Chapter 270
Chapter 270:
A minute later, Kade returned with the Rogue Alpha. The man was beaten and bruised, but his eyes held a flicker of dark amusement. He knew the walls were closing in on Isabelle. He was savoring every second of it.
“Tell me everything,” I commanded, my voice cold and sharp.
The Rogue Alpha smirked. “She came to me. Promised me power, a cut of territory, if I helped eliminate your mate. She said it was time for a shift in power.” He paused, looking Isabelle up and down with disgust. “But she didn’t have the spine to do it herself. She wanted me to get my hands dirty p>
I turned back to Isabelle, who was trembling now. Her facade had completely shattered. “You connived with a rogue to murder Jasmine. You kidnapped her, poisoned her, and still thought you’d get away with it p>
She opened her mouth to speak, but I was done listening.
“Take her to the dungeons,” I ordered the guards, my voice like steel.
“She’s going to rot there until I decide her fate p>
“No!” she screamed, her eyes wide with terror now. “Ryder, please! You can’t do this p>
I stepped closer, my eyes locked on hers. “I should’ve ended you when you first betrayed Jasmine. This time, there are no second chances p>
“And what about you? Are you a saint p>
Her voice stunned me, piercing deep inside my chest, and I halted.
Ryder’s POV
Her words hung in the air like a curse, freezing me in place.
“And what about you? Are you a saint p>
I stood still, my muscles locked, as if the accusation had turned me to stone. My breath came in ragged pulls, but I couldn’t force myself to move, couldn’t even blink.
Isabelle’s eyes blazed with a fury I hadn’t seen before—not this raw, not this broken. Her tears streaked down her cheeks, bitter and hot, but they did nothing to soften the knife-edge of her voice.
Lɑτєѕτ cнαρτєrs 𝑖n
“I gave you fifteen years of my life, Ryder. Fifteen fucking years!” Her voice cracked, and for a second, she looked less like a traitor and more like a woman on the edge of oblivion. “I stood by you through everything. When you were broken, when you couldn’t even face yourself, I was there! I cried with you, felt your pain, bore it like it was my own p>
Her eyes were blazing with fire—hurt, heartbreak. I could read it all. I clenched my jaw, my heart pounding in my ears. Her words were slashing through me, sharper than any blade.
She took a shaky breath, her eyes glimmering with memories I couldn’t deny. “I gave you everything. My loyalty, my heart, my body.” Her voice dropped, bitter and cold. “You were my first. The man who took my virginity. And what did you do? You used me, Ryder. Used me, then tossed me aside like trash the second Jasmine walked into your life p>
I felt that punch land straight in my gut. My fingers curled into fists, my nails biting into my palms, but I didn’t speak. Couldn’t speak.
For once, I felt her pain… the bitterness she had lived with.
“You think I turned into a monster all on my own?” she continued, her voice trembling. “No. You made me this way. You pushed me into the dark, left me to drown in it while you found your light.” Her laughter was hollow, joyless. “We were betrothed. We were supposed to be forever. But you just nullified it, like it meant nothing p>