The King's Prey (Unedited Edition)

Chapter 38 : Made Anew

Quatervois • [qua-ter-voice]
A crossroad; a critical decision or turning point in one's life.

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I suck in a short breath at the sight of them standing before me, unable to comprehend how I was brought to this point. Now able to sit up, I gape at the scene taking place as my parents are accompanied by several dozen of their own guards—Mylithian guards. A handful of cars sit parked behind them, protecting their backs from the treeline.

How...? Why...?

All along, I was only kept to be traded for the goddamn ransom. For the ten million dollars that would surely help Markus and his rogues in more ways than one. Yet all I can think of when I stare at my parents is how much they cheated me—how little they've been able to care about my life until it affected their own.

"Mom? Dad?" I choke out with tears still in my eyes. Both of their gazes find mine and I can only feel helpless to the fact that I'm even seeing them again after everything that's happened. But it's all been a result of their own wrongdoings. I've been the target for their mistakes since the Snow Ball, and now they've resorted to money to save me from these beasts.

"Sweetheart..." my mother coos with such sadness in her eyes. They turn soft, reflecting my own emerald color as I watch the urge for her to run to me flicker within them. My heart aches as I turn utterly speechless.

"Enough. You can bond with each other over the time you lost once this is done," Markus barks. "Where's the money, Arthur?"

"So this is what it came down to, huh?" I cut in. Their eyes fall on me again. "Money for my life? For a daughter you haven't even shown a sliver of care for?!" My parent's gazes shift as shock spreads all over their features.

My mother's the first to speak as she says with worrying calm, "Honey, you know that's not true—"

"Oh, please! As if either of you actually did this out of love. You did it for yourselves. Because what royal parent's reputations can survive if they don't have the lineage to back it up?" My words come tumbling off of my lips in a catapult of emotions.

My entire life has been full of lie after lie—secret after secret—but now, finally finding a sense of self-worth, I feel resilient as I stand up against their toxic ways. Max always knew how much I loathed them and their narcissistic morals, yet defying them never seemed like a plausible possibility for me. Their lack of affection has surely shown how they really feel about their only child.

They seal their lips, unsure of how to comment on my words. But both look as if they're struggling to contain their voices, yet can't bring themselves to say what's churning within them.

"What? You can't own up to your own obvious faults? You don't agree that this was all done out of pure selfishness?!" I retort once the silence begins to consume me. My face inflames with every word spoken after Markus' blow against my cheek, but I shut out the pain—I shut out every goddamn emotion other than this: cunning heartlessness.

I don't have to look to see that even Markus is baffled by the bickering this situation has initiated. Guilt riddles my mother's face though. "Anastasia...You don't understand..." she breathes out, holding her palms to her chest.

"Of course I don't! You've kept everything from me! Am I only a fucking scapegoat to you?!"

"Do not speak to your mother that way, young lady," My father booms.

My furious eyes shift to him—my deceitful father. "Or what? You're going to ground me? You already sold me to these savages. You gave up your guardianship over me a long time ago," I fume. Several howls erupt again in the distance, but this time they're closer than ever. Everyone's heads spin towards the direction of the sounds, sending the crowd into a startling mess. Quickly, I pull my restrained arms under my ass to where they're now in front of me, allowing me to see my wrist's raw state. I shiver at the sight before my mother is the first to turn back to me with a sorrowful look.