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
Cynthia Dion:"I was just checking up on her," I calmly explained, though I'd recently discovered my innocence wasn't crystal clear."You don’t need to do that. I am here for that," he responded sternly, and who could blame him?"I'll be in my room." Maleeka, uninterested in sticking around, left us in an awkward silence, walking away without her mate and heading straight to her room."I wasn’t trying to hurt her or anything," I felt compelled to justify my presence."It doesn’t matter," he muttered.I understand my wolf played a part, but there's more to the story. Mr. Holt had subjected me to terrible things. How can he look me in the eye and place the blame solely on me?"I know it doesn’t matter to you," I said, locking eyes with him, "since you always find a way to pull the strings." After what I had learned earlier, I wasn’t sure how I could ever outsmart this malicious man."Well, I have my ways around," he said, wearing a fake smile that soon turned into a genuine smirk. "So,
Cynthia Dion:My resentment toward her melted away, and sympathy replaced it.'Why didn't you clue me in?' I asked, careful not to set her off with a harsh tone. It was evident she had been through a tough time alongside me, living with the belief that she was a wicked wolf. Now, I regretted always raising my voice at her. Perhaps that's why she kept things from me. Regardless, I decided to stop tuning her out.'I couldn't. I was scared. The first time I took over you, it was manipulated and downright painful,' she explained, shedding light on why she kept silent. I could see she feared I wouldn't believe her.'How did you break free from the hypnotism?' I inquired, wary of the possibility of being hypnotized again. It was crucial to know how to break out of it if it happened.'Remember when we lost the baby? That triggered our freedom. That day, he had to harm us because he realized he was about to lose control the moment the baby was born,' she pointed out. It dawned on me that it w
Cynthia Dion:"Hm! Well, some people just have bad luck," he almost zoned out before her words were able to grab his attention again."You turned lucky! I mean--," as she paused, Mr. Holt tilted his face to the back of her head. It seemed like he knew what she was going to talk about: "You were unlucky too, but then you got me," she almost cheered, but as he grunted and cleared his throat, she shut up. It just felt weird. They were talking about me?But Mr. Holt has always shown his disdain for me, so why would he want her to shut up when he agreed that I am a horrible mate for Atticus?"I am sorry! But sometimes I just can’t help but think about how unlucky you had been until you met me," once she mentioned it again, Mr. Holt started getting up. She instantly moved forward and turned around to look at him."I will get you some juice," he smiled at her, and she smiled back, not finding it weird. I was shocked at how she didn’t think too much of it when it was clear that he didn’t like
Cynthia Dion:"AHHHH!" I wailed as I yanked the dagger from my thigh and pursued him. Clutching the dagger, I scanned the darkness; he must have concealed himself.But I didn’t have time to even think twice before looking for ways to save her from his evil plans."Maleeka!" I called out, hoping to locate her and escape the mansion together. Her silence fueled my fear; I couldn't let her fall victim to him. After finding out that her anger towards me was not a mere jealousy thing, I decided to earn her forgiveness by saving her from this disgusting man.Frantically, I overturned objects, searching for her like a madwoman. "You need to come out; I won’t hurt you," I exclaimed loudly, worried she might be hiding or coerced into silence."Maleeka!" I continued to call, desperately hoping she'd reveal herself and come with me. The night had already been chaotic, and now I had no idea where they both were."Maleeka! You're not safe here," I shouted, trying to make my voice reach her. The ma