Chapter 72 April's POV I cradled Azura in my arms and walked back home. There were still traces of soot in the air, and I realised that Azura's white fur had been tainted a slight black from all the smoke and soot. I made a mental note to shower her once I got home. She really needed one. It didn't take long, and soon, I was right at my doorstep. I peeked through the window and saw that the house was quiet, and it seemed quite empty. I smiled lightly to myself. This was perfect. I could grab all the pictures that I needed without having to worry that someone would see me. I pushed the door open and went inside. I walked quietly and tried not to let the floorboards creak under my footsteps. I headed upstairs, and soon, the sound of voices became more apparent. I was drawn by curiosity and inched closer and closer to the source of the voices. It didn't take long for me to make out Susan and Dorian's voices, and they seemed to be in a heated argument. I became even more intrigued
Dorian's POV I dragged her into the room and watched her writhe in pain. I enjoyed the way she squirmed and groaned in pain. My intrusive thoughts wanted me to yank her hair so hard that her scalp would bleed, but I managed to suppress them.I was going to make her feel pain soon enough, and I was going to make sure that I relished every moment of it.She tried her best to pry my hands off my hair, but my grip was firm and tight.“Dorian, let go of me! You are hurting me!"I scoffed."Hurting you? Am I now? Isn't Karma a bitch. April, the people you hurt are much more important than the hairs on your scalp. You deserve this pain. Don't forget it.”Her cries of pain were nothing to me, and I pulled her head even harder and enjoyed the way her eyes teared up and her screams for me to let her go. “I know that you need a villain just so that you can pretend to play the hero, but I am not the villain you are looking for. In fact, you are your own villain. Let me go!"I chuckled lightly; I
April's POV Dorian stormed angrily to the door, but I beat him to it and flung it open. My jaw dropped to see Jacob standing there."Jacob?""April?"He looked from me to Dorian and back to me in confusion. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he didn't know how to start. “April, what is going on here? What happened to your face? Your eyes are puffy. What is going on?”I was trembling and tried my best to de-escalate the situation, but Dorian pushed me away, and I nearly fell to the floor."And what are you doing here?" asked Dorian to Jacob."I was sent with a message for April. My parents would like to invite her for dinner to help us to aid some of the casualties of the attack."Dorian chuckled and glanced at me with a dangerous smile."Well, as you can see, we are a bit busy here, so maybe you can tell your parents that April can check in tomorrow."Jacob's face looked stern and concerned, and he looked over Dorian's shoulder to me."April, I need you to tell me what is h
Dorian's POV "Now that we are back to being alone, I want answers to my questions. What have you and..." Ring! Ring! My phone buzzed in my pocket, cutting me off. I stared angrily at April and fished my phone from my pocket. I saw that it was Ivar that was calling. I wondered what he wanted. I raised the phone to my ear but never looked away from April. Not even once. "What's the matter, Ivar?" "Dorian, he's awake." I didn't waste any time. The captive that I had brought back from the forest after my solo attack has woken up. At least, one way or another, I would get some answers. "I'll be right there." The line went dead, and I turned back to April; her cat was still in my arms, meowing softly. "It seems our little discussion session is going to have to wait. But if you dare think that you can leave this house to hide from me, I will scout you out and treat you like the traitor that you are." I looked at how serious she looked and scoffed. "As for your little gift from yo
Chapter 76April's POVI was relieved as Dorian released Azura and left the room when his phone rang. Azura meowed at my feet, and I inspected her to ensure she was okay and not hurt. She seemed alright, and I cradled her in my arms. As my eyes fell on my clothes, I saw that they were covered in sweat, blood and grime. Being with the injured and Dorian hugging me had left imprints on my clothes.I looked at Azura's fur; she was slightly tainted with soot, and there were little blood smears here and there."When was the last time I gave you a bath? Your fluffiness hides your little stinky self."She meowed and rubbed her face on my cheek. I smiled."Yeah. I guess I stink, too. We should both probably get cleaned up."I gave Dorian's door one final glare and walked away. As soon as I got to my room, just as I was about to open the door, I saw him walk out of the front door, and he seemed to be in a hurry.I scoffed and ignored him. I wanted nothing to do with him. I hoped he didn't h
Chapter 77Dorian's POVI looked at him in shock and disbelief. Was he trying to save his skin at the last minute?"Are you sure of what you are telling me?"He nodded his head, and some of his blood fell on the floor."I am positive. I am really sure. I swear on my life."I raised myself up to my full height and glared at him. His disfigured face stared back at me, and I decided to believe him. What did I really have to lose? But if I found out that this was all a hoax, his head would roll beneath my feet."Fine, in that case, I guess you get to live for one more month. I need to verify what you told me, and you better pray it's the truth."I instructed the guards to take him to the dungeon, and we left the room. I was about to leave when Ivar stopped me.“I wanted to ask if you had the tax issue sorted out. Our financial advisor has been shivering like a leaf for a while."I sighed and rolled my eyes. I had nearly forgotten about it.“No, I haven't. I plan to give the taxes to the R
Dorian's POVThis couldn't be possible. No one was that careless to forget their own birthday. Even if it was possible, it couldn’t be Stacie. Birthdays were a big deal for her, and she always chose a theme for her birthday months ahead.What on earth was going on here? What was I reading? I looked at the diary over and over again, but the words were written in clear black ink on brilliant white paper. There were no mistakes. The handwriting was crystal clear.I grabbed the picture, diary, and tax documents and headed to my room as fast as I could. Something wasn't right, and I was going to get to the bottom of it, even if that was the last thing I did. I got to my room, slammed the door firmly behind me, and walked to my calendar that hung on the wall.Was it even her 16th birthday that this happened? I checked for everything that I could possibly think of, but there were no mistakes. In the diary, it was written that April bullied her on her 16th birthday and that she left her outsi
Chapter 79April's POV I woke up the next day and rubbed my eyes sleepily. I had had the weirdest dream about Dorian that he was holding me close and caressing my face as if he was my long lost lover. It felt so real. I could hear his soft voice whispering in my ears, and he told me how much he loved me and wanted me.I shook my head and cleared my mind of the thoughts. Dorian didn't love me. He was selfish and cruel. It was just a dream; none of it was real. I stroked my neck and found out that the stinging had disappeared, and I was feeling much better. What had happened last night? I looked around the room to find Azura and caught sight of her sleeping on the couch at the far end of the room. She seemed to be very comfy, and from the way she lay down, I could tell that she had barely stirred the entire time, which was odd because I could have sworn that I felt her licking my neck while I slept. It was the only logical explanation for why my neck was wet. Maybe she did lick my