nore
back. But Cristian saw it differently. In his eyes, I wasn't stoppi
e fury in his eyes cooled into somethin
gner?" He let his gaze travel down my body, a slow, insulting appraisal of the moon-white
inst my mind. Just cruelty, plain and deliberate, delivered in front of half the city'
y silent. A collective, horrified gasp seemed to be suck
sn't just an insult. It was a desecration. It was a slap in the face to th
en, a flicker of sick, ecstatic triumph lit her
ast vestiges of pain, of love, of hope, simply... evaporated. All I felt was a profound, chil
ine smile tou
e was clear, carrying t
even look at Cornell, whose entire body
to. My calm agreement, my quiet exit, was a louder act of defiance than any fight could ever be. I was leavi
ors into the cool night air. The wind felt good on my hot skin. I found an empty st
family's waning influence for his pack's stability. I was a comm
ill in the quiet g
to the phone. "Ellie, tell me you spit
ngely calm. "It's just a dres
efore she c
. He shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders
him win," he said, his
t like a shield. "Thank you, Corne
n. "Just remember," he said softly. "If the battle gets to be too
ng me a way o
his face like thunder, while Angelena tried to play the role of the comforting, reasonabl
ne last look of utter disgust, t
e evening, his eyes kept drifting to the empty doorway. For the first time, a seed of dou
rtment. I couldn't. Instea
curled up on the narrow cot, still in my beautiful, desecrated gown
m Cristian's. His was a storm, all lightning and destr
ty that my marriage was a cage. And maybe, just mayb
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