Free Web NovelChapter 22: Chapter 22
Riley’s POV
What I see inside makes my mouth drop open in shock.
It’s him.
Ethan’s father.
Calistus Forlorn.
For a second, my brain refuses to accept it. I just stand there, staring at him like my mind needs extra time to process what my eyes are seeing. My chest tightens and my breath comes out uneven.
"What the hell..." I gasp under my breath.
He looks older than the last time I saw him, but not weaker. His posture is straight. His expression is sharp. His eyes narrow the moment they land on me.
"Riley?" he calls, his voice carrying disbelief.
I flinch.
I turn halfway, instinctively wanting to leave, to pretend this isn’t happening, but my feet feel glued to the floor. My throat tightens as I swallow hard.
How?
How is he here?
Why is he here?
Before I can even speak, footsteps sound behind me.
Slow. Confident.
I already know who it is.
The CCG brothers walk in like they own the place, hands in their pockets, shoulders relaxed, expressions calm and amused like they are watching a show they paid to see. They stop when they notice me standing frozen by the door.
Then they smile.
Gunnar gestures toward a chair across the table. "Have a seat, dear wife."
What?!
My head snaps toward him. "Excuse me?"
My heart pounds so hard it hurts. Shame burns through me instantly. I feel exposed. Vulnerable. Angry. I glance at Calistus, my face heating up.
"You do not get to call me that," I say through clenched teeth. "Not here."
Caden chuckles softly. "Relax. He deserves to know."
"Know what exactly?" I snap.
Gunnar moves closer to the table, placing his hands on it casually. "Mr. Calistus Forlorn," he says smoothly, "meet our new incoming wife. Her name is Riley."
My stomach drops.
Incoming wife?
Calistus’s head snaps toward Gunnar, then back to me. His face hardens.
"What are you doing here, Riley?" he asks sharply. "Aren’t you married to Ethan anymore?"
The room goes silent. Every eye turns to me.
My mouth opens, but no words come out at first. My throat feels tight, like someone wrapped a hand around it. For a moment, I almost want to lie. Almost.
But I don’t. freeweɓnøvel.com
"I am married to him," I say slowly. "But our marriage is now open."
His eyes widen instantly.
"What?" he demands. "You cannot do that."
His words make me laugh short and bitter. "I cannot do what exactly?"
"You cannot open your marriage," he says as if almost angry "That is unacceptable."
I tilt my head. "Why?"
His jaw tightens. "Because you are a married woman."
"And Ethan?" I ask. "What is he?"
"That is different," he snaps.
I stare at him, disbelief flooding me. "Different how?"
The brothers exchange amused looks, clearly enjoying every second of this.
"Even if Ethan cheats," Calistus continues, his voice rising, "you should not stoop to the same level."
That’s it. I’ve heard of enough. Anger snaps inside me.
I straighten fully and step closer to the table. "So let me understand this clearly," I say. "Your son cheats on me, lies to me, humiliates me, and somehow I am expected to stay loyal because he is a man?"
Calistus slams his hand on the table. "Watch your tone."
"No," I snap back. "You watch yours."
The room stiffens.
"With all due respect, sir," I continue, my voice steady but sharp, "what you are saying makes absolutely no sense. Ethan opens our marriage without my consent, and you expect me to remain faithful because of what exactly? Or because I am a woman?"
His eyes flash. "That is not what I said."
"That is exactly what you said," I reply. "You just used prettier words."
"You are being disrespectful here Riley," he growls. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"And you are being misogynistic," I shoot back without hesitation. "Call it whatever makes you sleep at night."
Caden lets out a low whistle. "She’s got fire."
"Enough," Calistus snaps.
"No," I say firmly. "It’s not enough to hear an earful of how ridiculous and stupid your son has been."
He glares at me. "Was it not my son that made you who you are today?"
That sentence hits me like a slap.
My hands curl into fists.
I step forward again, my voice rising now. "Made me?"
"Yes," he says. "Everything you have is because of Ethan."
I laugh, loud and bitter this time. "You must be joking."
"Watch yourself, Riley," he warns.
"No," I say. "I will not."
I lean forward slightly. "Your son did not make me. I built myself. I worked my way up while he slept around and did as he liked. I supported him. I sacrificed for him. I stayed loyal while he embarrassed me publicly. I freaking built that crumbling company of his"
"That is enough," he shouts.
"No, it is not," I snap back. "You raised a man who believes he can do whatever he wants and still come home to a faithful wife. And you stand here defending him."
Silence crashes over the room.
The brothers are openly smiling now.
Calistus’s face turns red. "You owe everything to this family."
"I owe absolutely nothing," I say coldly. "And certainly not obedience."
"You will not disgrace the Forlorn name," he roars.
"I already have," I reply calmly. "And I do not regret it."
His chest heaves. "You think opening your legs will solve anything?"
The words sting, but I refuse to show it.
"I think reclaiming my dignity solves everything," I say. "Something your son never respected."
Gunnar laughs. "Well said."
Calistus whips toward him. "You stay out of this."
"Oh, we can’t," Gunnar replies. "She’s our concern now."
Calistus looks between us, realization dawning slowly. "This is a game to you."
Caden shrugs. "Life usually is."
I turn toward the brothers. "You dragged me here for this?"
"For the truth," Cane says calmly. "And for choice."
Calistus scoffs. "Choice? You are corrupting her."
"No," I say firmly. "They are the first people who did not treat me like useless as your son did."
He stares at me, stunned.
"You are throwing away your marriage," he says quietly.
"No," I reply. "Ethan threw it away. I just stopped pretending."
The room vibrates with tension.
Calistus exhales slowly, his voice dropping. "You will regret this. You’ll regret it that you’ll prefer Ethan to these men, you really do not know them"
I meet his gaze without flinching. "I already regret marrying your son."
The silence that follows is heavy. The brothers exchange satisfied looks.
And I know, deep in my bones, that nothing will ever be the same again..
"You’re making a fatal mistake Riley and one of them is you coming here, do you think the obsidian veil is the same as Crescent Hollow you came from?" He asked, his eyes turning molten yellow..~
