Chapter 177

Alex’s POV

The stench hit me first. It was of sweat, iron, and damp stone curled in my nostrils as I stepped into the holding area. The guard hesitated as he unlocked the last cell, throwing me a look that might’ve been a warning, but I didn’t care. My focus was fixed on the man inside.

Daniel.

He sat there, sprawled across the narrow cot like he was lounging in some high–end club instead of rotting in a jail cell. His face was a patchwork of bruises and cuts, courtesy of either the officers or someone who shared my sentiment about him. Yet, for all his injuries, he still looked insufferably arrogant. That smirk tugged at the corner of his swollen lip like he had just won a round no one else realized was happening.

I gritted my teeth and stepped forward, my hands tightening into fists at my sides. “You look comfortable,” I said, my voice cold, cutting. “Considering you’re sitting in the only place you deserve to be.”

Daniel slowly lifted his head, his bloodshot eyes meeting mine. That damned smirk widened. “Well, look who it is. The knight in shining armor. Come to gloat, Alex?” His voice was a slow drawl, mocking and dripping with disdain. “Or maybe just to remind yourself that you’re still her favorite hero?”

I felt a muscle twitch in my jaw. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?”

He let out a low chuckle, leaning forward, his elbows resting casually on his knees. “Quit? Why would I? I was winning until you decided to storm in, guns blazing, playing the savior.” His eyes narrowed, venom pooling in his voice. “You ruined everything.”

“You mean your sick little game? Drugging my kids? Manipulating Christiana? Forcing her to-” My voice faltered for a moment as the memory clawed its way back to the surface. I shook my head, my fists clenching

shrugged, his tone infuriatingly casual. “She had a choice. Everyone has a choice. Don’t act like I held a

but I forced myself to remain still. If I let him push me, he’d win in some twisted way. “You’re disgusting,” I said, my voice low but laced with pure hatred. “She was terrified. Do you even understand what you put her through? The position you forced

tilting lazily against the wall, as if he were bored. “Oh, spare me the moral lecture, Alex. You think you’re so righteous, don’t you? But let’s

didn’t let it show. I stepped closer, gripping the bars until the cold metal bit into my palms. “Don’t try to twist this. You’re the one who drugged my kids, who

the small cell. “And why do you think had to? Hmm? Let me remind you, Alex, you weren’t

words, but I didn’t back down.

Alex. Something real. But you…” He jabbed a finger in my direction, his face contorting with rage. “You couldn’t stand it. You had to force

a coward to step up. You think you had a change with her? You

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Wed, Dec

Chapter 177

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man are you, Alex? The self–proclaimed protector, always swooping in to save the day? Newsflash…you’re no

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