4| I was no longer the same Selene\u00a0<\/p>\n
Selene\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHahahaha.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sound came out of me before I could stop it, echoing across the courtyard. The guards and Adrian froze. Even Sienna\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
eyes\u00a0<\/p>\n
widened as she stiffened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She tried to move away, but I moved faster, my hand shooting up, clamping around her throat. I dragged her back into me, my blade pressing against her pale neck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAh! What are you doing?! Let go!\u201d she shrieked, clawing at my wrist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t answer. Instead, I pressed the blade harder until a thin red line slid across her throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSelene!\u201d Adrian barked. \u201cLet her go this instant!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I only laughed again. His Alpha voice was powerless over me. At this point, nothing was more dangerous than a woman who had lost everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep your mouth shut!\u201d I screamed back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes widened, shock flashing across his face. He hadn\u2019t expected me to fight his command, and dare defy him so openly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna trembled in my grip, her voice trembling as she stammered, \u201cW\u2013what is wrong with you, Selene? You\u2019re scaring me. Stop this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her fear should\u2019ve softened me. But now, I only laughed again, my eyes wide as the blade dug deeper into her skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m scaring you?\u201d My voice broke. \u201cI\u2019m scaring you?! When all this time, I\u2019ve been the one terrified, terrified of dying, terrified of failing. I\u2019ve faced death more times than you can count, and when I finally escaped fate itself, here you are. My sister, my mate. The people I trusted most are trying to kill me too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I leaned closer, my voice low and venomous. \u201cSo tell me, Sienna, between the two of us, which one is more frightening? The two\u2013faced bitch who smiles while stabbing me in the back, or the crazy bitch with nothing left to lose?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slid the blade just enough to cut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAh!\u201d she screamed, thrashing. \u201cAdrian! Help me! She\u2019s really going to kill me, do something!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian\u2019s voice softened. \u201cRelax, stop moving, or you\u2019ll only make it worse. She won\u2019t hurt you, Sienna. I know her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cO\u2013okay\u2026\u201d she stammered, but his words did nothing to calm her. She could see this was my final breaking point. We were twins, after all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned his gaze to me, trying to reason. \u201cThat\u2019s enough, Selene. I know you\u2019re angry. But you\u2019re rational. You\u2019re not the type to do something this foolish. I never said I\u2019d kill you. You can still be forgiven. Just let her go.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAll my men have their arrows trained on you. I could order them to shoot without touching Sienna. So end this yourself. Put the blade down.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at him, my chest heaving, my hand trembling against Sienna\u2019s throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I scoffed. \u201cYou think I\u2019m scared of death? No, Adrian. I have died so many times already. Death and I are old friends. Your men can shoot if they want, I just survived a deadly game of arrows. None of this scares me anymore. I\u2019m not afraid of dying, but I swear to you, I will take someone down to hell with me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My grip tightened on the blade. I was ready to end at least one life before mine was taken.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d Adrian\u2019s voice tore through the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In that split second of hesitation, Sienna\u2019s elbow rammed into my open wound. Pain exploded through me. I groaned as my knees buckled beneath me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She tore herself from my hold and stumbled into Adrian\u2019s arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you okay, Sienna?\u201d Adrian\u2019s voice was full of concern, his hands running over her as if she were made of glass.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She panted dramatically, clutching at him. \u201cI\u2013I\u2019m fine. That was close\u2026 she was really going to kill me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian\u2019s face darkened as he looked at me, disgust burning in his eyes. \u201cYou\u2019re insane, Selene. I\u2019ll have you punished for this. If Sienna had lost her child because of you, I would have made sure you regretted it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked. Her child?\u00a0<\/p>\n
My gaze dropped to where Sienna\u2019s hands clutched her stomach. Slowly, my eyes lifted again, meeting both of theirs. They\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
4 was no longer the same Selene\u00a0<\/p>\n
didn\u2019t even flinch. They just stared back at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A hollow laugh bubbled in my throat, but I swallowed it. Instead, I forced myself upright, ignoring the agony tearing through my body. My blood dripped onto the stone beneath my feet, but I stood tall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what?\u201d My voice came out calm. \u201cI don\u2019t even blame you. I blame myself for being so blind, and stupid. For wasting my love and loyalty on the two of you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They looked at me confused, as if they didn\u2019t understand where I was going with this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gave them a broken smile. \u201cIf I were ever given another chance, Adrian, and Sienna, I would make sure to become your worst nightmare. I\u2019d take everything from you. I\u2019d make your lives as miserable as you\u2019ve made mine. I\u2019d strip you bare until you had nothing left. And most of all, I\u2019d make sure you never have the one thing you truly crave.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI, Selene Bloodrose, promise you this, if I must make a deal with the devil himself, I will haunt you for the rest of your lives.\u201d The sky rumbled, and then thunder split the air with a violent crack, making the guards flinch, making even Adrian\u2019s face twitch as the sky darkened above us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The goddess had heard me. And so had the devil.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd to answer your rejection, Adrian\u2026\u201d I whispered, my eyes locking on his. \u201cI hope this answer is to your satisfaction.