Chapter 177\u00a0<\/p>\n
Violet\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment that voice rang out, the entire hall went deathly still.\u00a0<\/p>\n
20 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before anyone could even react, before I could fully register what was happening, Matthew stepped forward. He moved past the stunned crowd, past Nora, and positioned himself squarely in front of me and Sebastian, his back to us as if he were shielding us from the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nora\u2019s face drained of color the instant she saw him, her face going pale. For the first time since this started, she looked genuinely panicked. She had been so absorbed in humiliating me, so focused on tearing me down in front of everyone, that she had forgotten herself, and the mask she always wore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In front of people, especially in front of Matthew, Nora was always gentle, fragile, and kind to the point of saintly. The girl who wouldn\u2019t hurt a fly. And now here she was, caught red-handed, trying to force another woman to kneel, her malice laid bare in front of Matthew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew turned to Nora, his expression dark, anger flickering openly in his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNora!\u201d he said sharply, his voice cutting through the silence, \u201cwhat the fuck do you think\u00a0<\/p>\n
you are doing?!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t wait for her to answer. \u201cWho do you think you are to tell her to go down on her knees? Were you this kind of person all along?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She opened her mouth, but no words came out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s jaw tightened, the muscle ticking visibly as his patience snapped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked you a question,\u201d he said, his tone colder. \u201cWhat is this bullshit, Nora? Who gave you the right to act this way?\u201d His eyes bored into her. \u201cJust because I treat you differently doesn\u2019t mean you can cause a scene and tell my fianc\u00e9e to go down on her knees.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fianc\u00e9e.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A collective gasp rippled through the room at that word. Murmurs erupted instantly, whispers overlapping in confusion and disbelief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is this?\u201d someone hissed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t Nora his girlfriend?\u201d another whispered back. \u201cWhy is he defending that woman instead of her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you hear that?\u201d a third voice said. \u201cHe called the other woman his fianc\u00e9e.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eyes shifted toward me, then to Nora, then to Matthew again, as though they were watching an interesting movie unfold before them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I see now,\u201d someone muttered. \u201cThat must be why she could enter without an invitation. If she\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:57 Wed, Jan 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 177\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew Sinclair\u2019s woman, that explains everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
60\u00a0<\/p>\n
20 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what is Nora doing?\u201d another voice sneered. \u201cActing like she owns him? Is she out of her mind?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The whispers grew louder, all turning against Nora in an instant. People who had just been nodding along with her moments ago now looked at her with disdain, as if she were an embarrassing mistake they wanted no association with..\u00a0<\/p>\n
I almost laughed as I watched Matthew stand there, defending me as though he still had the right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even now. Even after everything. He hadn\u2019t changed at all. He was still delusional, still convinced we were something more than a memory he refused to let die. As if standing up for me in front of everyone could somehow undo the fact that I had ended things between us. He acted like a woman like me could never truly walk away from him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at his back and felt nothing but disgust. He still didn\u2019t understand one simple truth, we were never going back to the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nora swallowed hard, her throat bobbing as she shook her head desperately. She looked at Matthew as if he were her last lifeline, her eyes glassy, voice trembling. \u201cM-Matthew, it\u2019s not\u2026 it\u2019s not what it looks like. I-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She reached for him, fingers brushing his sleeve, but he didn\u2019t let her touch him. Instead, he caught her wrist mid-motion, his grip firm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t try to deny it,\u201d he said coldly. \u201cI know what I saw. I know what I heard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nora\u2019s face drained of what little color it had left. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beside her, my aunt gasped, clearly panicking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cM-Matthew, it\u2019s not like that,\u201d she said quickly, forcing a strained smile. \u201cNora didn\u2019t mean any harm. She was just worried Violet might do something to embarrass the Sinclair family.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s gaze snapped to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEmbarrass?\u201d he repeated, his voice dropping. \u201cDo you think any of you have the right to care about what happens in the Sinclair family? Who do you think you are?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tone alone was enough to make my aunt freeze mid-breath. Beside her, Riley, who looked like she wished the floor would swallow her whole, instantly grabbed her mother\u2019s arm, silently begging her to stop talking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My aunt obeyed. She didn\u2019t say another word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew turned back to Nora, and she flinched as if struck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems like you need a reality wake-up call,\u201d he said flatly. \u201cTo me, you\u2019re just a friend. A friend I care about.\u201d His grip tightened for a brief second before he continued, each word slow. \u201cBut I love Violet. And no matter what you do, no matter what anyone does, that will never change.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned closer, towering over her. \u201cSo know your place. Is that clear?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:57 Wed, Jan 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 177\u00a0<\/p>\n
