Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem) by Pippa Moon novel Chapter 339

Chase's POV

Astaroth lingered in the doorway, his satisfied smirk sending a chill down my spine. The grand chamber felt oppressive, the air thick with otherworldly energy that set my nerves on edge. I caught Liam's eye across the room; we both knew we needed to get Lottie and the others out of here—and fast.

Astaroth's words hung heavy in the room, his tone dripping with sarcasm. But there was something else in his eyes—curiosity, maybe even suspicion. I clenched my jaw, fuming internally at how he'd manipulated everything. He thought he held all the cards, but thanks to Selene's parting gift—a blind spot in our minds shielding our agreement with her—there were things even he couldn't reach. Liam and I had agreed not to think about it, just in case. Astaroth was powerful, and I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him.

"Feeling like a new man," Knox stretched, testing his limbs as he spoke with a grin.

"Glad to see you're back on your feet," I replied, forcing a casual tone. Inside, I was coiled tight, ready to spring. The only thing left was to convince Lottie to leave this damned place.

"Interesting recovery, considering the severity of your wounds." Astaroth's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Must not have been that deep," Liam interjected, offering a nonchalant shrug. We both knew it was, and so did Astaroth, but Liam was the smartest man I knew. He had said that for a reason, and given the look on Astaroth's face, it was to draw the truth from him.

"What?" Astaroth's gaze sharpened. He stepped closer to Knox, eyes flickering with something dark. "Oh, I doubt that. I saw the blade myself—it should have killed you." A pulse of tension shot through the room. Lottie stiffened, her eyes snapping to Astaroth.

"How could you have seen it? You were with me," she demanded, suspicion lacing her voice.

The room fell into a heavy silence. Doubt crawled across everyone's faces like a shadow creeping in at dusk. Kane's brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing as he studied Astaroth with a mix of confusion and mistrust. Adam shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting between Astaroth and Lottie. Even Knox looked taken aback, a flicker of unease crossing his features. The fragile trust in the room was unravelling, thread by thread.

"I have... ways of knowing," he noted evasively. Astaroth faltered for a split second, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he masked it.

"Ways of knowing." Lottie laughed, shaking her head.

"It makes no sense; you said only I could save him... of course, because only you knew what blade was used on him. What blade Sebastian had," she rushed out. Her eyes widened as she looked at me, her eyes filled with horror.

"Because you gave it to him!" she snapped, her voice sharp with anger. Her fists clenched at her sides, and her entire body trembled. "You orchestrated this entire nightmare!" She stepped toward Astaroth, eyes blazing. "You manipulated us, played us all like pieces on a chessboard!"

"That is not the subject at hand here, Lottie," Astaroth warned, but she kept going.

"Was any of it real?" she shouted, her voice echoing off the chamber walls. "Did I even kill Sebastian? Or was that just another one of your twisted illusions?" Tears brimmed in her eyes, but they didn't fall. "Did Bash drag me out of my room that night, or was it you? Was it all a lie?" Her doubt and rage melded into a storm of emotion, her breathing quickening as she glared at him.

I watched in alarm as tiny purple sparks began to flicker around her fingertips, her eyes glowing with an intensity I'd never seen before. A surge of raw power emanated from her, and I realized with a jolt that she was tapping into abilities none of us fully understood. If this escalated, there was no telling what might happen.

"Did you see that..." Adam gasped through our mind link, his mental voice tinged with disbelief.

"Yeah," I responded tersely, not taking my eyes off Lottie.