Chapter Nineteen

Riven’s POV

She barged into my room looking completely flushed, her cheeks red, her breathing uneven like she had run all the way here without stopping.

My eyes lifted from the map in my hand, and without thinking twice, I closed it and dropped it on the desk, my attention shifting fully to her.

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.This little plaything was really starting to forget her place.

Interesting.

"You didn’t listen to the full explanation," Nicole said from behind her, his hand reaching for her arm as if he could still pull her back and undo whatever she had already decided to do.

Too late. The damage was already done, she was in my room already.

My gaze moved between them slowly, taking in the tension in her body, the way her shoulders were stiff, the way her chest rose and fell with every breath she took like she was trying to hold something back but failing at it.

What exactly did he tell her? Or better yet, what did she think she knew?

I let out a quiet sigh, leaning back slightly as I crossed my arms, studying her like she was something worth figuring out.

"What is the issue this time?" I asked, my voice calm, almost bored.

"Why did you give her the knife to kill me?"

The words came out sharp, fast, filled with anger that barely stayed contained. A vein stood out faintly on her forehead, her fists clenched at her sides as she stared at me like she was ready to attack if I gave her one more reason.

My gaze shifted briefly to my brother

He looked just as tense, his brows drawn together, but he didn’t speak. Of course he didn’t, there was nothing he could say now.

"Can you excuse us for a minute?" I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.

He hesitated for a second before nodding slightly and stepping out, the door closing behind him and leaving us alone in the room.

She stood there, still breathing hard, her cheeks flushed, her expression caught somewhere between anger and something softer that looked dangerously close to breaking.

If I pushed a little harder, she would cry. The thought almost amused me.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would do it myself," I said slowly, uncrossing my arms as I straightened. "Sending someone else to do it would be an insult to me."

I took a step closer, my gaze never leaving hers.

"I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed," I continued, my voice steady, almost casual. "Five thousand? Definitely higher. Twenty thousand? I really can’t tell anymore."

A faint smile rested on my lips as I spoke..Those numbers weren’t something I hid, I was really proud of it and I will still be proud of it.

"You did it so I would lose," she snapped immediately, refusing to back down. "How else would Elora know the kind of game you had planned? You sent someone to tell her everything." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

That made me pause..My eyes narrowed slightly, the amusement fading just a little as I studied her more carefully. What?

"Is that what she told you?" I asked, my tone shifting, quieter now but sharper. "Was it the same person who gave her the knife?"

My mind ran through it quickly, piece by piece, and for the first time, the situation started to make sense in a way it hadn’t before.

There was no way this was random. Either we had a spy among us or the person behind this was closer than we thought.

Her expression changed slightly, confusion replacing some of the anger as she looked at me like she was trying to catch up.

I let out a quiet scoff, shaking my head.

"You’re confused?" I said, my voice edged with faint mockery. "That’s what happens when you jump to conclusions about things you don’t fully understand."

She went quiet.

The tension in her face eased slightly, her posture shifting just a little as if she was finally willing to listen instead of attack.

"It’s not my fault I jumped to conclusions," she shot back, though her voice wasn’t as sharp as before. "You clearly don’t want me here. You probably hate me."

That was all it took. In a second, I closed the distance between us.

Her breath caught slightly as I stopped right in front of her, our faces close enough for me to see every small reaction, every flicker in her eyes.

She didn’t look away and not even for a second. Interesting.

I was taller than her, so she had to tilt her head slightly just to keep eye contact, but she held it, stubborn and steady, like she refused to give me that satisfaction.

My hand moved without warning, grabbing her and pulling her roughly against me.

Her body hit mine, and the reaction was immediate.

"Fuck!" she gasped, her voice sharp as pain flashed across her face.

Her hands instinctively moved toward her abdomen, but I caught her wrist mid-motion, lifting it slowly and holding it in place before she could touch the wound.

Her body pressed against mine, tense, fragile in a way she didn’t want to admit.

"There are several ways I could kill you right now if I wanted to," I said quietly, my voice dropping as I leaned slightly closer. "My brothers and I might argue, but that doesn’t change anything."

My other hand slid slowly down from her waist to the spot where she had been stabbed, pressing firmly against it through the fabric.

Her body stiffened instantly.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her entire face tightening as she tried to hold back the scream that threatened to escape.

Tears filled her eyes, clinging to her lashes as she forced herself to stay quiet.

I watched the reaction on her face, and I loved every part of it. I felt a warm liquid right on my thumb.

My thumb pressed slightly harder, and the faint dampness spread against my skin.

Blood! I had reopened the wound.

A small, sharp breath left her lips as she realized it too, her control slipping as the tears she had been holding back finally spilled over, sliding down her cheeks.

Her body trembled slightly against mine. She didn’t beg, which infuriated me more.

"Don’t worry," I murmured, my voice low as I lifted my hand slightly, my thumb brushing against the blood before moving up to her lips. "You won’t die."

My stained thumb dragged slowly across her lower lip, leaving a faint trace behind. I brought my face closer to her, our nose touching each other while my thumb was still on her lips.

She shifted her head immediately. Seeing her this way was quite hot. The blood made it more appealing.

"This is just punishment," I continued, my gaze locked onto hers. "For barging into my room like this."

I leaned back slightly, finally releasing her wrist.

"Next time, control your emotions."

I let go of her completely and stepped away, turning without another glance as I walked toward the door.

Because someone had to remind her where she stood, Kael must have gone easy on her, but I have no plans too.