Free Web NovelChapter 173: Chapter 173 Blood and Parasites
Christina’s POV
Any guilt I’d felt toward Hudson instantly curdled into fury. freēwebnovel.com
I’d thought their relationship was tense but tolerable. Now I understood how naive I’d been.
I turned to Hudson. "I swear I didn’t know. If I had, I wouldn’t have come. Whatever game she’s playing, I want no part of it."
Words seemed pointless now.
"I never lied to you!" Gwendolyn insisted, her voice shrill. "I just mentioned it was his birthday, and you came running. How is that my fault? None of us meant any harm—"
Hudson blurred into motion. His boot connected with a nearby chair with lethal force. It ricocheted across the room, heading straight for her.
She shrieked, twisting away just as the chair smashed into the wall behind her, splintering on impact, one leg snapped clean off. She pressed herself against a serving cart, chest heaving, eyes wide with shock.
Reginald stormed over and hauled her up. "What the fuck is wrong with you? So it’s your birthday. So what if we forgot—you think we’d deliberately hurt you? Grow the hell up!"
Hudson kicked another chair. Harder this time.
The back leg slammed into Reginald’s shin with a sickening crack.
"Goddamnit!" Reginald dropped to one knee, clutching his leg. "Are you trying to kill us now?" He limped to the nearest couch, wincing with each step. Gwendolyn hurried after him, muttering under her breath.
Hudson stood there, seething. The muscles in his back were coiled tight beneath his shirt, and his shoulders barely moved.
I stood behind him, close enough to hear the ragged edge of his breathing. Without thinking, I reached out and took his hand.
The moment my palm touched his, he gripped back fiercely, squeezing so hard my bones ground together. I winced, but I didn’t pull away.
I felt it. Every ounce of control he’d lost was anchored by my hand. By holding onto me, he was declaring that I wasn’t part of their bullshit.
I squeezed back. My fingers ached, but I held on until I felt the tension in his arm start to bleed away. His chest no longer heaved with violent breaths. When he looked up again, the savage glint in his eyes had cooled to deadly ice.
He released my hand and let his gaze sweep the room.
"You’re all too comfortable—that’s your problem. Did you think it would be fun to drag her into this? Did you think you could make her part of your little circle? Just to piss me off?"
He turned to me. "When did they contact you?"
"Last night."
He nodded slowly, jaw set.
"The dinner with the Lauds was your doing, wasn’t it?" he asked, turning back to the group. "Getting me out of the way so you could corner her behind my back."
Reginald avoided Hudson’s gaze, eyes darting everywhere but at his son, lips pressed into a thin line. That was as good as a confession.
Hudson stepped forward, his presence filling the room.
"You’ve gotten bold. Living in my house, eating my food, and plotting behind my back. Feeling too comfortable? Want me to throw you all out to see how long you last on the streets?"
Edouard took a labored breath and straightened up in his seat. His hands trembled as he gripped his polished black cane, struggling to his feet.
"How dare you speak that way?" he snapped.my leadership. I built this empire with my own blood and sweat while you were in Europe!"
Hudson let out a cold, humorless laugh. He towered over Edouard, looking at him like he was a nuisance needing to be put down.
"Your imagination is remarkable," Hudson said softly, which was far more terrifying than his shouting. "Without me stepping in, the pack would’ve lost half its territory two years ago. This mansion would belong to another Alpha by now. You’d all be rogues, scattered to the winds. The only reason you still have your rank, your respect, and your fancy medical treatments is because of my resources. Do you think your pension covers those specialized doctors? Without me, you’d be six feet under already."
Edouard slammed his cane against the marble floor. "Listen to yourself! What kind of lunatic speaks to his grandfather this way? Do you consider me family at all?"
"No," Hudson replied bluntly. "You’re just another parasite. All of you. I owe you nothing. And if I hear you’ve caused any more trouble, you won’t live to see spring."
Edouard stumbled backward. His cane slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor. He collapsed onto the sofa, chest heaving violently, face draining of color.
"You’ve lost your mind," he gasped. "Completely deranged—"
"Perhaps you should ha
"I—" Edouard’s throat bobbed. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He looked to the others for support, but Declan lunged forward, half-running from his corner as if waiting for a signal to defect.
"I swear I had nothing to do with this! I arrived five minutes before you, Hudson. I knew nothing about the plan."
Reginald mumbled from the couch. "I didn’t either..."
Gwendolyn whipped her head around, glaring at him, clearly wishing she could slap the words back into his mouth. Realizing she was losing control of the narrative, she smiled at Hudson—a brittle, fake thing.
"It was a misunderstanding. Christina didn’t know this date had any special significance. She just wanted to surprise you."
Hudson slowly turned until he faced her directly. Her shoulders dropped an inch under the weight of his stare.
"Do you think I’m that easily fooled? Do you really believe I’d trust you over my wife?"
"This isn’t about trust," she stammered. "Neither of us meant any harm. Christina and I were just... just trying to show goodwill." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"That’s ridiculous. You’re making it sound like I orchestrated this whole thing," I cut in, stepping in front of her. "Weren’t you the one who dragged me here? You called me crying about wanting family harmony. Said it would just be a quiet dinner. Acting like you actually cared."
