Chapter 267
(Victoria’s POV)
My mind raced as I stared at Connor Blackthorn standing before me, very much alive.
I forced myself to suppress the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. Panic wouldn’t serve me now. I needed to regain
control of this situation.
Tears welled in my eyes on command—a skill I’d perfected over years of manipulation. I made my voice small and aggrieved, the
perfect picture of a woman wronged.
“Connor, let go, you’re hurting me,” I whimpered, trying to pry his fingers from my jaw. When he didn’t release me, I let more
tears spill down my cheeks. “What’s wrong with you? What are you talking about, all this talk of death?”
His grip remained firm, his eyes cold and unreadable. I needed to push harder.
“Emma said you left early and abandoned her alone,” I continued, injecting just the right amount of maternal concern into my
voice. “I haven’t even scolded you yet–Emma is only seven. How could you leave a young pup by herself at Bleakshore Beach?”
(Connor’s POV)
I stared at Victoria, watching her performance with a mixture of disgust and fascination. The tears, the trembling voice, the
wounded expression–all of it perfectly calibrated to manipulate me, just as she’d done countless times before.
This was the she–wolf who could lie without blinking, who wielded her flawless acting to ensnare me until I couldn’t extricate
myself from her web. I had loved her once, truly and deeply. Even after discovering her schemes, after she nearly sent me to Shadowfall Detention Center, I still remembered the feelings we shared and the daughter she bore for me.
For those memories, for Emma, I’d wanted to give Victoria another chance. I’d been willing to help her achieve what she wanted,
to be the partner she needed.
But it had never occurred to me she could be so ruthless. To want me dead was one thing–to use our daughter as the instrument of my destruction was unforgivable. Emma was only seven years old. If she had truly killed me, the shadow of patricide would
have haunted her for life.
How could a mother be so cruel to her own pup?
(Victoria’s POV)
Connor remained silent, his grip on my jaw loosening slightly. I took this as a good sign. He was wavering, just as he always did when faced with my tears. I still had power over him.
Without caring where we were in this strange room, I focused only on pacifying this lovesick fool at all costs. Just as I had done at the Crescent Moon Hotel days before, I moved my hand to his belt, my touch deliberately seductive.
I slipped my fingers under his shirt, feeling his muscles tense beneath my touch. I looked up at him through my lashes, my
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Chapter 267
expression coy and inviting.
“Connor~” I purred, my voice a silken caress.
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This always worked on him. Always. I leaned closer, my body pressing against his, my lips parting invitingly. I could see his resolve weakening, his eyes darkening with desire despite everything.
Just as our lips were about to meet, a powerful Alpha presence filled the room. My blood ran cold as I sensed him before I saw him.
Ethan Stone had arrived.
I froze, my mind racing to adapt to this new development. There was no time to think, only to react.
Instantly, I transformed my expression. The seductive smile vanished, replaced by wide eyes brimming with tears and naked fear. I pushed away from Connor with all my strength.
“Ethan, help me!” I pleaded, my voice breaking perfectly.
Ethan’s reaction was immediate and visceral. He rushed forward, grabbed Connor by the collar, and threw him off me with a forceful kick. His Alpha strength sent Connor flying across the room, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.
“Ethan,” I cried, immediately throwing myself into his arms. I made my body tremble against his, clinging to him desperately.
“He’s still obsessed with me, drugged and brought me here, tried to force himself on me. This time, you must not spare him.”
I felt Ethan’s arms close around me protectively, but something was wrong. His body was tense, his embrace lacking the warmth
I expected. I glanced up to see his face cold and impassive as he held me.
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