\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 90\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 90\u00a0<\/p>\n
Violet\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a deep breath, forcing my chest to rise and fall even though it felt like all the air had been punched out of me. I couldn\u2019t let myself get distracted by him. This wasn\u2019t about feelings, or about me. It was for Sebastian.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nothing else mattered. Nothing else could matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I whispered. \u201cIf it was any other man, I would have given myself to him. You make no difference.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The silence that followed was louder than the ringing in my ears. The instant the words left me, I wanted to take them back, but it was too late. I swallowed, waiting for the backlash.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched his expression change. The shift in his eyes was slow but terrifying. I had never seen them darken like that. It was as if the very idea of me giving myself to another man was more than just distasteful to him, it was unbearable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What now? Would he get angry? Would he shove me out of his house and wash his hands clean of me, like everyone else eventually did?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought made my chest ache. Worse, my mind scrambled uselessly for words I could use to beg him to help me if he decided to throw me away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was embarrassed but I didn\u2019t care. I had no idea why Hades Sinclair wanted me at all, maybe I was nothing but a passing interest to him. Maybe he could change his mind in a second, and all of this would end. But until then, I needed him. And if I had to beg, I would.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I expected him to walk away, but instead of the cruel possibilities I\u2019d rehearsed in my head, he did something else entirely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He reached out, brushing his fingers against my temple before tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. His hand lingered, warm against my cheek, cradling my face so I couldn\u2019t look away. When his thumb settled beneath my eye, I realized my lashes were still wet from crying in my sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must have been scared, and frustrated. You did good, princess.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at him, wide-eyed, my lips parting with no sound.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026What?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
What was this?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why was he looking at me like that? With eyes that weren\u2019t teasing or mocking, but soft, and proud. Why did it sound like he meant it? Why did it feel like he wasn\u2019t seeing the mess I was, but something worth protecting?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t understand, but heart betrayed me. It kicked against my ribs, as though it wanted to throw itself into his hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, all I wanted was to collapse into him. To bury my face against his chest and finally let everything out. I wanted to let someone else hold the pieces of me I couldn\u2019t hold anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my fists until my nails bit into my palms and forced myself to look away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No, Violet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hades must have noticed my mood because a slow smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, all you have to do is relax, and watch everyone who made you suffer burn in the hell I\u2019m going to create.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His words sent a cold shiver down my spine. I wasn\u2019t stupid. He had to have done his research. He already knew pieces of the\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:56 Tue, Jan 6\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 90\u00a0<\/p>\n
night, maybe the whole thing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes that mean\u2026 you\u2019re going to help?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hades tilted his head. \u201cHelp?\u201d he repeated, as if the idea amused him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He chuckled, stepping away from me as he crossed to the desk on the far side of the room. Leaning against it, he opened a small black box, drew out a cigar, and with a flick of his lighter, brought the flame to its tip before taking a slow drag.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I found myself swallowing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned, and cocked his head at me. \u201cWhat made you think I was helping you, princess?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA-are you not?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shook his head slowly. \u201cOf course not. Why would I help you? There is nothing to help. Destroying them is not help. It is something I must do. They dared touch you after all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned forward, smoke framing his face. \u201cThose who laid a hand on my woman, do they honestly think they\u2019ll continue to live in peace? I\u2019ll make sure their only regret is that they ever touched you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI have never felt so furious in my thirty-eight years,\u201d he said, almost to himself. I was this close to going there and ruining them myself. But I have no right to decide their fates. I will leave that to you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave that to me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUse me for your revenge, Violet. Take it at your pace. Do whatever you want with them. And when you\u2019re done, I will finish them myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I will\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Nights Burn With Regret \u2014 by Nathan Perez 90 \u00a0 Chapter 90\u00a0 Chapter 90\u00a0 Violet\u00a0 I took a deep breath, […]<\/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":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-craving-the-guardian-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28006","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=28006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28006\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}