Lennoxโs POV
โWhat do you mean?โ I asked, confused.
Uncle Damien scoffed bitterly, shaking his head. โDonโt act like you donโt know what you didโฆ you and your brothers. You three are the reason Sofia left me. Iโve been waiting for the right moment to pay you back. And when the chance cameโoh, I grabbed it without a second thought.โ
My frown deepened. I genuinely had no idea what he was talking about.
โWhat do you mean weโre the reason Sofia left?โ I muttered, stunned.
Louis, who had been silent, stood up and marched toward Damien. โWhat the hell are you saying?โ he snapped.
Damien narrowed his eyes. โStop pretending. You all know exactly what Iโm talking about.โ
โWe donโt!โ I growled, losing my patience. โWe donโt fucking know what youโre talking about!โ
Father stepped forward, his voice calm but edged with confusion. โDamienโฆ what is this really about?โ
Damien turned to him, his face hardening. โYour sonsโฆ they betrayed me.โ
โHow?โ I demanded. โHow did we betray you?!โ
Damien was like an older brother to us. He was family. We respected himโloved him. What betrayal was he talking about?
He glared at the three of us. โYou remember when you came to spend those few days in my pack? I saw the way you acted around Sofia. At first, I thought nothing of itโฆ figured you were just being friendly, maybe saw her as a sister. I never imagined you were catching feelings for my fiancรฉe.โ
I took a step forward, disgusted. โGod forbid! Are you even hearing yourself? Sofia was your fiancรฉeโand she was five years older than us! How could you ever think weโd have feelings for her?โ
โYouโre lying,โ Damien said coldly. โAll three of youโliars.โ
Louis looked like heโd explode. โYouโre insane.โ
Damien ignored him. โAnd as if that wasnโt bad enoughโฆ I shared something with youโsomething only I and my personal healer knew. I told you I wasโฆ impotent. That my healer had confirmed it. I told you how scared I was to tell Sofiaโฆ because she wanted kids. Because she dreamed of being a mother.โ
He clenched his fists, trembling with anger. โI trusted you with that. And the very next day, she left. She left a letter saying she couldnโt be with me now that she knew I couldnโt give her children. She knew the one thing no one else did. And the only people I toldโฆ were you three.โ
His voice dropped, filled with pain. โIt was you. One of you told her.โ
I shook my head, my heart pounding. โWe didnโt tell her,โ I said firmly. โNone of us did.โ
I turned to my brothers. โLouisโฆ Leviโฆ did any of you?โ
โNo,โ Louis said immediately, his jaw clenched. โNever.โ
โNot me,โ Levi added, looking hurt. โWhy would we betray him like that?โ
I looked back at Damien, my voice rising. โYou hear that? None of us said a word. We didnโt tell Sofia anything!โ
But Damienโs face remained stone cold. He scoffed bitterly. โOf course youโd deny it. Thatโs exactly why I never confronted you back then. I knew what youโd say.โ
โBecause weโre innocent!โ I snapped.
โNo,โ he growled. โBecause youโre guiltyโand I know it. I saw the way she looked at you three. I saw the way you hovered around her like lovesick puppies. Donโt stand there and pretend you didnโt want her for yourselves.โ
โThatโs insane,โ Louis muttered.
โYou wanted her,โ Damien went on, ignoring him. โYou took the one woman I lovedโthe woman I was going to marryโand now Iโve returned the favor.โ
I froze.
โWhat?โ I breathed.
His eyes burned into mine. โYou made me lose my mateโฆ the only woman Iโve ever loved. So now, Iโve made sure you lose yours.โ
It hit me like a punch to the gut.
โOlivia,โ Levi whispered, eyes wide with horror.
Damienโs lips curled into a cruel smirk. โAn eye for an eye, boys. You took my heart and crushed it. So, Iโve returned the favor. Youโll never get her back.โ
A sick silence filled the room. My stomach twisted.
All thisโฆ all of it was his revenge plan. He truly believed we told Sofia about his secret. But we didnโtโand Iโd stake my life on itโnone of my brothers would ever do something like that. And Sofia? Why would he ever think we liked her that way?
Yes, we were close to herโฆ but only because she reminded us of Olivia. Her voice, her laugh, the way she walkedโeven her stubbornness. It was like watching a grown version of her. That was the only reason we stayed close. Not because of desireโฆ never that.
