a's
fore finally responding, "Kiera, there
sever our bond anyway. Even if the b
h anger. "Do you even re
ze. "But do you understand what you've done, Dominic? Have you fo
pression was tense as he fou
t finally explain himself, apologize,
d, "We'll talk after
he door behind him. The violent sound extinguish
g ceremony. I took it down from the wall and threw it
pact, sending shards
rom among the fragments, looking just as br
in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I couldn
gain my composure, I got to my f
ry and cracked, and exhaustion was writ
stepmother, Monica
said in a warm, practiced tone. "It's bee
sound calm. "All righ
at my exhausted reflection and
e color to my cheeks, and lipstick made me appear less worn o
hope returned. Maybe my father had remembered that ye
turne Pack, I had finally returned home. T
ong. Not long afterward
ce carried a hint of discomfort. "Don't bother coming after all. You've been away for
allowed myself to feel
after three years, and he suddenly had something
ending to accept her explana
ded, I drove directly
f the car when I heard lau
oor, I was greeted by the sight
a three-tiered cake was at the center. My father, Hugh Mitchell, stood there with a broad smile, one h
a happy, perfect family, one tha
d across her face, and she nearly dropped h
amily gathering." I leaned against the doorframe, ma
ly darkened. "What's with that a
ed inside, my gaze moving from one person to the
Monica. He never bothered to ask what I thought about it. He si
er so quickly, but I couldn't do that. All I could do was spend night afte
t welcoming Thalia home. I didn't invite you because I knew how you
ly lau
n Thalia accused me of poisoning her three ye
hter, happily playing the perfect family, but he left
hildhood, someone he could proudly boast about. Yet I was an omega w
ed the gift I had brought on the coffee table
don't need to keep trying to take Dominic away fro
re you talking about? I never tried to take Dom
to yourself too," I cut in
ble. "I raised you for twenty years, and this is how you sp
cut into my hear
ged to the surface, and tears slipped d
relying on the sharp pain to keep my
etly. "Then preten
ut before I could leave, Th
don't go! This is all my fault. I shouldn't have returned, and I shouldn't have shown up in fro
he cried out like the victim. Then I felt a sharp st
ked my leg free, usi
ly, repeating the same trick she had used befor
he room at the exact mome
wept over the scene before him, and his
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