20 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nora\u2019s body shook violently. Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded again and again. \u201cY-yes\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only then did Matthew release her wrist. She stumbled back a step, clutching her arm as if it hurt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom now on,\u201d he said without looking at her, \u201ckeep your distance from me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nora opened her mouth, clearly wanting to say something, but he had already turned away from her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He faced me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The anger in his eyes faded instantly, replaced with something softer, and tender as his gaze swept over me, taking in my appearance as if trying to reassure himself I was still there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I met his eyes with a calm, emotionless gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If anything, I was amused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Watching it unfold felt oddly distant, like observing a carefully arranged play. I had expected this all along. I knew Nora would lose herself to anger, that she would reveal her true self to Matthew. I didn\u2019t need to raise my voice or threaten anyone. That was the thing about power, you never had to do much at all. You simply waited. Sooner or later, people were always stupid enough to walk straight into the trap. All you had to do was\u00a0<\/p>\n
let them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nora had done exactly that. With her own hands, she had ruined herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had shown Matthew the one thing she had spent so long trying to hide: the truth of who she was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And now, it was no longer my concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tightened my grip on Sebastian\u2019s wheelchair and forced a smile, leaning down toward him. \u201cCome on, let\u2019s try the chocolate fountain next.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sebastian looked at me as if checking whether I was alright. Then he nodded once, trusting me without question. I was about to push the wheelchair forward when fingers suddenly closed around my wrist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cViolet, wait.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I paused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A slow, tired sigh slipped past my lips. I didn\u2019t even need to turn around to know who it was. I glanced down at his hand on mine, the familiarity of the gesture irritating me more than it should have, before finally lifting my gaze to his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGet it off,\u201d I said calmly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew shook his head, his grip not loosening. \u201cDon\u2019t leave. I\u2019ve been trying to meet you. Just, let\u2019s talk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I frowned, irritation flickering across his face. I tried to pull my hand back, but his grip tightened instead. Before I could react, Sebastian\u2019s voice cut sharply through the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGet your hands off my sister, bastard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:57 Wed, Jan 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 177\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0e1e\u0e23\u00a0<\/p>\n
60\u00a0<\/p>\n
20 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew turned toward him, smiling as if this were some touching reunion. \u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019re okay, Sebastian,\u201d he said warmly. \u201cBut I\u2019m not trying to hurt your sister. I just want to talk to my woman.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sebastian\u2019s hands clenched around the armrests of his wheelchair, his jaw tightening. \u201cShe is not your woman,\u201d he snapped. \u201cSo get your dirty hands off her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked, startled by Sebastian. He had never liked Matthew, that much I knew, but this was different. This wasn\u2019t annoyance or jealousy. This was raw fury. It felt protective, and territorial. The kind that came from someone who had learned what it meant to lose everything once and refuse to let it happen again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a brief second, it felt like he was standing guard for someone else too. As if he couldn\u2019t let anyone other than Hades touch me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s smile faded. His hand tightened around mine again. \u201cIt\u2019ll only take a minute,\u201d he said, his tone turning firm. \u201cYou owe me at least that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Owe him? This arrogant bastard. No one asked him to get involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He started to pull me toward him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was just about to shove him away, my patience finally snapping, when the air itself seemed to change. The temperature dropped. A deep, familiar, dangerously calm voice echoed through the hall, cutting through the noise like a blade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must have a death wish,\u201d the voice said slowly, \u201ctouching what belongs to me, kid.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every sound in the room died instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGet your hand off her, before I cut it off myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart skipped violently. So did everyone else\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leaning casually against the wall, hands tucked into his pockets as if he weren\u2019t moments away from tearing someone apart, stood the one man everyone in the country feared. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his presence overwhelming, but beautiful in the most dangerous way possible. His expression was calm, but his eyes were dark and sharp, locked onto Matthew like a predator, eyes already locked on its prey, ready to strike the moment it moved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t stop the smile that spread across my face. Finally, he was back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hades Sinclair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My husband.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nights Burn With Regret \u2014 by Nathan Perez 177 Chapter 177\u00a0 Violet\u00a0 The moment that voice rang out, the entire […]<\/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-28093","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\/28093","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=28093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28093\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}