She Turned Her Grief Into Wings novel Chapter 117

Shera had no idea when Caden had appeared there, nor did she know how much he had heard.

Whatever.

If he heard it, he heard it. What was he going to do to her anyway?

Shera averted her gaze and stepped forward to walk inside.

The moment they brushed past each other, her wrist was seized in an iron grip.

His eyelids were lowered, making it impossible to read his expression, but she knew for a fact his mood had completely tanked.

"Were you... telling the truth just now?" His voice was tight, gravelly.

Shera kept her eyes forward, her face calmer than it had ever been.

"Yes," she replied indifferently. "Every single word came from the bottom of my heart."

"Shera."

The grip on her wrist tightened. She tried to yank her hand back, but it was useless.

Shera turned her head to glare at the man beside her.

"What? Is Mr. Hayes's ego so fragile he can't handle a little criticism?"

She let out a soft laugh. "You can always just selectively ignore it. Isn't that what you do best?"

Ignoring her feelings, ignoring her needs, ignoring everything about her.

Ignoring her very existence as a person.

"You were just lashing out, weren't you? Because of the bracelet on Helga's wrist. You're angry."

He stared at her, his eyes locked onto hers.

It was as if he was desperately searching for a single crack in her armor, wanting to prove that she had only said those cruel things because Helga had backed her into a corner.

"No."

"I don't believe you."

He couldn't believe that the woman who had once been as gentle as water, who had always put him first, could say something like that.

"I said no."

Shera swung her arm fiercely, throwing Caden off balance for a second.

She glared right at him, her tone harder than it had ever been.

"Not a single word was spoken out of anger. It's exactly how I feel."

"You want to hear it? Fine, I'll say it to your face."

Caden interrupted her. "Shut up."

Instantly, the metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth.

With a violent shove, she sent him crashing into the wall behind him.

*Smack!*

A crisp, resounding slap echoed across the terrace. A bright red handprint blossomed across his cheek.

His lower lip was bleeding, his head knocked to the side, his hair slightly disheveled.

"Caden!"

Helga gasped from the side, but she didn't dare step closer.

"Ms. Jewell, you..." Her tone was laced with disbelief, but mostly fury.

Shera completely ignored her screeching and spat out the blood in her mouth.

Her chest heaved violently. She wiped the back of her hand fiercely across her lips, trying to scrub away the lingering taste of him.

The image of him and Helga alone in the corridor earlier flashed into her mind.

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.

That gesture burned Caden's eyes like acid. His lips parted slightly, but his throat was so painfully tight he couldn't force a single word out.