622 Margaret didn’t move. She stood her ground, her icy gaze fixed on Zayne. “And what if I don’t?” she asked, her voice low and full of challenge. “What are you going to do, Zayne? Yell at me some more? Hit me? Is that what you want?” Zayne’s body went rigid, his hand twitching at his side as tho
623 Felix moved faster this time, grabbing Zayne’s wrist in a tight grip and yanking him back. “Stop it,” Felix said sharply, his voice full of authority. “This isn’t helping.” Zayne’s chest heaved as he glared at Margaret, his fury barely contained. “She knows something,” he spat, his voice a low
624 Margaret’s sneer faltered. Her arms fell to her sides, her knuckles white where her fists had been clenched. She opened her mouth, hesitated, and then closed it again. “Margaret,” Micah said, stepping closer now. “If you don’t tell us what’s going on, you’re not just failing her—you’re abandon
625 “You’re lying!” Zayne roared, lunging toward her. Felix and Lucian immediately grabbed him, pulling him back as he struggled to break free. “Let go of me! I’ll make her talk—” “Enough!” Felix’s voice cut through the chaos, and Zayne froze, though his breathing was ragged and his gaze locked on
626 Margaret’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she stepped closer, her voice low but laced with venom. “You’ll pay for what you did to my son.” Felix arched a brow, amusement flickering in his cold gaze. “Your son? What are you babbling about now, Margaret?” “You know exactly what I mean!” she snapp
627 “You’re all so sure of yourselves,” Margaret bit out, masking the unease rising in her chest. “But you’ve underestimated me before, and I’ll prove you wrong again.” Zayne’s grin widened. “Oh, I do hope you try, Margaret. We could use the entertainment.” Micah, who had been silent for much of
628 Margaret’s glare sharpened, her voice slicing through the heavy tension in the room. “Who is the Broker you’re working with? Tell me now.” Zayne smirked, lounging back against the edge of the ornate table as though her words amused him more than anything. “As if we’d tell you that. Do you take
629 The air was thick—heavy with hostility. Margaret’s fingers clenched at her sides as Zayne’s smirk started to falter. The amusement that once danced in his eyes darkened to something far more menacing. His patience was unraveling, thread by thread, and it showed in the way his movements grew sha
642 Margaret blinked, caught off guard by the question. She and James had been so focused on the reunion that they hadn’t even thought about the state they were in. Their clothes were smeared with dirt and mud, and their faces were streaked with grime. James shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of
641 As Margaret and James stepped into the dimly lit mansion, the weight of the day still hung heavily over them. The air inside was cool, but there was a palpable sense of tension between them. Margaret walked ahead, her steps sure, but her thoughts clearly elsewhere. James followed, keeping his e
640 Margaret’s gaze softened. She knew James better than anyone, but sometimes even she couldn’t tell if he was hiding something or just being cryptic. “You know, you can always talk to me.” “I know,” James muttered, a touch of irritation in his voice. “But I’m not the one with a thousand secrets,
639 Margaret’s piercing eyes lingered on the battered Oakbar brothers one last time before turning to Maelstrom. His expression was unreadable, cold, and calculating. His voice, however, was clear and final. “Leave them to me,” he commanded, his tone brooking no argument. “I’ll ensure justice is s
638 Margaret’s piercing gaze locked onto the Oakbar brothers, her usual composure now tinged with visible impatience. She stepped forward, her boots crunching against the forest floor, her tone sharp and commanding. “All right, enough games,” she said firmly, her voice cutting through the silence
637 Margaret’s eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. “You knew?” she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief. “And you didn’t tell me?” James stood firm, though a shadow of guilt flickered in his eyes. “I couldn’t risk it,” he said, his tone measured but heavy. “If the Oakbars had
636 The Oakbar brothers were frozen, their faces pale as they stared at King Maelstrom. The sudden revelation that the man before them was the infamous ruler of the Maelstrom Kingdom seemed almost too unreal to process. Their minds raced, the pieces of their terror-stricken world falling into place
635 The silence in the clearing was suffocating, the tension so thick it felt as if the air itself was holding its breath. Margaret could barely comprehend what had just transpired—she had watched in stunned disbelief as the Oakbar brothers, once towering figures of violence and arrogance, had been
Zayne clenched his jaw, his body taut with tension. "I will never apologize to her," he spat, his words biting, full of venom. "You think just because you’ve beaten me down with your *presence*—that you’ve won? It’s all a game to you, isn’t it? You—” The stranger interrupted him before he could fin