EPISODE 24
TALE
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11:25 AM
I sat up slowly, my breath catching in my throat.”
The video still played beside me like some cruel hallucination.
I blinked, hoping the image would change, that it would dissolve, or someone would yell “cut,” or the whole scene would glitch like a bad dream. But it didn’t. The footage was clear.
Real. Painfully real.
“No…” I whispered. “This isn’t right…”
Lucas knelt in front of me, his face too close, his eyes brimming with something between smugness and pity.”
“Did he promise that he loved you? Told you you’d live happily ever after?” Lucas made sure the video was right in my line of sight. “This is him, the real him. In front of all those people, he chose to get engaged to Catelyn.“\
I shook my head. “No. He clearly hates Catelyn.“}
“Maybe. Or maybe not. Who knows if he ever told the truth?” he murmured, reaching for my hand. “Come to me, Selene. Let me take care of you. Ulysses belongs to high society. He’ll always look down on you once you marry. It’s better to marry someone like me, someone who stands as your equal.“}
He gestured toward the screen. “If you want to reach this pedestal, I can bring you there. Just choose me, and I’ll give you the wealth you’ve always wanted.”
I pulled my hand away like it burned.
“Don’t touch me,” I snapped.”
His expression flickered. For a second, he looked wounded. Then the softness in his voice disappeared.”
“You’re still as stubborn as ever, Selene. I thought you’d be grateful now that I saved you but it seems I wasted all my kindness on someone who doesn’t deserve it,” he said coldly.
I stared at him with defiance burning in my eyes. I had followed him for five years, been his underdog, but not anymore. I was done returning to a life that only brought me pain.”
“You know, I like you more now,” Lucas said with a short laugh. “You used to be so meek. Like some fairytale princess. Honestly, it was boring. That’s why I preferred your sister. She was wild. There was excitement in her that you didn’t have. Who knew you had this fierceness in you?“}
“You’re the worst,” I muttered, disgusted. “You’re no better than an animal.”
Lucas laughed, as if I had just told a joke. Then he ordered the men with him to carry the unconscious Lilith out of the room.”
“You don’t have to worry about her,” he said, standing up and straightening his jacket. “Lilith won’t bother you again. I’ll make sure she ends up in jail for disobeying my orders. And with her out of the picture… it’ll just be us.”
“I will never like you. Ever.”
“I don’t care,” he chuckled. “Let’s see what lasts longer, your resolve or my patience? I’ll keep you locked up here until you realize no one’s coming to save you unless you agree to be mine. Don’t worry, once you accept me, I won’t look for any other woman. Just having you is enough.”}}
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My mind was spinning too fast, circling around Ulysses… and that ring on Catelyn’s finger.”
Lucas moved to the door, then paused and looked over his shoulder.M
“You have nowhere to go,” he said. “You’re mine now. Ulysses has moved on. You’ve got no one left.“W
Then he left. The door clicked shut behind him like the final nail in a coffin.
For a moment, I just sat there in the dim room, barely breathing. The pain in my wrists throbbed from the rope burns. My body ached, my skin was damp with dried sweat and fear, but the worst pain wasn’t physical.
It was betrayal.”
I trusted Ulysses. More than anyone. I had let him in. I had let myself believe he was different. And now… now it felt like everything I believed in was a lie.”
But I needed to know. I needed to see it for myself. I didn’t care if Lucas thought I was broken. I didn’t care if I had to crawl barefoot down the street. I had to find out the truth.”
I forced myself to my feet, wincing as I stood. My legs were shaking, but I didn’t stop. I stumbled out the door and into the cold night air, wrapping my arms around myself as I walked.
Lucas must have thought I was too devastated to escape. He hadn’t even bothered to leave guards behind.
So, I ran. I ran to seek answers.
I had no phone, no bag, no money. But I remembered the address. Lucas said that Ulysses would be attending the lavish international summit that had turned into an engagement party.
I didn’t stop. My breath burned my lungs, my feet ached, but I kept running until the golden lights of the congress hall came into
view.
Chandeliers glowed through tall windows. Expensive cars lined the entrance like a parade of status and power. Guests in suits and
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Chandeliers glowed through tall windows. Expensive cars lined the entrance like a parade of status and power. Guests in suits and gowns milled about near the entrance, and photographers buzzed around like bees. I pushed past the security barriers and slipped through the edge of the crowd.
And then, I saw him.
Ulysses.
He stood beneath the floodlights, tall and composed, dressed in a midnight–black suit that hugged his frame like it was made just for him. His hair was slicked back, his expression unreadable. He looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine.§
My heart pounded like a war drum in my chest.
But then… she was beside him.N
Catelyn.
She leaned in, speaking softly to him, and he leaned in too. They stood close, too close.}
She wore a pale silk gown that shimmered under the lights, perfectly matched to Ulysses’s elegant posture. Together, they looked like a couple from a painting.”
I froze.N
Everything around me slowed. My legs refused to move. My breath caught in my throat. The noise of the crowd faded beneath the roaring in my ears.
I watched him smile at the cameras.
I watched him stand beside her.
And I felt my heart breaking into pieces once more.
E