Father stepped forward, anger and disbelief written all over his face. โDamien,โ he said quietly, but firmly. โI can swear on my lifeโฆ my sons didnโt tell Sofia anything. I know them. They wouldnโt betray you.โ
But Damienโs face twisted into a deeper rage.
โKeep quiet!โ he shouted, his voice shaking with rage. โYouโre just as much a liar as they are!โ
Father froze. โWhat?โ
Damienโs lip curled. โYou want to swear on your life?โ he spat. โWhen are you going to tell Olivia the truth? When will you finally stand before your pack and admit that her father wasnโt guilty of the theft he was accused ofโฆ and that he isnโt dead?!โ
The room went still. Everything stopped. Even time.
My heart stuttered in my chest, and I saw the shock flash across my brothersโ faces as we all turned to stare at our father.
He went pale.
โWhatโฆ what did you just say?โ I asked, barely able to get the words out.
Damien laughedโa low, cold, bitter sound that sent chills through my spine. โYeah. Thatโs right. Maybe before throwing around your righteous little speeches, brother, you should look in the mirror. Youโre hiding something too. Lying to everyone.โ
Fatherโs hands curled into fists at his sides. His jaw clenched, but he didnโt say a word. He didnโt even deny his brotherโs claim.
โFather, what is he talking about?โ Levi, who had managed to leave the bed, asked.
Father frowned deeply, glaring at his brother before turning to us.
โYES. Oliviaโs father was innocent. And he is alive and healthy. Thatโs all you need to knowโฆ for now.โ With that, he turned sharply and left the room with Mother.
I exchanged shocked glances with my brothers, struggling to process what had just happened. Our father had just walked out after dropping a bomb that shattered everything we thought we knew.
Oliviaโs fatherโฆ alive? Innocent?
I clenched my fists, my breathing uneven. The same man she cried overโฆ mournedโฆ nearly killed herself for? He was alive this whole time?
โUnbelievable,โ Louis muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. โWhat the hell is going on?โ
Levi looked like the wind had been knocked out of him. โDoes Olivia know?โ he whispered.
I didnโt answer. I couldnโt. Because my thoughts were spinning too fastโฆ too loud.
Behind us, Damien let out a long, slow breathโalmost like he was satisfied. He dusted his hands as he took a few steps back. โWellโฆ I guess my work here is done.โ
We all turned to him slowly. He smiled, that same cruel smirk still dancing on his lips. โIโve waited three years for this moment. Watching your lives fall apart the same way mine didโฆ itโs been satisfying, boys.โ
โYouโre sick,โ Louis spat.
Damien laughed lightly. โCall it whatever you want. But now you know what it feels like to lose someone you love because of betrayalโฆ or at least the idea of it. Just like I did.โ
I took a step forward, my voice cold. โYou really think this is over?โ
โOh, it is,โ Damien said, casually adjusting his coat. โI came. I exposed. I broke you. And now, Iโm going back home.โ
He started toward the door, then paused, glancing over his shoulder one last time. โOh, and by the wayโฆโ He smirked, eyes glinting with mockery. โGood luck winning Olivia back. If you even think sheโll forgive you after everythingโฆ after what you didโฆโ He chuckled. โYouโre more delusional than I thought.โ
My chest tightened.
โShe will vanish from your lives,โ Damien added. โJust like Sofia did.โ
And with that, he walked out. A suffocating silence hung in the air. No one moved. No one spoke. I could feel my brothersโ stares. I could feel my own breath shaking in and out, trying to keep it together.
But then, after a few minutes, the silence was broken by soft footsteps outside the door, then the door eased openโฆ And this timeโฆ it wasnโt Damien.
It was Olivia. She stood there in the doorway, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her eyes were hard. But there was no sadness in her gaze now, just something cold. Emotionless.
My heart stopped.
โOlivia,โ I whispered, taking a step forward.
She lifted a hand, stopping me in my tracks.
โIโm not here to talk,โ she said quietly. Her voice was calm, too calm. โIโm only here to say one thing.โ
We waited, every muscle in my body tense. She met each of our eyesโme, then Louis, then Levi. Her lips trembled for half a secondโฆ but she pressed them together and went on.
โIโm leaving,โ she said.