Chapter 85: Shattered Illusions

Isabella’s POV

“Isabella,” I heard him growl with barely restrained fury.

The night air, once cool and intoxicating with the scent of pine, now felt suffocating—thick with the weight of something dark and dangerous.

Leo stood motionless in the shadows, his figure outlined by the faint silver glow of the moon. His burning gaze latched onto me, unblinking, unwavering.

A chill slithered down my spine, my fingers tightening around the stem of my wine glass. I swallowed hard, my mind scrambling, searching for a way out.

How long had he been standing there? What exactly had he heard?

Then his voice came, cold as ice, sharp as a blade.

“You can’t wait to separate me from my mate?”

Each syllable dripped with restrained fury, his deep voice like the low growl of a predator ready to strike.

My breath hitched. My carefully crafted mask of confidence faltered, cracking at the edges.

“No—Leo, I—”

A step.

The sound of his boot against the balcony floor sent my heart into a wild frenzy.

Another step.

He moved slowly, deliberately, his every motion a threat. The air between us grew tighter, suffocating.

“Before you speak,” he murmured, his tone deceptively quiet, “consider your answer carefully.”

His voice—so deathly low—was more terrifying than if he had shouted.

I took an instinctive step back, my back pressing against the balcony railing as my wolf whimpered in submission. The glass in my hand trembled, the red wine swirling inside like spilled blood.

Leo was still advancing, his presence like a storm, growing more violent with each passing second.

His hand shot out, wrapping around my throat, and before I could even gasp, he slammed me against the cold, unforgiving wall.

My skull cracked against the surface, and for a second, my vision blurred.

“Tell me, Isabella.”

The way he said my name—it wasn’t an inquiry. It was a warning.

“What,” he whispered, his gaze burning into me, “exactly are your intentions?”

A lump lodged itself in my throat as I gripped my head in pain. I had been so careful. So meticulous. I had planned everything down to the finest detail.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I’ve come so far for this to end like this.

I forced my lips to tremble, blinking rapidly as I let tears pool in my eyes. I had used this tactic before, and it had worked flawlessly.

“I—I was only trying to protect you,” I stammered, my voice breaking. “I was afraid, Leo. Afraid that Ivy—”

“Don’t.”

That single word sliced through my pathetic excuse.

His voice cracked like a whip, sharp and merciless.

I sucked in a breath, my entire body tensing.

“You were afraid?” Leo echoed, tilting his head slightly, as if considering my words. Then, in a single heartbeat, his face twisted into something dangerous.

His hands clenched at his sides, his entire body taut with barely restrained anger.

“Who,” he snarled, his teeth bared, “asked you to get involved in my relationship with my mate?”

I flinched.

“I—I was just trying to help you,” I whispered, my voice small. “I didn’t trust Ivy, Leo. I know she’ll hurt you. I’ve seen it—”

His fists slammed onto the railing beside me, caging me in. I gasped, my knees nearly giving out from the force of his anger.

“You know nothing,” he spat.

The raw rage in his voice sent a shiver through me.

“Ivy is mine. My mate! Do you understand what that means?”

Each word carried a terrifying finality, a truth that couldn’t be bent, broken, or manipulated.

“And you,” he continued, his voice dark and venomous, “you went behind my back, played your disgusting little games, and tried to turn me against her?”

I shook my head rapidly, my tears now very, very real.

“No, Leo, I swear—”

“Liar.”

I flinched.

He was done with my excuses. Done with my manipulations.

His hand shot out, gripping my chin in a firm, unrelenting hold. I gasped, my pulse thundering.

“Do you think I’m stupid?” His breath was hot against my skin, his fury palpable. “Do you think I’d ever choose you over my own mate?”

I opened my mouth, desperate to salvage this, but nothing came out.

Leo let out a dark chuckle, humorless and cold.

“My mistake,” he muttered. “I should’ve thrown you out of my life the second I realized what you were.”

My lips parted in shock.

He wasn’t just angry.

He despised me.

And nothing—no tears, no pleas, no carefully crafted words—could fix this.

My vision blurred.

“You know that I’ve loved you since we were young,” I whispered brokenly, reaching for him.

Leo jerked back as if my touch repulsed him.

His eyes, once filled with warmth when he looked at me, now held nothing but loathing.

“You don’t love me,” he said, his voice raw with disgust. “You love control. You love manipulation. You love playing games.”

I let out a choked sob.

“I only wanted to protect you—”

Leo exhaled sharply, shaking his head as if I was the most pitiful thing he’d ever seen.

“I want you out of here. Go back to the palace until I decide what to do with you.”

I froze.

His voice, low and controlled, was somehow more terrifying than his anger.

“Leo—”

“GET OUT.”

The sheer force of his voice made me stumble backward.

He didn’t just want me gone.

He wanted me erased.

I shook my head in disbelief, my tears cascading freely now.

I had spent years weaving myself into his life. Years convincing myself that one day, he would see me. That one day, I will rule by his side, as his queen.

And now, in a single night, it was all crumbling.

“I—”

“Leave,” Leo ordered, stepping back, his breathing ragged. “And don’t you ever show your face to me again.”

I could barely breathe.

“Leo, please—”

His gaze snapped back to mine, and for a second, I thought I saw something dangerous flicker in his expression.

“Isabella,” he murmured, his voice so calm it sent ice through my veins.

“If you don’t leave right now…”

He took a step toward me, his aura thick with promise.

“What I’ll do to you… you won’t survive it.”

My stomach dropped.

Leo wasn’t bluffing.

The Alpha King—the man I had spent so long trying to claim—was looking at me like he was ready to tear me apart.

A sob ripped from my throat as I turned on my heel, stumbling toward the balcony doors. My entire body trembled violently, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

I didn’t dare look back.

I had lost everything, all because of that little wench.

And the most terrifying part?

For the first time, I truly understood—Leo had never been mine to begin with.

With one final, strangled cry, I fled.

As I bolted past Leo, my vision blurred with rage and humiliation, my mind raced for a way to salvage what was left. If just once—just this once—Lila’s plan could still work. I couldn't lose everything. Not like this.  

My heels clicked against the marble as I reached for the door. But just as my fingertips brushed the handle, the air shifted. A presence. A force that made me freeze mid-step.  

When I turned, Ivy stood there.  

Her brown eyes burned with something raw and unfiltered.  

"You did all this?" Ivy's voice was quiet but carried the weight of betrayal, thick with pain.  

For the first time that night, I felt a sick sense of satisfaction. I had hurt her. Good.  

I tilted my chin up, my lips parting—  

Slap.  

The sharp crack echoed through the hall. My head snapped to the side, a fiery sting blooming across my cheek.  

The taste of iron filled my mouth.