tching him play in his toy room. My entire body felt stiff, and a

oughts. My heart craved a break out of this abusive hellhole I called

treat me like Byron did, and something in me believed he would cherish and save me from thi

y rott

crush Byron under his heel and rescue me, take Valen, a

resting about it. The only thing keeping me from escaping was my son. If I hadn't had Valen, run

never-ending nightmare until he turned eigh

I couldn't. I'd never see Valen again the second I stepped out of this house. Byron would

t let tha

to my bedroom to call my dad. My parents were the architects of this

because he had been loyal to him for years-even saving his life o

tent with being poor. If I were you, I'd demand money and connections for saving the Alpha's li

ght to you to run the family; still, it's not enough. Why aren't you out there like your friends, running businesses and getti

l talk. You wouldn't know a good oppo

my gut, especially when I heard m

throwing a party. Take her there, let her meet him. Who knows, maybe Jacob w

owing enough about Byron's arrogant, spoiled personality from what I'd seen in the media. And funny, looking back, I

red my fashion dreams, and she said, "Your mom's righ

er again? Was this even life? Byron was a psychopath, and I nee

re you? I was just

t firm. "I don't care if Byron sends his boys

ar. The last time he tried to intervene when Byron mi

"You're putting yourself in

ation. "If I hadn't listened to you and Mom-if I hadn't gone to that damn

hat Byron said-you'd never see him again. Everyone's scared of Byron, even his father. Think about it. Wha

how could I live like this? "I can't keep doing

won't go against his son. He always sides with By

, furious and hopeless. He kept apologizing, but I wasn't list

nd kept racing, but exhaustion finally took over, and I slept

he maid interrupted me, saying someone was downstairs to see me. I wondered who

it?" I

to see you,

they even stepped through the door. I could f

. I wanted to run, bu

from me forever?" His deep vo

nd. Why did he have to look so damn good? "Ple

loser, each movement calculat

on't avoid each other. They e

c rising. "Your brother is my hu

making my skin burn. "You know wh

me alone. We'll have the rejection ceremony, and that's th

and chuckled, amused by my act. "Can we at lea

t on the farthest chair from him. He sat a

ou that desperate you didn't k

I snapped. "You kno

ry choice I had made-especially marrying Byron. His disappointmen

thing and gotten rid of the pregnancy before it bound me to Byron forever. But no, my mom had plann

tand the sight of me, he accepte

il, Valen's voice e

m coming d