock jealousy and admiration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLittle she-wolf\u2019s got all the luck,\u201d he muttered under his breath. \u201cSpoiled like a Luna on her coronation day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley didn\u2019t reply. She slid into the back seat, smoothing the front of her gown. But the moment her eyes scanned the car\u2019s interior, she froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The inside of the vehicle was\u2026 pink.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No, not just pink-soft, fluffy, impossibly plush. It was like the interior had been doused in moon-blushed. velvet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even the front passenger seat was wrapped in faux fur, embroidered in silver thread with the words:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRiley\u2019s Seat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And there, dangling from the rearview mirror, was a charm-a photo of her sitting in the Duskgrave sunroom, sipping tea in the afternoon light. She hadn\u2019t even noticed someone had taken that picture.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked so peaceful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So happy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her throat clenched as she ran her fingers lightly over the fluffy cushion beside her. It was soft, warm- exactly like the affection tucked into every thread of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her thoughts flicked to another memory, darker and distant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first time she\u2019d stepped into Kael\u2019s car after being released from prison. It had reeked of his precious adopted sister-Scarlett\u2019s perfume on every seat, her designer bags tossed casually in the back. Riley had sat there in second-hand jeans, the humiliation thick in her lungs like smoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back then, she never imagined she would sit in a car that smelled like her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke, sensing her silence, turned slightly from the front seat, his tone light but sincere. \u201cEverything you see was arranged by the Matriarch herself. Do you like it, Miss Riley?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s eyes shimmered again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course it hadn\u2019t been Lucien\u2019s doing-he was far too composed for soft-pink fluff. But the fact he allowed it, even encouraged it, spoke volumes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI love it,\u201d she whispered, running her fingers along the silk-lined armrest. \u201cIt\u2019s perfect.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her hands fluttered to her lap, brushing the soft fabric of the gown she wore. This was the first time in her life she had ever worn something so delicate, so expensive. A far cry from the threadbare dresses she used to borrow from shelters or the uniforms she wore in prison.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She no longer looked like a forgotten pup trying to survive in a world too cruel for innocence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jail\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 425\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, she belonged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as Riley was about to close the door, Duke turned and called toward the manor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAndi! Let\u2019s go!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andi made a dramatic face. \u201cUgh, why would I girl?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
#Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
willingly witness Lucien being all starry-eyed over another\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke pinched the bridge of his nose. \u201cYou\u2019re Miss Riley\u2019s exclusive stylist tonight. What if her makeup smudges? Who\u2019s going to fix it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andi paused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLucien specifically requested you from North City. Said he only trusted you with this job.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That did it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andi practically floated toward the car. \u201cWell, if my Lucien wants me to be there, who am I to deny him?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He sashayed toward the vehicle, opened the front passenger door with flair-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only for the driver to stop him with a polite but firm smile. \u201cApologies. That seat is reserved. You\u2019ll need to sit in the back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andi blinked, then narrowed his eyes. \u201cReserved for who?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss Riley,\u201d the driver said without hesitation. \u201cThe Alpha\u2019s orders.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley gave a soft, breathy laugh as Andi pouted and stomped dramatically into the back seat beside her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And as the car pulled away from the Duskgrave estate, Riley turned her face toward the sunlight streaming in through the tinted window.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the first time in years, she didn\u2019t dread what came next.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was going to the banquet not as a servant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not as a prisoner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But as someone worth watching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And tonight, the whole pack would see it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
982\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 425 Chapter 425\u00a0 Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 Truth be told, Riley was stunning-truly breathtaking. But […]<\/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-20700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20700","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=20700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20700\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}