CHAPTER 19: NAYA: THE BREAK.

Both men stared at each other, reminding me of two lions I once saw in an exhibition, locked in a cage. Their eyes were locked on each other with a deep intensity that felt like they were sizing each other up.

I quickly stepped between them before either of them could do something stupid.

"That was a long time ago, Cahir," I said quickly, forcing myself to sound playful even though my heart was hammering. "Our parents didn’t mean it like that. It was just one of those things adults say when their kids play together. Besides, you’re offending Hansel—"

"I fell in love with you, Naya," Cahir cut me off, as he turned to face me fully. "I know we haven’t seen each other since the fallout between our families, but that never changed how I felt about you. I love you. I’ve always loved you. And that’s exactly why I know this thing between you two is fake."

He turned back to Hansel and said with a stern tone. "Given how manipulative the Ward family can be, I’d say you brought her as your date tonight specifically to seek favour from my father. Since you know she’s his goddaughter, you thought having her on your arm would give you leverage. Isn’t that right?"

I laughed nervously. "No, he wouldn’t do that. Hansel isn’t perfect, but he’s my boyfriend and I expect you to respect—"

"He’s not your boyfriend, Naya." Cahir interrupted me, his voice gentler now. "You’re still the woman I know, the one who loves with her whole heart. It’s been less than two weeks since your fiancé abandoned you at the altar. You wouldn’t fall in love so easily, not like this. Now come." He reached for me, his hand extended like he expected me to take it and follow him. "Let me take you home. Away from him."

But Hansel stepped in front of me before I could even process what was happening, his body a wall between me and Cahir. His eyes had gone cold. "People fall in love at first sight. Why would you doubt my relationship with her?"

Cahir smirked. "Because everyone knows what the Wards are. The only thing you want from a woman is her warm body and a womb to house your bastard children. Even if I weren’t in love with Naya, I would never let her be with someone like you because an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Ward. Your father was a womaniser who destroyed lives, and you’re following right in his footsteps."

"Enough, Cahir!" I pushed between them again, my hands pressed against both their chests to keep them separated. "That’s enough from both of you. Hansel, I think we should leave. Now."

Cahir tried to protest, reaching for me again. "Naya, please—"

"You’re being rude," I said firmly, even though part of me wanted to curl up and hide from all of this. "I appreciate what you did downstairs, saving me from that scene with Isabella. But you can’t just show up and declare your feelings and expect me to what? Drop everything and run away with you? That’s not how this works."

Before he could argue, I grabbed Hansel’s hand and pulled him toward the door. His fingers felt lifeless in mine, not holding back but not quite holding on either, and the moment we stepped out into the hallway, he yanked his hand away from mine so forcefully that I nearly fell.

Then he just kept walking, without paying attention to me.

"Are you serious right now?" I called after him, as I hurried to catch up in these ridiculous heels. "Hansel! Why are you angry with me?"

He didn’t answer, nor did he even slow down. Just kept moving like I wasn’t there, like I hadn’t just defended him to Cahir.

"Get lost," he finally said without turning around.

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Excuse me?"

He finally turned around and faced me. "You heard me."

"No, repeat it," I said, walking up to him now. "You’re mad at me for something I didn’t ask to happen? He confessed to me out of nowhere. What was I supposed to do, punch him in the face for your satisfaction?"

Hansel stared at me with that distant, cold look. "You let him touch you."

"He was helping me!" I cried. "He saved me back there, in case you forgot. Where were you when I was being accused and dragged in front of a crowd?"

"I leave you for a few minutes, and you couldn’t handle yourself. I made a mistake tonight. I shouldn’t have brought you."

Anger surged through me as I stared at him, wondering at his temerity.

"You arrogant, self-entitled brute!" Tgrabbing his arm to make him stop and face me. "You didn’t tell me what you wanted tonight! You didn’t say a single word about using me to get to the Sterling family! If you’d just been honest with me —if you’d told me what your plan was —I could have helped you. But no, you just dragged me and then you disappeared the second we got inside and left me to deal with that nightmare downstairs by myself!"

For a moment, he just stared at me with those dark, unreadable eyes. Then something shifted in his expression, hardening into something cruel, cutting that made me want to take a step back.

"You’ve forgotten your place," he said coldly. "Just because you’re in bed with the Sterlings doesn’t mean you have any worth. You’re nothing, Naya Rivers. A homeless woman with no prospects and no future, living in my house because you have nowhere else to go. So please don’t presume to lecture me about honesty, plans, or anything else. You’re not my partner. You’re not my equal. You’re just someone I’m allowing to stay under my roof out of pity."

I stared hard at him as his words pierced into the deepest parts of my heart. My vision actually blurred with tears for a second before anger took over, and my hand was moving before I could think about what I was doing.

The slap landed on him with a satisfied pop.

His head snapped to the side from the force of it, and when he looked back at me, there was a red mark already blooming across his cheek. His eyes had gone wide with shock, like no one had ever dared hit him before.

Good. Maybe someone should have, a long time ago.

"I’m leaving," I said with a shaky voice. "I’m leaving your house, and I never want to see you again. I’m tired of putting up with your complete disregard for me as a person just because you’re in a position of wealth and affluence. I’m tired of being treated like I’m worthless because I don’t have money or power. And I hope—I really, truly hope—that you heal from whatever happened to you to make you act like such a monster. Because this? The way you treat people? It’s not a strength. You’re just pure evil, Hansel Ward. The finest monster I’ve seen."

I turned to walk away, then I stopped and walked back to where he still stood frozen, his hand pressed against his reddening cheek.

"One more thing," I said, and I let mockery drip into my voice because if he was going to remember me at all, I wanted him to remember this. "Cahir is the slyest person I’ve ever met. If you start on the wrong foot with him, you’ll never flourish in the Western Territories. Never. Because Cahir’s heart is the darkest thing you’ll ever meet. He looks gentle and kind and sweet, but underneath? He’s ruthless in ways that would make even you a monster like you uncomfortable. So congratulations, Hansel Ward. You just made an enemy of the one person who could have helped you get what you want."

I straightened, smoothing down my dress with shaking hands. "Don’t bother seeing me to the door. I know my way out."