Contract With The Alpha King by Brey Mitchylle

Chapter 3

"Be specific, Regor, Elijah drawled. The man was clearly enjoying this.

"Miss Milina, the wife of the patriarch of the Rosenthal family, and Miss Elise Rosenthal, Miss Fiona's younger sister, who is set to inherit the Rosenthal fortune, are here. They want to speak with Miss Fiona, Regor replied, his eyes cold and unreadable. Fiona's heart sank. The mere thought of facing her mother and sister filled her with a familiar, suffocating dread. It was as if a vice was tightening around her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs.

"I will talk to them," she said as she turned to Elijah. "And I will consider your proposal, Your Highness."

Elijah's smile widened, but there was no warmth in it, only a predatory gleam. "Good. Very good. Now, go on. Saw them what you're made of." He dismissed her with a wave of his hand, the gestare as sharp as a blade. Fiona forced herself to follow Regor, her pulse thrumming-

As soon as she stepped into the room where her mother and sister were waiting, the air thickened with tension. Fiona barely had time to register the scorn etched on their faces before her mother's hand shot out, a sharp crack echoing through the room as it connected with Fiona's cheek. Pain exploded in her head, her vision blurring as the force of the slap whipped her face to the side.

But Fiona didn't have time to react. The moment she raised her hand to the burning skin, Elise lunged forward, her eyes blazing with fury, her hand raised to strike. But this time, Fiona was ready. She caught Elise's arm mid-air, her grip ironclad stopping the slap just inches from her face.

The room seemed to freeze in that moment. Elise's eyes widened in shock, but before Fiona could say a word, Milina's hand shot out, slapping Fiona hard across the other cheek. The sound echoed like a gunshot in the room, Fiona staggered back, releasing Elise's arm as the sting of the blow seared her skin.

"How dare you touch your sister!" Milina spat, trembling with barely contained rage. "Let her go this instant!"

let her sister's

"What have you done, Fiona? Your father is livid! Do

her head, locking eyes with her mother. The shock was fading, replaced by a cold, steely anger. She had expected this-had braced herself for it but the reality of their hatred still cut deep. T'm doing what I have to. I can't stay

care, Elise? You've never cared about what happens to me" Elise's eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't play the victim, Fiona. You've always been the problem in this family. Always causing trouble, always on the outside looking in. Everything was fine until you opened your mouth. Why couldn't you just endure like the rest of us?" Fiona's chest tightened with a surge of anger. She wanted to strike back with words that

had been relentless in his criticism, his words like knes that cut her down at every turn. No matter what she did, it was never enough. Elise, with her healing abilities, was the golden child, the one who

their father's anger, his disappointment, his desire to

mother had stood by, always silent, always complicit. Even when Fiona had come to her, desperate for comfort after Zach's abuse, Milina had turned away. "We can't upset

injustice. Her mother had never protected her, never stood up for her. It had always been about

of despair, but she fought against it. She had cried enough, bled enough. She was done being weak. Done seeking approval that would never come. She was done trying to please

Elise. Father adored you because you were special. And you, Mother," she said. turning to Milina, "you let him do it. You let him tear me apart because it was easier than standing up to him. You let him destroy me because you didn't want to

widened in shock. "Fiona,

You let him treat me like I was nothing. And when Zach did the same, you did nothing to stop it. You let me suffer because it was easier for you to prétend everything was fine.

me. And you- she looked at Elise, her gaze hardening, "you enjoyed every moment of it. You thrived on being the one he loved

her sister. "You have no idea what I've been through. You never cared about anyone but

that way!" Milina finally intervened. The marriage was supposed to fix you! It was supposed to make you better! A future Luna is what everyone wanted for you!

last remnants of sadness inside Fiona evaporated. Keep the peace. That was all her mother had ever cared about. She shook