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: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:"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:"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: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