\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 116\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 116\u00a0<\/p>\n
Violet\u00a0<\/p>\n
Best\u00a0<\/p>\n
I honestly didn\u2019t care about Matthew. To my credit, I\u2019d moved past whatever fury I\u2019d once felt. He had his chance to matter and blew it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If people decided to say I\u2019d only attached myself to Hades to make my ex jealous, I wouldn\u2019t waste the breath to argue. There are some things you don\u2019t bother explaining, and this was one of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d never planned how I\u2019d act if I saw him again. Should I pretend nothing happened? Ignore him like he didn\u2019t exist? Or let some of that old frustration loose so he\u2019d understand the amount of pain he kept me through in the past?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Part of me felt empty toward him, like a book I\u2019d finished and shelved. Part of me still had scars from what he put me through when his first love came back. Right now, I didn\u2019t know which version of myself would show up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stood there with his hands in his pockets, his blue suit hanging on him like he\u2019d stepped straight out of a magazine. His gaze flicked to me, then to Sebastian, who looked like he\u2019d launch himself out of that bed and throttle him if he could.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing here, dickhead? You\u2019ve got some nerve showing your face after what you did to Violet,\u201d Penelope said, her tone dripping with disgust as she glared at Matthew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew didn\u2019t even look at her. He took a step forward, the motion almost instinctive. \u201cLet\u2019s talk, Violet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kai moved before I could say anything. He stepped in front of me, feet planted, arms crossed, staring like he\u2019d been issued a personal mission to knock the man down a peg.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not invited,\u201d Kai said flatly. \u201cGet out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s eyebrow twitched in that irritated way he always did. \u201cMove.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kai looked him up and down. He was an inch taller, well, Kai was taller than most men to begin with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what are you going to do if I don\u2019t?\u201d he asked, his voice calm but dangerous. \u201cJust because I\u2019ve stayed quiet about what you did doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019ll let you walk in here and act like you own the place. I thought I could control my temper, but seeing you makes me want to ruin you for what you did to Violet. So get out before I make you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched them both. Kai was usually the quiet one, the kind who measured every move before acting, unlike Penelope, who did whatever she wanted. They were both crazy in their own ways. But when Kai lost it, he turned into a predator that didn\u2019t let go once he\u2019d bitten.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew didn\u2019t even flinch at the threat; he just stared back, eyes narrowing. They\u2019d never gotten along, and from the way they looked at each other, one of them looked ready to throw the first punch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Penelope found it entertaining. She smirked, lounging as if we were watching a show. \u201cDon\u2019t hold back this time, Kai. If he takes a step, knock him out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at her. She shrugged. \u201cWhat? I know you want to see him faught a lesson too. He deserves it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wasn\u2019t lying. A part of me wanted to see Kai land that punch, to watch Matthew finally get what he deserved. But Sebastian was here. I couldn\u2019t let things explode in front of him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I drew in a slow breath and stepped between them, forcing my voice to stay calm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Kai. Thank you. I can handle this.\u201d I turned to Matthew. \u201cLet\u2019s talk outside.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both men just stared at me, neither moving.\u00a0<\/p>\n
989\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 116\u00a0<\/p>\n
Penelope broke the silence, annoyed. \u201cHey, you can\u2019t be alone with that creep. If you want to talk, do it here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I do, one of you might end up in jail. Don\u2019t worry about me. I can handle myself. It\u2019ll be a few minutes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I started to step away, but Sebastian squeezed my hand hard enough to stop me. \u201cI don\u2019t want you alone with him,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I leaned back and gave him a quick, reassuring smile. \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Sebastian. I\u2019ll be careful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He studied my face for a moment before nodding. \u201cFine. Just be careful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded back and pushed the door open. Matthew followed. I didn\u2019t say a word or even look at him as we crossed the hall and stepped into the parking lot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside, the cold air hit me, tugging my hair back. I glanced around, the lot was empty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t want a scene in front of everyone, but I wasn\u2019t naive. My gaze flicked to the cameras on the wall, and I tightened my grip on my phone, ready to call Alec if Matthew tried anything. Matthew wasn\u2019t the violent type, but anger made people unpredictable. And from the look on his face back in the hospital room, he was furious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I crossed my arms and finally looked at him properly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It had only been a few weeks, but somehow, he looked different. I didn\u2019t notice the little details that now stood out so clearly. Maybe it was because we were standing so close, but I could see the dark circles under his eyes, the faint hollowness in his cheeks, and the way his hair looked like it hadn\u2019t seen a brush in days.