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before he could understand, I lifted the blade high.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes widened, as if, for the first time, he realized what about to do. \u201cSelene-!\u201d He moved fast, but I was faster. My\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hand drove the blade into myself, piercing through flesh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gasped, and the world went silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I fell to my knees, my head dropping forward as warm blood dripped onto the stone below. My vision blurred, the red pooling beneath me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw Adrian and Sienna, both frozen, their faces pale with shock, but I couldn\u2019t hear them. Their lips moved, but the sound was gone, swallowed by the roaring in my ears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Mira\u2026\u2018 I whispered inwardly, searching for my wolf. \u2018Are you here?\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a long moment, there was only silence until she answered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Yes, Selene. I\u2019m here. I\u2019ve always been here. Every time you die, I die with you. I\u2019m here with you on your final day.\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
A shaky smile curved my lips as tears slid down my cheeks, mixing with the blood,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019m sorry, I told her, my heart aching with guilt. \u2018I\u2019m sorry for being so stupid, and not protecting us. For not protecting you.\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice was warm, though I could feel her fading too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s okay, Selene.\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
My strength was leaving me. I could feel it draining. My body was numb, my breaths shallow. But I forced the words out one last time, my plea to the heavens.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Moon goddess, I don\u2019t know if you can hear me, but if you are, please, give me one more chance. I don\u2019t want to die unfairly. I don\u2019t want to die betrayed again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tears blurred my sight as I gasped for breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Give me a chance to be reborn. Give me a chance for revenge. But this time, let me remember early. Don\u2019t let me stumble in the dark again. Don\u2019t let me die without knowing who my enemies truly are. Please, give me a tenth life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thunder rolled above, rattling the heavens before everything went dark.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was as if something heavy was pulling me down, dragging me deeper and deeper into endless water. My chest burned. I tried to open my eyes, but the water forced them wide on its own, blurring everything around me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So was this it?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was dead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My grandmother\u2019s words came to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people die, child, their sins follow them. Everyone has their own hell waiting for them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was mine? Was this suffocating abyss my punishment? Had the Moon Goddess ignored me after all? I wasn\u2019t given my tenth life. How ironic. Maybe the ninth really was the last.\u00a0<\/p>\n
4I was no longer the same Selene\u00a0<\/p>\n
A bitter laugh bubbled in my throat, swallowed immediately by the water. My limbs ached, so I stopped moving. I had wanted to give those traitors a taste of their own medicine, and make them pay. But it seemed fate wasn\u2019t on my side.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, if this was hell, why did it feel like I could really die here? Why was my brain urging me to swim?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss Selene!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The voice was muffled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss Selene!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
What was going on? Was this really hell?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I jerked my eyes open. Someone was calling my name from the shore. I looked around, my body sluggish, and froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t in some endless void. I was in a river.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath caught in my throat as I came to a realization.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew this scene. Eight years ago, Sienna had fallen into the water with me. We were both drowning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart pounded as I turned, and there she was, Sienna was thrashing in the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHelp!\u201d she mouthed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The surface rippled, then, someone jumped in. My older brother, Cross. He brushed me aside, his strong arms reaching for Sienna, carrying her back up, and ignoring me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked. It was exactly the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eight years ago, I nearly died here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And if I remembered correctly, a few moments after Sienna was safe, another splash echoed. My second brother, Kane, jumped in after me. He couldn\u2019t let me die, not when they still had use for me. He would pull me out only after ensuring Sienna was safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a while, someone finally drove into the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kane.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A smile curled my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had actually come back! And this time, I remembered everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kane swam toward me, frowning, but when he tried to carry me, I pushed him away. Forcing strength into my limbs, I swam up on my own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw the shock on his face, but I ignored him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This time, I would not be the helpless girl waiting for scraps of affection.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This time, I would not let anyone use me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was no longer the same Selene. I would make the world bow before me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Editorial Board: Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.<\/p>\n
Hope Is Not Optional \u2014 Manuel Flores 4 4| I was no longer the same Selene\u00a0 Selene\u00a0 \u201cHahahaha.\u201d\u00a0 The sound […]<\/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":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-ruthless-tycoons-obsession-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27798","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=27798"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27798\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}