bChapter /bi44 /i

Nyssa pov

Oops.

I wasn’t supposed to say that, bwas /bbI/bb? /b

The entire room fell into a dead, uneasy silence. In the next second, all eyes turned to me- my father, who had been fuming just moments ago, snapped his bhead /bin my direction, his eyes widening in disbelief at what I had just said.

bCalen /band Benjamin’s grips on me loosened, and I could feel their stunned gazes shift to me. Even Kieran and Aria lookedpletely caught off guard.

I blinked once. bTwice/b. Then took a deep breath, forcing myself to speak and quickly bcover /bup my slip.

“1-1 meant you shouldn’t bkill /bhim. W–bwe /bshould just forget about this. Just let it go, Father. I can’t deal with this anymore… it really hurts.” I stammered, lowering my bgaze /bbas /bbI /bwiped baway /bthe btears /bthat had begun to fall.

As I expected, everyone’s expressions shifted again–no longer stunned but busy with concern. Calen and Benjamin immediately pulled me closerb, /bgently patting my back.

“There, there. Don’t cry, my love,” Calen said softly, handing me a handkerchief. I took it with trembling fingers and wiped my face before raising my eyes to look directly at my father.

“Please… let me talk to him. I just want to hear him out. Even if it’s only for a few minutes.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, my father’s expression twisted into a frown, while Kieran’s face lit up with relief.

“What are you talking about, Nyssab? /bYou want to speak to him? Even after everything he’s done? Don’t tell me you still want to be with this bastard?

I shook my head, sniffling back the fake tears.

“I just want closure. We’ve been together for so long, and we were even about to get married. I need closure about all of this, so… please, can we talk?” I asked, my gaze fixed on Father. His frown deepened, and he was about to speak when Calen and Benjamin moved to his sides, each grabbing an arm.

Before he could react, they nodded at each other and began dragging him away, catching himpletely off guard.

“W–What are you doing?! Let me go this instant!” he yelled, struggling. But both Calen and Benjamin kept their heads lowered in respect.

“Forgive us, Alpha, but she deserves the chance to speak. We’ll ept any punishmentter,” Benjamin said firmly.

I couldn’t help the low chuckle that escaped me as I watched the great Alpha- my father, the leader of the second–strongest pack in the world, being dragged away, pouting like a stubborn child. He could’ve easily broken free from their grip, yet he let them pull him out.

Howeverb, /bbefore he was out of the room, he turned back and snapped his gaze to Kieran and Aria, giving them onest re bas /bhis bframe /bslowly disappeared from view.

I shook my bhead /band, once they were gone, finally stopped hiding it— Iughed, dropping all the pretense and running a hand through my bhair /bin amusement,

Those bwere /bmy bdad /band uncles. I might not have a mother, but I had three men who would burn the world for me- who 1/3

bhad given /bbup /beverything bfor /bme. bThey /bbwere /bbthe /breason I would bgive /bup bmy /bblife /bwithout hesitation.

b“/bbNyssa/bb, /bbbaby/bb, /bbI-/bb“/bI bheard /bKieran begin, his bvoice /bnowced with a happiness that made me almost bwant /bbto /blisten.

b“/bbAh/b, bI /bcried too much,” bI /bcut him off, wiping the tears from my bface /bnonchntly before leaning away from his touch. bI /bwalked bover /bto the bseat /band plopped bdown /bwith azy byawn/b.

bGoddess/b, I must be sleepy–I barely got any brest /bst night.

Oh bwell/b.

“Nb–/bNyssa,” a soft voice bcalled/bb, /band bthis /btime, bI /brecognized it–it was Ariab, /bstill crying on the ground.

“bNyssa/b, I-” she tried to speak, but froze bthe /binstant my bgaze /bshifted to her, the words dying in her throat.

I frowned and tilted my head to the side, narrowing my beyes /bat her. She flinched. I didn’t say anything for a moment, just watched her. Then I finally spoke.

“What are you still doing here? I said I wanted to speak with him. You’re not deafb, /bare you?”

Aria stiffened at my words, and I bsaw /bevery bit of pretense fall from her expression. She red at me, her hands curling into fists. She hated it- how I spoke to her, how I treated her like she was beneath me.

But now, after being sent to the past, I could read her emotions as clearly as the back of my hand. bIf /bonly I’d had the sense ito/ii. /i

“Ah, I cried too much,” I said, cutting him off as I wiped the tears from my face nonchntly. I leaned iaway /ifrom his touch and walked over to the seat, plopping down with azy yawn.

Goddess, I must be sleepy, I hadn’t slept a winkst night.

Oh well.

“N–Nyssa,” a soft voice called out, and this time I recognized it as Aria, still on the ground and crying. “Nyssa, I—” she tried to speak, but her words froze the moment my gaze shifted to her, stopping her in her tracks.

I frowned, tilting my head to the side as I narrowed my eyes at her. She flinched. I didn’t say a word at first, simply watching her until I finally spoke.

“What are you still doing here? I said I wanted to speak with him. You’re not deaf, are you?”

Aria stiffened at my words, and I saw the facade slip from her face immediately. She red at me, her hands curling into fists. She hated the way I spoke to her, hated being treated as though she were beneath me.

Now that I’d been sent back to the past, I could read her emotions like the back of my hand. If only I’d had the sense to do that before.

She opened her mouth, about ito /ispeak, but before she could, Kieran turned to her and shook his head.

“You should leave. We need to talk. I’ll exin everything to her, don’t worry,” he said.

bI /bbraised /ba brow bas /bAria’s hands clenched tighter, her nails digging into her skin and I couldn’t help but smile in amusement.

Oh, I wonder what he’s going to say this time.

Well, it wasn’t like bI /bcared. bAfter /ball, everything that came out of his mouth was bound to be lies.

b2/3 /b

I bwatched /bas Aria shot me ba /bbre/bb. /b

b*/bbAria/bb, /bKieran called bagain/bb, /band she quickly masked bher /bbexpression/bb, /btaking a deep bbreath /bbbefore /bstanding bup /band walking out bof /bthe room. bHer /bblegs /bbtrembled/bb, /bbbut /bbonce /bbshe /bbwas /bgoneb, /bmy bgaze /bshifted to bKieran/b, who had moved to bkneel /bbin /bfront bof /bme.

He looked up bat /bmeb, /bba /bbluster /bin his beyes /bthat would bhave /bentranced me bbefore/b, but nowb, /bbit /bonly made me want to scoff.

Without changing my bexpression/b, I observed him run a hand through his bhair /bin quiet frustration before he bbegan /bspeaking.

“I didn’t want you to find out like thisb, /bbNyssa/b. I never wanted to hurt you. I’m sorry.”

My eyes widened in bdisbelief /bat his words, surprised he bwas /bconfessing bso /beasily but his next words bshattered /bit in an instant.

“I should’ve told you that Aria wanted me to cheat on you… but I didn’t.”