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And his clothes\u2026 Matthew had always been meticulous about his appearance. He wouldn\u2019t even leave the house without checking his reflection three times, and making me adjust his tie if it was even slightly crooked. But now, his collar was askew, his tie hung loose, his shirt half-wrinkled, and his whole appearance looked disheveled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I raised an eyebrow, confused. What happened to him? Was he okay?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I opened my mouth to ask, but I stopped myself just as quickly. No. It wasn\u2019t any of my business anymore. Whatever was going on with him, he had Nora now. She was the one who should be worried about him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want from me, Matthew? If it\u2019s nothing important, I\u2019d appreciate it if you left. You\u2019re not welcome here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He blinked, clearly taken aback by my coldness. For a moment, he just stared, and I saw that same hurt flash in his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that the first thing you say to me after all these weeks?\u201d he asked, his voice calm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I almost laughed. Really?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you expect me to say to you?\u201d I asked, tilting my head, my voice dripping with sarcasm. \u201cI could\u2019ve said far worse, but I\u2019m holding back, because I\u2019m in a good mood. So please, don\u2019t ruin it. Just leave.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He sighed, running a hand through his hair in a slow, frustrated gesture. I could see him trying to stay calm, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him..\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard about your brother,\u201d he said finally. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I wanted to come sooner, but work kept me occupied. Actually, I had planned to come before all this, but the past few days have been stressful. My father returned to the country a month ago, and since then, for some reason, he\u2019s been keeping me busy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hades.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought alone sent a shiver crawling down my spine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hades was the reason Matthew looked like this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
11:02 Tue, Jan 6 M\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 116\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course he was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
89\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lichens\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could picture him perfectly, sitting behind his desk, that calm, knowing smile on his face as he signed another set of documents, assigning more work to Matthew. Making sure he was too busy to come anywhere near me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was doing it on purpose.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to suppress it, but a small, involuntary smile curved my lips. It was childish, I knew. But the thought of Hades quietly keeping Matthew occupied made something warm bloom in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I looked up again, Matthew was staring at me, and his expression softened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a long time since I\u2019ve seen you smile,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see you finally smile at me again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The smile slipped from my face instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t smiling at him, but I didn\u2019t bother to say so. Instead, I said, \u201cAlright. I have to go. Thank you for checking on Sebastian. Goodbye.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned toward the door, ready to leave, when his fingers closed around my wrist. He didn\u2019t pull me back, he just held on, as if expecting me to change my mind. \u201cWait.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I glared at him and tried to yank free. \u201cLet me go.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t leave,\u201d Matthew said. \u201cWe still need to talk. When are you coming home? You and Sebastian can live with me. I\u2019ll take care of you both. Nora\u2019s forgiven you for the other day, we can go back to how things were.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This bastard. Did he honestly think we could just rewind everything? That one apology erased months of betrayal, secrets, and his cowardice? That I would willingly hand myself back to him and his neatly arranged life?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my jaw and forced my voice to sound calmer than I felt. \u201cYou said Nora\u2019s your girlfriend. So why are you bothering me if you\u2019ve already moved on?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a second, his face went blank before his expression hardened. \u201cHow do you\u00a0<\/p>\n
know that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d I asked, caught off guard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes darkened, his tone sharp. \u201cI never told you Nora is my girlfriend.\u201d He stepped closer, tension rolling off him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a step back on instinct.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though it felt like you that day, I told myself it was impossible, you couldn\u2019t be with him,\u201d he said, almost to himself, his voice low but tight with anger. \u201cDid we meet after the school incident, Violet?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u7530\u00a0<\/p>\n
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11:03 Tue, Jan 6 M<\/p>\n
Nights Burn With Regret \u2014 by Nathan Perez 116 \u00a0 Chapter 116\u00a0 Chapter 116\u00a0 Violet\u00a0 Best\u00a0 I honestly didn\u2019t care […]<\/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-28032","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\/28032","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=28032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28032\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}