a gunshot. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. The staff members who had been lingering ne
said, her voice steady des
ed on his skin. His hand moved slowly to his cheek, fingers pressing against the reddening mark as if he couldn
torm gathering strength, her designer suit immaculate, her silver hair pulled back so tightly it seemed to stretch her face into a permanent ex
pha of the Redstone pack?" Stephanie's voice carried th
pened her mouth to respond, to explain, to defend herself one last time.
loomed across her face, hot and sharp. Her eyes watered from the impact, but something inside
ven louder than the first slap, if that was possible. Her hand stung from the contact
applied makeup couldn't hide the shock that transformed her features. Her mo
imbing in volume with each word, "How dare a hum
d somehow erase what had just happened through sheer pressure. She looked at Alexander, then back at Emilia, t
like you," Stephanie said, taking a deep breath. Her
is from his mother, and even now, he just stood there, one hand still on his own cheek, watching the scene un
iar lines of contempt. She turned to Alexander, her voice taking on a lig
suit jacket with shaking hands, "and all I can say is that I am
r mind like a film on fast forward. Four years of eating dinner alone while Alexander worked late, or claimed he was working late. Four years of Stephanie's cutting remarks about her clot
is side cold and undisturbed. The holidays she'd celebrated with only the staff for company. The birthdays that passed without acknowledgement. Ev
rample upon her and insult her. 'No more,' Emilia whispere
lia said aloud, her voice s
ouse and this life forever. Behind her, she could hear Alex
gh the silence, and Emilia could hear the smile in her voice, shar
e looked away, his gaze dropping to the floor. His silence felt like a
rothers waiting outside in the car, about the father she'd just found. She thought about who she was now, not
oved to her ears. The diamond earrings were small, delicate things that caught the light fro
out of her pierced ears with a small pinch. "You got these as
ble floor with tiny, almost musical sounds, bouncing once before coming to rest near Alexander's feet. "I waited with my phone beside me nig
from him. Making excuses to herself. He's busy. He's important. He's an Alpha with responsibilities. The way she'd convinced herself th
with a small pendant, nothing extravagant, but she remembered the day he'd
fingers working at the clasp. "
nicest dress, lighting candles. He'd arrived home at eleven at night, tossed the jewellery box at her without a wo
y heat, and absorbed the scent of her skin. She held it for just a moment, feeling its weight in her psad smile, she moved to tu
said, her voice dripping with mal
er-in-law's eyes, the expectation of humiliation, the certainty that Emilia wo
der spoke finally, his voice ro
" Emil
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