Chapter 11
I watched in horror as she plummeted, and then the sickening sound of her body hitting the ground echoed back to me. I stepped back, my breath catching in my
throat.
Melanie’s wails filled the night air as I leaned out to see her. Iron rods from the building‘ s framework had pierced through her legs, leaving her unable to move. Blood pooled around her, and she clutched at the metal, her face twisted in
agony.
“Cassandra!” she screamed, her voice cracking with pain. “You’ll pay for this! I’ll make sure you regret it!”
I stood frozen for a moment, grappling with the reality of what I’d just done. “I won’t let you hurt my daughter!” I shouted back, my voice shaking.
“Mark my words,” she gasped, trying to
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pull herself up but failing. “You‘ ll never be rid of me! This isn‘ t over!”
I felt the weight of her threats hang in the air, but I couldn’t let her intimidate me. “You‘ re done, Melanie. This is the last. time you’ll come after us!”
As I turned away from the window, I felt a rush of relief but also heavy dread. I had to get to Ember, to keep her safe.
I rushed back to Ember. The sight of her sleeping peacefully eased my racing heart. I knew I had to protect her from
everything, even if it meant facing the darkness in our world.
Then I heard hurried footsteps coming my way. It was Rachel, looking panicked.
“Cassandra! What happened? I heard screaming!”
“Melanie,” I said, still holding Ember close. “She tried to get to her. I… I had to stop her.”
Rachel‘ s face went pale as she started to
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2nderstand. “Is she okay? What did you
overio?”
voice
treats She’s not okay,” I replied, my rinthaky. “She fell out the window. We need The deal with this. I can’t let her come after as!” s again.”
e win Let’s go,” Rachel said, and we rushed avy dutside together. The night air felt heavy, safe, nd the tension hung thick as we made our
ay toward the back of the building.
The
dmys we stepped outside, I could hear
er fra lelanie‘ s cries in the distance. I quickly antfalled to the pack, “Get the injured lelanie and bring her to Drake!”
otste few pack members nodded and took off ngpnto the night. Melanie’s wails grew ened ouder as they got closer.
Please! Help me!” she screamed, pain holdincing her voice. “Cassandra pushed me! to her he’s trying to kill me!”
bit my tongue, refusing to engage with easter lies. It didn’t matter. The pack
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members returned, dragging her limp body behind them.
“Drop that woman to Drake’s door. She‘ s no longer our problem.”
With that, they dropped Melanie on the porch, her eyes wide with fear and pain.
“Cassandra!” she called out, her voice weak. “You’ll regret this! I’ll make sure of it!”
The next morning, I was playing with Ember on the living room floor, sunlight streaming through the windows. It felt good to have some normalcy after the craziness of last night.
Suddenly, Rachel burst in, looking excited. “Cassandra! You won’t believe what just happened! Drake and Melanie broke up!”
I couldn’t help but smirk. “I don‘ t care anymore. Good riddance to her.”
Rachel‘ s expression changed, and she continued, “You know, Melanie can’t
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walk anymore because of her injuries. The healers said there’s nothing they can do for her.
I paused, letting that sink in. A part of me felt a flicker of guilt, but I quickly pushed it aside. “That’s what she gets for coming after my daughter.
Rachel nodded, her excitement fading a bit. “Yeah, but it’s still kind of tragic. She’ll have to rely on others for everything now.”
“Good,” I said, feeling a rush of satisfaction. “She brought this on herself. Maybe now she’ll finally understand the consequences of her actions.”
That night, I decided it was time for a real break. I knew Drake wouldn’t give up easily; he’d keep trying to pull me back into his life. So, I made a choice to leave with Ember for a while–to get away and breathe.
I called Rachel over to talk things through.
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“I’m going to take Ember and leave for a bit. Maybe a year or two. I just need some. distance from all of this.”
Rachel‘ s eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded slowly. “Honestly, Cass, I think that’s exactly what you need. You deserve a fresh start, somewhere you‘ re not constantly looking over your shoulder.”
“I’ll leave John in charge,” I added. “He’s solid, and I know he‘ 11 keep things running smoothly. Plus, you’ll be here to help him, right?”
She grinned. “Of course. My brother‘ s been waiting for a chance to prove himself,
and I’ll keep him in check if he gets a little too excited.”
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