Free Web NovelChapter 44: Chapter 44
Riley’s POV
Immediately the words leave my lips, he grabs me by the neck.
His hand wraps tight around my throat, choking me hard, cutting off my air as my back presses harder against the wall. My feet barely touch the floor as his grip tightens.
"How dare you mess with me like this, Riley," he snarls, his voice low and thick with rage. "I could snap your damn neck right now and face the fucking consequences."
His fingers squeeze harder, and spots begin to dance in front of my eyes.
I claw at his hand with both of mine, scratching and pulling, trying desperately to get him off me, but he is far stronger than I am. My lungs burn as it feels like my air is being cut off completely.
He leans in closer, his face right up against mine, his breath hot against my skin.
"Perhaps I should also kill you," he continues calmly, "just like I did to our son."
The words hit me like a bullet.
My eyes widen so much it feels like they might pop out of my head.
I struggle to speak, my throat crushed under his grip, my voice coming out raspy and broken as I gasp between each word.
"What... what are you saying?" I choke. "What did you do to our son?"
Tears start burning in my eyes.
Ethan laughs right in my face, still holding me there. His laugh is loud and unhinged, cruel and amused, like he enjoys watching me break.
"You were so dumb not to notice," he says mockingly. "Did you really think the poor boy suddenly started suffering from one sickness to another on his own? Oh no. He wouldn’t."
Horror grips me. It grips my entire body.
My stomach twists violently, and my legs feel like they might give out even though he has me pinned to the wall. I try to kick at him, but he presses his body harder against mine, trapping me completely. The pain in my neck worsens with every passing second.
"What did you fucking do to him?" I ask again, my voice cracking as tears slide down my cheeks, hot and uncontrollable.
Ethan keeps laughing, his eyes wild as he stares at me. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"A lot, Riley," he says. "After he was born, I made sure I induced him with a drug. One sickness after another. If one got treated, another would arise. Slowly and carefully. Until eight months."
He tilts his head.
"Should I also tell you the drug’s name?"
He loosens his grip just enough for me to suck in a shallow, painful breath, but not enough to feel normal.
"Perhaps you should know," he continues smoothly, "you were too busy trying to seek my love, not knowing your precious little baby was dying with each breath he took."
My body starts shaking.
I tremble violently against the wall as more tears pour down my face. His words feel like punches, crushing my chest until it feels like it’s caving in.
"Why?" I whisper, my voice hollow and shattered. "Why did you do that to him? He was innocent. He was just a baby."
I try to push against his chest again, but my arms feel weak from the lack of air and the shock flooding my system.
Ethan tightens his fingers slightly, making me wheeze.
"Well, he really was innocent," he admits, leaning closer, his breath hot and angry against my face. "But I couldn’t bear to let a human give me a child."
His lips curl.
"Wendy is my mate."
The name makes something inside me snap.
I laugh.
The sound bursts out of me loud and manic, even though it burns my throat. I laugh like I’ve lost my mind, tears still pouring down my face.
"The same Wendy," I gasp between laughs, "who’s cheating on you?"
His grip tightens instantly.
Black spots explode in my vision as everything blurs.
"You wouldn’t dare speak of her that way," he roars. "I would squeeze the damn life out of you, you nitwit."
His thumb presses harder into my throat, and I start seeing stars. My hands slap weakly against his arm as only choked sounds come out of my mouth. My legs kick uselessly against the floor as I feel myself getting closer to passing out.
He keeps talking, his words spilling out fast and furious.
"You think you can expose me on live cam, bring in the authorities, and still talk about Wendy like that?" he sneers. "You stupid human. You have no idea what I can do to you right here."
He squeezes again, and I gasp desperately for any scrap of air. My nails dig into his wrist, but it does nothing.
Tears stream down my face uncontrollably now, mixing with the pain in my neck and the crushing horror of what he did to our son. The thought of that tiny body suffering because of me shatters something deep inside my chest.
I manage to croak out more words, even though it burns.
"You killed our son because you hate humans that much," I choke. "You monster. He didn’t deserve any of that. He was just a baby. He needed his parents."
Ethan shakes his head slowly, his face twisted with rage.
"He was a mistake, Riley," he says coldly. "A mistake I fixed so I could have a proper heir with my real mate, Wendy."
His grip never loosens.
"And now you want to ruin everything with your cameras and your alerts?" he continues. "I will make sure you pay before anyone gets here."
His other hand comes up to grip my jaw hard, forcing my face up so I have no choice but to look at him while he continues choking me.
My strength fades.
My arms fall to my sides as I wheeze and cry at the same time. The room spins. His words replay in my head over and over— the sicknesses, the months of pain—and I realize I never knew.
"Please, Ethan," I try to beg. "Stop. I can’t breathe."
The words come out broken and weak.
He smiles.
"You brought this on yourself," he says. "Coming in here, thinking you could take the company and expose me like some fucking hero huh? Do you think anyone would willingly walk in here to challenge an Alpha, including the authorities you speak about?"
His grip tightens even more.
"You are nothing without me, Riley. Nothing. And I will end you before those bastards show up to save their little toy."
My pulse pounds loudly in my ears, frantic and wild.
I make one last attempt to fight, pushing at him with everything I have left, but my body is too weak. The tears won’t stop, and the pain of what he did to our son mixes with the fear of dying right here in this boardroom.
Ethan laughs again, low and cruel, as he watches me struggle.
"Cry all you want," he says. "It won’t change what I did—or what I’m about to do to you now."
He leans in, about to say more—
Then the door bursts open.
