Chapter 146
Chapter 146
Trista’s POV
For a split second, the moment his fingertips brushed my skin, he stiffened.
Finished
His brow furrowed, and he grabbed my wrist, practically half–dragging, half–carrying me through the door.
The moment it slammed shut behind us, the last shred of my public restraint shattered.
I lost it.
Everything within reach–the junk on the coffee table, the décor along the walls, the folders on the entryway console–I hurled it all at him.
The sharp crack of porcelain shattering echoed through the living room one after another. My wolf was roaring in my chest, and all the suppressed fear, humiliation, and rage finally burst through the dam.
He tilted his head to dodge a flying object, then lunged forward, pinning both my wrists and slamming me against the wall.
“Enough p>
His voice turned to ice, and his eyes followed suit. “If you’re here to throw a tantrum instead of fixing the problem, you can leave p>
I struggled with everything I had. His grip was bruising my wrists, but I didn’t care about the pain…
I grabbed a handful of his suit lapels, my knuckles turning white from the force. “Emlen’s family always played by the rules. Zelda is only nine, and she’s got leukemia–and you use them p>
He didn’t pull away or dodge. He just let me white–knuckle his expensive fabric, his tone infuriatingly calm. “That was his choice p>
I stared at him, feeling the last bit of my strength and leverage drain away.
In that moment, the reality finally sank in.
In his world, everyone was just a piece on a chessboard. It didn’t matter who they were; it only mattered if they were worth the move.
I looked at this werewolf in front of me, and even breathing felt like an empty exercise.
“Cassian,” I said, my eyes burning and my lips trembling, yet making sure every word hit home. “I will make you pay for this p>
I let go of his suit and turned for the door.
My wrist was snapped back into his grip.
He stopped me, his gaze remaining as steady and cold as a winter lake. “You have evidence of my infidelity; I have testimony of your industrial espionage. Even if you go public with Samantha and Algernon, the worst that happens to me is some gossip for a few weeks. I won’t lose anything that matters p>
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Chapter 146
“But if those charges stick against you, you know what that means p>
Finished
His tone was so level it felt like a cold blade. “Your parents, Attwater, the career you just started to rebuild, that future you thought was finally in sight–all of it vanishes the second a judge reads that verdict.
“Living like this is worse than death! Watching them suffer is what truly kills me!” My voice was hoarse, my body shaking with rage. “Don’t you dare use them to threaten me p>
He just looked at me like I was a cornered animal, but there was no pity in his eyes. “Trista, your parents are old. Ulva is sick. Attwater has his college entrance exams next year. If you’re convicted, that direct criminal record will follow him for the rest of his life. His enrollment, his recommendations, his future grad school and internships–all of it will be stained p>
“Shut up!” I practically screamed. “You have no right to mention my family p>
But he didn’t back down. “You spent six months in France grinding–not just for therapy, but for your career. That little slice of success you fought for, the future you thought you finally controlled–it all gets crushed the moment they say ‘guilty. Are you really okay with that p>
Every sentence was a knife.
The wolf in my chest let out a pained howl, and my spine, which I’d kept so straight, finally buckled.
My vision went dark in waves, and his voice sounded like it was coming from underwater.
My legs gave out. I collapsed onto the floor, my back sliding against the cold wall, and I finally let the sobs
out.
The pain wasn’t like a bite or a broken bone; it was the feeling of my heart being slowly dissected, one cut at a time. Even breathing was agony.
Cassian stood over me, looking down.
He didn’t reach out to help. He didn’t lean down to comfort me.
In that moment, we didn’t look like a couple who had been mated for three years. We looked like two rivals at a negotiating table, protecting our stakes and calculating the damage.
Cassian stood there, expressionless, his voice low and freezing. “Trista, we’re adults. Once you pick a path, you have to accept the consequences p>
He looked at me as if stating a cold, cruel fact. “If you really want to stay in this fight just to spite me—if you’re willing to abandon your parents and your underage brother and trade your entire future for ten years in a cell–then fine. I’ll let you do it p>
I leaned against the wall, struggling to push myself up. My knees were shaking.
I forced myself to walk right up to him, my steps light and hollow.
I looked up at him.
Our eyes met, my lips trembling. The look I gave him held none of the old, glowing devotion. There was only the sting of a cold, pained disbelief.
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15:16 Fri, Jan 2 STEA
Chapter 146
Finished
“Cassian,” I whispered, the words barely making it out of my throat. “Are you even real? Are you actually a
monster p>
Even if he didn’t love me.
Even if I was never the “chosen one” in his heart.
We grew up together for twenty years.
We ran through the same woods, lived in the same house, and we were mated.
And now, he was systematically cutting off every exit I have, refusing to leave me with even the illusion of a choice.
He looked down at me. “Trista, in the three years we’ve been mated, I believe I’ve treated you well. There’s no need for that tone p>
That sentence was like a needle made of ice driven straight into my heart.
I reached out and grabbed his shirt collar, shaking him. “You cheated while we were mated. You
systematically framed me. For the sake of your precious mistress, you pushed me into a corner over and over again–you even went after my brother. And you call that ‘treating me well p>
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.