Cynthia Dion:"She's accusing me, wow!" Mr. Holt finally spoke up. He rose from behind Maleeka, shaking his head in disapproval."You! Watch your tongue," Maleeka pointed at me. If she weren't pregnant, she might have tried to confront me physically. Atticus had stepped in front of me, ensuring I could continue speaking without any physical interference."What? I'm just stating the truth. Besides, why did you assume I was accusing you? I said she wants you!" I smirked secretly while maintaining eye contact with him.The tension I've created feels familiar. This is how they used to corner me before."This is crazy! I love Atticus," Mara began crying, and it made sense why. The two of them knew they had been involved behind everybody's back."Cynthia! On what basis are you saying this? Did you hear her say that or anything?" Atticus asked me very politely, without a hint of hostility in his gaze."Yes! That's amazing. Now listen to what she has to say. Don't you remember how she loves t
Cynthia Dion:"You should help me!" Mara shouted from over the gate, but I paid little attention to her. After Atticus kicked her out, we returned to the living room to find Maleeka in tears and disbelief. I observed her unraveling in hysteria as her weapon against me backfired. Mr. Holt appeared shameless, likely grappling with the realization of how much I knew about him and Mara."I can’t believe s---he would tur-----n out to be t----his way," Maleeka cried, her words punctuated by hiccups. This betrayal seemed to cut deeper than her husband's actions and the subsequent blame placed on some alleged seduction.As Maleeka lifted her face, her eyes held a profound sadness. It wasn’t only me she had wronged; her ill-conceived plan with Mara had also shattered her brother's trust."Atticus! Please, trust me! She convinced me to do this. She told me that if I didn’t comply, Cynthia would stay here and ensure harm befell my child," she pleaded, casting a desperate look at Atticus, who wor
Cynthia Dion:"Do you realize the toll this time has taken on me? Atticus! I can't erase the memory of how you branded me and then abandoned me to the whims of that brute. I was terrified when he whisked me away on my honeymoon and unveiled the test results for my pregnancy. I was torn, unsure whether to rejoice or weep because he had discovered the truth. I was by myself, and the father of my child was --," forgiving him was an uphill battle.Each time I believe I've made progress, I regress to that period, recalling one detail or another."Why? Why did you subject me to that? Why didn't the punishment cease? Why not just reveal whatever evidence you have, allowing me a fair chance to present my side, and then, if I couldn't prove my innocence, end it all by killing me? Why?" I found myself in tears once more. Every victory I achieve is tainted by the memory of all I've lost."You murdered your own father after he -- killed your sister," he sank onto the bed, running his hands over h
Cynthia Dion:He gasped as his entire stance shook; he wasn’t anticipating me hitting him. It must have shattered his ego because he took a whole minute to respond to that.Before he could utter a word or take any action, I sensed somebody rushing towards me, turning me around with the intention of slapping me. I acted swiftly to prevent Maleeka from landing a hit by grasping her wrist, and I glared into her eyes."You spread falsehoods about me, and I forgave you, but I won't allow you to lay a hand on me," I muttered at her face while Thea manifested through my eyes. Maleeka gasped and struggled to break free. I don’t know what had come over me, but I was so furious that I didn’t release her, and Mr. Holt made no effort to intervene either."Cynthia!" Atticus sprinted toward us and freed his sister from my grip. I don’t know why I did that, but I bet I was the one who ended up in the wrong."Your mate slapped the Royal Beta and then seized my hand," Maleeka shouted, showing no remor
Cynthia Dion:I gazed at the videos, seeing everything I had been instructing Mr. Holt to do, explaining how I had been intimate with so many other people, and warning him that if he didn't obey me, I would become pregnant with someone else's child.Tears filled my eyes as I continued to watch these things. I couldn't believe I had caused so much pain and pretended to be innocent as if nothing had happened. In that moment, I realized I was in the wrong. I was the one who deserved punishment, and, to my surprise, Atticus accepted and defended me.The worst part was when I saw a video from a hidden camera showing me spilling oil to harm Maleeka, who had lost her baby. I remembered that the tape had disappeared. Atticus had it all along, and he didn't show it to confirm my involvement."Why did you stand by me through all of this?" I sobbed, clutching the phone tightly to my chest. "I don’t deserve to live after what I've done," I murmured, rising from my seat and storming out of the roo
Cynthia Dion:"Then I deserve the worst. Atticus! I took my father down for hurting Flora, and you harbored a wicked person who wrecked your sister's life? I can't fathom how you could do that. Why?" I scrutinized him, unsure of my next move.How on earth did he fall for someone like me?"Cynthia! I was furious with you. I loathed you for a while, but then my heart couldn't buy it. I knew the videos were authentic, but I sensed there was more to the tale than what met the eye," he began advancing towards me. "And then I started uncovering the truth," he stood before me, gently gripping my arms and locking eyes with me."You weren't responsible for all that," he murmured, "it was your wolf, so you didn't recall anything," as he finished, a gasp escaped my lips."What do you mean by it being my wolf?" I questioned through tears. I believed I had done all that and simply couldn't recall, yet now he was asserting it was my wolf who had committed those actions?"I'm telling you, you're sti
Cynthia Dion:After that, we maintained silence because the atmosphere had turned awkward. It wasn't the right time for me to inquire about what Atticus had wanted to say.I hesitated to have him admit anything, feeling undeserving of any revelations. Exiting the car, he courteously held the door open for me. Hand in hand, we strolled towards the garden, where I spotted Mr. Holt engrossed in a book.Upon lifting his gaze, our eyes briefly connected, creating an oddly intense moment. Despite my reservations, a part of me doubted my ability to manipulate this man; everything he did seemed to be of his own free will.Gratefully, we passed by the garden and continued toward our room when Maleeka came into view. My body tensed, causing me to halt, even though Atticus hadn't intended to stop. Observing my resistance, he halted with me.I couldn't help but feel sorry for Maleeka."Why did she storm off like that?" Maleeka inquired, shooting me a hateful glare. It was entirely justified. Imag
Cynthia Dion:"What did she tell you, Cynthia? Look! If she spills the beans on why she pulled that stunt, we can piece things together much more easily," he was spot on; Thea's tight-lipped act was the only thing keeping us in the dark about what transpired."She mentioned someone talked her into doing all of that," as I uttered those words, the furrow on Atticus's forehead relaxed."Someone!" Atticus echoed my words, drifting into a bit of a daze, likely attempting to crack this enigma."I get the feeling she's just trying to wriggle out of this situation and pin the blame on some faceless scapegoat," I shook my head, reluctant to believe her any longer. If she were truly innocent, she would've spilled the beans a long time ago. Instead, she continued to mete out punishment to others, making it look like she was on my side and also a victim of everyone."No, Cynthia!" Atticus, for some reason, wasn't on board with my skepticism. I turned my face to see what had caught his attention