Free Web NovelChapter 179: Chapter 179
Ethan’s POV
I was still trying to process what I just heard.
For a second, I honestly thought I misheard Wendy, but the look on her face told me I didn’t. She wasn’t joking, and Daphne wasn’t either. The silence in the room felt weird, like everyone was waiting for someone to say something, but nobody knew how to start.
So I did.
I turned my head slowly toward Wendy, chains dragging against the floor as I shifted. My wrists were already sore, but I ignored it. I looked straight at her, raising a brow.
"Wow," I said, letting out a small laugh. "You didn’t tell me you were bi, Wendy."
I expected her to snap immediately, but she didn’t. She just stood there, jaw tight, eyes locked on me like she was deciding whether to hit me or not.
Before she could say anything, Daphne spoke.
"She left me," Daphne said, her voice calm but cold. "Because she thought it was wrong."
I turned my head toward her slowly, giving her my full attention now.
"Oh?" I said.
"That was before Sapphire," she added.
There was a pause.
And then I lost it.
I laughed. I mean I really laughed. It came out loud and messy and completely out of control. My shoulders shook, and for a moment I forgot about the pain in my body, the blood, the chains, everything.
"This is insane," I said between laughs. "This is actually insane."
I tilted my head back and kept laughing like a madman, because honestly, what else was I supposed to know?
Gunnar was a vampire.
Wendy is bi.
Daphne and Wendy used to be together.
It was too much.
"Oh my God," I said, finally calming down a bit, though I was still grinning. "This just keeps getting better. I bet everyone has secrets now."
I looked from one of them to the other.
"Gunnar is a vampire," I said, counting on my fingers. "Wendy is bi. And Daphne..." I smirked. "What were you again? Her ex? Her lover?"
That’s when it happened.
A sharp slap hit my face so hard my head snapped to the side.
I didn’t see it coming.
For a second, everything went quiet.
My cheek burned instantly, and I slowly turned my head back, my eyes landing on Wendy.
She was furious.
Her chest was rising fast, her hands clenched, and her eyes looked like she wanted to rip me apart.
"You think you’re being funny?" she snapped.
I didn’t answer. I just watched her.
"You’re nothing but a psychopath," she continued, her voice getting louder. "You kill people just to satisfy your sick desires, and you think you get to stand here and judge me?"
I smiled.
She stepped closer.
"You’re an idiot, Ethan," she said. "And don’t ever act like you’re better than me. I’m way better than you. In every single way."
She was yelling now. I didn’t even try to interrupt her. I just kept smiling.
Because honestly, this was entertaining.
When she was done, I slowly shifted my gaze to Daphne.
She was watching everything carefully, like she was trying to read both of us at the same time.
I tilted my head slightly.
"You know," I said casually, "your little plan to take out your brothers..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"...it’s not going to work."
She didn’t hesitate.
"Why?" she asked.
I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I moved my head slightly, signaling for her to look around.
She frowned but followed my gaze.
Her eyes moved from me... to the chains... to Wendy standing right beside me.
And then it clicked.
She looked back at me."What’s going on?" she asked.
No one answered.
Wendy stayed silent. I stayed silent too.
The tension in the room got worse.
Daphne looked between us again, clearly annoyed now.
"Someone talk," she said sharply.
Still nothing.
I smiled again.
"You want to take down your brothers?" I said finally.
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
"Then you might want to start with Wendy first."
That did it.
Daphne’s head snapped toward Wendy.
Wendy didn’t back down.
They stared at each other. Hard.
No one spoke.
You could feel the tension building.
Daphne’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes got colder.
For a second, I thought one of them was going to attack the other.
But then Daphne spoke.
"We’re not doing this," she said firmly.
Neither of them moved.
"We’re all going to work together," she continued.
Wendy scoffed under her breath.
"I don’t care what happened between you and her," Daphne added, her voice steady. "That’s in the past."
Wendy didn’t respond, but her expression said everything.
"I have goals," Daphne said. "And I believe both of you do too."
I raised a brow slightly as she took a step forward.
"So I’m going to make this clear," she continued. "My enemy is my brothers. I want them dead. I want them gone."
Her voice didn’t shake."I believe we all have the same enemy here."
I didn’t say anything.
Wendy crossed her arms but stayed quiet.
"And there’s something else," Daphne added.
I could already tell I wasn’t going to like what she was about to say.
"I also want that bitch dead," she said.
I froze.
"Riley," she said. "I want her dead just like her parents."
That was it.
Something in me snapped instantly.
"If we’re hunting anyone," I said sharply, my voice cutting through the room, "Riley is out of it." freewёbnoνel.com
Daphne turned to me slowly.
Her eyes were locked on mine now.
"And who are you to decide that?" she asked.
"I’m telling you," I said, my tone serious now, "she’s not part of this."
She took a step closer."She is my enemy," Daphne said.
"And I don’t care," I shot back.
The room went quiet again.
Wendy looked between us, clearly surprised by the shift.
Daphne’s expression darkened."You don’t get to make demands," she said. freewebnøvel.com
I let out a small laugh.
"Funny," I said. "Coming from someone who stabbed her in the back at Obsidian Veil and fleed."
Her eyes flashed.
"I haven’t forgotten that," I continued. "And I definitely haven’t forgiven you for it."
Wendy looked confused now."What happened at Obsidian Veil?" she asked.
No one answered her.
Because right now, this wasn’t about her. This was between me and Daphne.
I leaned forward as much as the chains would allow, my eyes locked on hers.
"You’re not laying a single finger on Riley again," I said.
Daphne’s lips pressed into a thin line."You don’t control me," she replied.
"And you don’t get to decide for me who I choose to hurt," I shot back immediately.
We stared at each other. Neither of us backing down.
"If anyone is going to hurt her," I said slowly, making sure every word was clear, "it’s going to be me."
Wendy’s head turned toward me sharply.
"What?" she said.
I ignored her.
"Not you," I continued, still looking at Daphne. "Not Wendy. No one."
Daphne looked at me like she was trying to figure me out.
"Why?" she asked.
I smirked slightly.
"That’s none of your business."
The tension got worse again. But then I leaned back slightly, chains clinking.
"So," I said casually, like we weren’t just about to tear each other apart, "if we’re clear on that..."
Daphne didn’t respond.
"...we can move forward with your little plan."
Wendy looked between us again.
I looked at her. "Untie me," I said simply.
She didn’t move.
I smiled slightly. "You want my help?" I added. "Then I don’t stay chained."
Daphne stepped forward."Why should we trust you?" she asked.
I laughed."You shouldn’t," I said honestly.
That made her pause.
"But you don’t have a better option," I continued. "You want your brothers dead. I want..." I stopped for a second, then shrugged. "Let’s just say I have my reasons."
Wendy still hadn’t moved.
Her eyes were on me, searching, like she was trying to see if I was lying.
"Untie me," I repeated.
Silence.
Daphne looked at Wendy. Wendy looked back at her.
Neither of them spoke.
And then Daphne said quietly, "Do it."
Wendy hesitated."Are you sure?" she asked.
"No," Daphne replied. "But we don’t have time to argue."
Wendy clenched her jaw. Then she stepped closer to me.
I watched her carefully as she reached for the chains.
"You try anything," she muttered under her breath, "I’ll kill you myself."
I smiled.
"I’d like to see you try."
