He scoffed, stepping forward. “And what about the fact that we’re related?”
Her words sat heavy in my chest.
He glanced at the window, then back at me. “I still don’t accept them. I don’t know if I ever fully will. But I shouldn’t have said what I said like that. That was… wrong of me.”
I sat frozen, my heart still racing.
Nora cleared her throat and changed the subject, almost too quickly. “Anyway… guess who’s in your brother’s dungeon.”
She shifted on her feet, her arms still folded, but I could see her throat bob as she swallowed hard.
Was I doing the right thing?
And then she walked out too-leaving me with Lolita.
“There’s nothing to hide,” she repeated, a little too calmly. 4
She gave me a look that said she didn’t believe that for a second.
I hesitated before nodding. “Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.”
I swallowed hard, then turned to her. “Lolita… do you think Calvin’s right? That I’m making a mistake?”
Calvin shook his head slowly, his eyes filled with disappointment. “Our parents would be ashamed of you.” 7
I looked up at her, my eyes burning. “Then why can’t Calvin?”
My breath caught.
Then he walked out.
She simply gave me a small frown. “I’m coming”
Lolita leaned in slightly, her tone low. “Anita.” 1
I lifted my chin, already bracing for the inevitable wave of judgment. “Calvin-“
Nora shrugged. “We have no idea… you’ll have to ask them yourself.”
She shrugged. “Nothing much.”
I turned.
“It got worse,” Lolita went on. “We don’t know all the details, but from what we’ve heard, her father used a dark spell on the triplets… we don’t know how.” 2
“You might think this is love,” he said, voice colder now, “but this is just obsession.”
His jaw was clenched so tightly I thought it might crack. His hands fisted at his sides, and I could practically feel the rage radiating off him. But to his credit, he didn’t yell. Not yet. His voice, when it came, was low… controlled.
She tilted her head, letting the question settle before answering. “I think… love doesn’t come with a right or wrong, Olivia. It just is.”
Calvin cleared his throat, his gaze lowering briefly to the floor before finding mine again. “I… I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “If my words earlier hurt you, that wasn’t my intention.”
Lolita sighed. “Because they haven’t shown him. Not yet. He’s still stuck in the version of them who hurt you. That’s all he knows. But you… you’ve seen a different side. You’ve seen them fight for you, cry for you. He hasn’t. So I understand where he’s coming from too.” 2
That hit deeper than I wanted to admit.
“He said I’m letting them off too easily,” I whispered. “That I’m forgetting what they did.”
I looked down at my hands.
“I do,” I said quietly, folding my arms. “But that doesn’t make what I feel any less real.”
“And now,” Lolita said, looking at me with concern, “she’s here. We don’t know how, but somehow, Alpha Calvin sent his men after her. She’s locked in the dungeon.” 2
“You’re not weak or stupid,” she said firmly. “You’re strong enough to let yourself feel. That’s more than most people can do.” She touched my arm, comforting me. “The triplets… they love you. I see it, clear as day.”
Calvin’s expression shifted. His voice dropped, softer now. “You’re going to forget how they rejected you? Humiliated you? Tore you apart? Is that it?” 2
“She miscarried?” I asked, stunned.
“That doesn’t make it right,” he fired back. “So what? You’re just going to forget everything they did to you?”
I blinked.
“She did,” Lolita confirmed. “And after that, everything crumbled. The triplets- especially Lennox-banished her and her mother from the pack.” was still processing when Nora added, “Her mother couldn’t take the disgrace. She killed herself not long after.”
“You’re not forgetting,” Lolita said gently. “You’re choosing to forgive. There’s a difference.”
I stiffened. “What?”
Too controlled.
That one… that one shattered something inside me.
“You okay?” she asked softly.
“Alpha Lennox ordered his execution,” she said. “He was crucified. As a warning to any pack members who tried to use dark magic.”
“Oh my goddess…” I whispered.
I exhaled slowly, trying to steady the fluttering nerves in my chest.
I nodded slowly, heart thudding a little faster.
Nora covered her mouth, her eyes wide. “You’re bolder than I thought.
Some were torn at the edges, a little faded, others looking like they’d been tucked away in wallets or books.
Levi helping me braid my hair because I was too tired to do it myself.
This was more than a date.
I laughed softly to myself.
As she stood, Nora gently touched my hand and met my eyes. “Don’t worry about your brother tonight, okay?”
Lolita didn’t look surprised. She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, looking thoughtful.
Nora raised a brow. “Of course.”
“You’re glowing,” Lolita said proudly, stepping back to admire their work. “Like… damn.” If I were one of them, I’d fall on my knees.”
The entire rooftop had been transformed into something out of a dream.
Lennox pulled out my chair while Levi helped me sit.
??/p>
“Are you ready?” Lennox’s voice came through the mind-link, his tone gentle, laced with anticipation.
Nora grinned. “They’re not going to survive tonight.
I frowned slightly, sensing something unspoken between them… but I let it go. For now.
“Absolutely unreal,” Louis added, slipping beside him with a crooked smile, though his eyes held something far deeper.
I laughed, nerves and excitement swirling in my chest as I prepared to teleport.
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat almost too big to speak past. I was still so stunned-by the rooftop, the pictures, them.
There they were.
“Absolutely divine,” Nora agreed, holding up a blue gown. It shimmered faintly under the lights, hugging all the right places. “Try this. The triplets are going to go breathless when they see you.”
Lolita chuckled. “You don’t have to do it all at once, Olivia.”
“Sit,” Nora said with a tiny smile. “We’re dressing you up. You’ve got a date to slay tonight.”
“I-“I started, but my voice broke.
I could practically hear the smirk in his voice.
Lolita stood behind me, her fingers running through my hair. “Your roots are showing” she noted softly.
A smile tugged at my lips. “Yes. I’m ready.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.