Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 57

**Healing Slowly But Surely**
*By R. Joseph*

Leilani.

As I finally pulled into my driveway and parked my car, an unexpected wave of emotion washed over me, and I felt tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. It was strange—why was I crying? I had barely crossed the threshold of my home before the anger bubbled back up inside me. Chalice, that insufferable woman, had strutted into my life with her smug smile and triumphant demeanor, delivering the most devastating news imaginable.

I loathed her.

With a frustrated toss, I flung my keys onto the nearby table and stormed up to my room. I stood before my vanity, staring at my reflection, and the sight that met my eyes was jarring. My skin was marred with an array of bruises—swathes of crimson, deep black, and sickly purple splattered across my arms and legs, remnants of the torment I had inflicted upon myself the night before.

The memory crashed over me like a tidal wave: me, clawing at my own skin, gasping for breath as I writhed on the floor, tears cascading down my cheeks, the agony overwhelming me.

Too much pain; all because they were with someone else.

Even now, the echoes of that torment lingered, reverberating through my body like an aftershock. And now, to top it all off, Chalice was pregnant? Pregnant? As if my heartache wasn’t already enough to bear.

I hastily wiped away the tears that had begun to spill and stepped into the shower, letting the water wash over me, hoping to cleanse away not only the physical dirt but the emotional grime as well. When I emerged, I didn’t even bother to dry my hair; I simply slipped into a comfortable set of pajama shorts and a loose top, ready to retreat into the comfort of my own space.

As I made my way down to the kitchen to prepare dinner, the sudden sound of the doorbell made me freeze in my tracks. Who could it be? I wasn’t expecting anyone. Slowly, I approached the door and peered through the intercom, my frown deepening.

“Goddess, if it’s one of those triplets, I swear I’ll lose it… and if it’s Chalice, well, I might just commit my first murder today.”

“Sweetcakes, it’s me!” Jarek’s cheerful voice rang out, and a rush of relief flooded through me.

I flung open the door, stepping back in surprise as I was greeted by a massive hamper overflowing with every kind of calorie-laden indulgence one could imagine. His face lit up with a grin that was so infectious, I couldn’t help but smile back.

“I brought you dinner!” he announced, his excitement palpable.

I was momentarily taken aback, astonished that he had shown up with such a thoughtful gesture. He breezed past me, his enthusiasm evident as he explained, “I swung by the grocery store today, then hit up a fast-food place. I couldn’t help but wonder if you’d eaten yet. You were so busy when I left the office, so I thought I’d bring this along.”

My heart swelled at his kindness. “It looks like a peace offering,” I teased lightly.

“Yes, it definitely is,” he replied, his eyes sparkling.

As I closed the door behind me, something caught my eye—a large bouquet of red roses sitting next to my trash can, a sight I certainly hadn’t noticed before. I turned back to Jarek, curiosity piqued.

“Those flowers… where did they come from?”

He glanced at me, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face before he turned away, setting the hamper on the kitchen counter. “I saw them when I arrived. I knew you usually toss them, so I thought I’d help out.”

I chuckled softly, “Was there a note this time?”

“None. Just the flowers,” he replied with a shrug.

I took a moment to eye the bouquet again before walking over to him. “Thank you for the food, Jay,” I said quietly, “I was just about to start dinner, but now you’ve saved me a good chunk of time.”

But his gaze wasn’t on my face; it was roaming over my arms, my neck, my legs.

The apple he had been holding slipped from his fingers and hit the floor with a soft thud. His eyes widened as he stepped closer, scanning my body as if trying to take in the full extent of what he saw.

It took a moment for me to realize what he was staring at—my scars, remnants of the previous night’s self-inflicted torment. Tears threatened to spill again, and I felt a deep desire to vanish, to sink into the earth and hide from the world. My life felt like an endless cycle of misery, and the moon goddess seemed intent on dragging me deeper into despair.

“What happened? Did someone hurt you?” His voice was barely above a whisper, laced with concern that felt like a sharp knife to my heart.

And that hurt. I didn’t want his pity, yet here it was, wrapping around me like a suffocating blanket.

For a fleeting moment, I thought about kissing him, about surrendering myself to him, as if that could somehow balance the scales of what the triplets had done to me.

But I couldn’t do that.

I followed him, settling beside him on the couch. “Of course, I did. It’s Chalice we’re talking about. I had to document it before she twists the narrative into something else.”

“That’s smart!” Jarek said, affectionately ruffling my damp hair as we sank into a comfortable silence, enjoying our pizza while watching an episode of *Law and Order*.

Jarek.

As I watched Leilani drift into a peaceful sleep, a pang tugged at my heart. In this moment, she looked serene, untouched by the chaos of the world, but I could see the subtle twitches of her eyelids and hear the faint murmurs escaping her lips, signaling that she was far from truly at peace.

And those scars…

They were a testament to the pain inflicted upon her by those pathetic mates of hers. No wonder she had come to work today with a plan for revenge, her determination manifesting in the form of CUSP.

I longed to reach out, to caress her cheek, but fear held me back. What if my words altered the delicate balance of our relationship? What if she pulled away, unable to bear the weight of my feelings?

Besides, I had my own mate—a mate I would never accept, but one I feared would suffer just as much as Leilani if I ever dared to touch anyone else, especially since she had been in a coma for over seven months now.

Suddenly, Leilani stirred in her sleep, and I instinctively wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close, feeling her warmth seep into me.

Goddess, she was breathtaking—exquisite, divine.

Every fiber of my being responded to her in ways I had never experienced before. Even my restless wolf calmed at her side, despite his hatred for our mate.

I brushed my lips against her forehead, whispering softly, “I’ll always protect you. I’ll always be here for you. I love you more than you could ever imagine.”

“I know…” her voice floated back to me, barely audible, and I froze in disbelief.

But when I leaned closer to examine her face, she remained fast asleep. Had I imagined her response, or was it real?