Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 25

Scarlett

Chapter 25

Maxwell’s POV

“Maxwell, if you have grievances, take them out on me. Leave Stasia out of this,” Lucian said, positioning himself protectively in

front of her.

“When you get her out of here, I will,” I shot back, my voice cold. “There’s no place for her in this apartment. And if you insist on

forcing her to live with us, then I’ll take my part of the North and leave. Enough of this ‘brotherhood‘ nonsense, Lucian. You’re

selfish and heartless, thinking only of yourself.”

Lucian’s eyes narrowed in anger. “All this…for a tainted whore?”

The rage surged inside me, and I stepped closer, refusing to let his words go unanswered. “Don’t you dare call Scarlett a tainted whore again. She’s better than your social–climbing mistress, who, by the way, wasn’t a virgin when you first brought her here.” Stasia’s face crumpled, tears streaming down as she realized the disdain we all felt for her now. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw

Scarlett rise quietly from her seat and make her way to the door, desperate to escape the tension. But I couldn’t let her go.

“Scarlett, go to my room,” I said gently, doing my best to contain my rage.

“No. Maxwell, Lucian snarled, stepping forward. “She started all this, so let her stay and see it through.”

Before I could react, he lunged at me, slamming me back against the wall. Pain shot through my spine, but I pushed back, ready this time. When he came at me again, I landed a solid punch and followed it with a sharp kick, forcing him back. Lucian’s growl rumbled, his eyes flashing with the telltale signs of a shift, and I braced myself.

“Please stop!” Scarlett’s voice cut through the chaos, pleading desperately. “Please, just stop! Stasia, it’s okay. Maxwell, don’t–don’t fight over this. I’m comfortable enough on the couch.”

But I shook my head, unwilling to let things slide again. “Things will change around here, Scarlett,” I assured her. I’d reached my breaking point with Lucian, and my patience for his cruelty had run out. Once Clay returned and learned the truth–that the girl we’d judged so harshly was likely innocent–he’d support this change as well. Lucian had held us in the dark for too long, letting lies fuel his hatred. I was done playing along.

I growled, stepping forward, letting Lucian feel the force of my authority. “There is no room for Stasia. Get the hell out, both of you.” Stasia’s face crumpled as she grabbed her bags, her sobs filling the room. She looked back at Lucian, pleading, but he finally released his hold, letting her run out. He followed her, and I watched them disappear, relief flooding through me.

Turning to Scarlett, I placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry for everything,” I said, my voice low, guilt thick in my throat. “We all let Thomas’s false reports cloud our judgment. We honestly believed you knew about the mate bond and still chose

to…to disregard it.”

To my surprise, she didn’t pull away, allowing me to hold her as we both let the truth settle. The bond we shared amplified her pain, and I could feel her silent strength fighting to keep herself composed.

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Chapter 25

She looked up at me, her gaze calm but full of sorrow. “I never met any of you until the day I was brought here. Maybe it was

someone else you met, or someone was introduced to you under my name. People in the South share similar looks, it’s not

impossible.” Her voice was steady, the logic cutting through the lies we’d all bought into. She was right; in our blind hatred, we’d

been willing to believe anything.

I knew now what had to be done. I’d track Thomas down and bring him here, force him to verify his reports. Lucian wouldn’t believe

the truth without proof, not in his stubborn state, and I wasn’t about to force Scarlett into any more suffering just to prove a point.

“I’ll let Clay know, too,” I told her, and she nodded, relief crossing her face. Of all of us, Clay had shown her kindness from the

start. She trusted him, and maybe, just maybe, he’d help us find a way forward through the wreckage of our mistakes.

Comments

Michele Gremillion

maybe a bond will start

7 days ago

14

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