Chapter 120 The hidden secret

Chapter 120 The hidden secret
Chapter 119

RAVENNA

"Ravenna! Get up!"

Asteria's voice cut through my sleep like a knife. I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head.

"It is morning and you are supposed to head back to the academy before they find out you did not sleep in your room," she continued, her voice getting louder.

I grumbled something incoherent into the mattress. "Leave me alone. Go clear the house from all the partying mess."

"I am not your maid," Asteria hissed.

I heard her footsteps crossing the room, then suddenly bright sunlight flooded in as she yanked open the curtains.

I turned over and covered my face with my arm. "Fuck you."

Asteria laughed. "Good morning to you too, sister." She stood by the window, silhouetted against the morning light. "We need to talk."

I sat up slowly, my head pounding. Everything from last night felt heavy and wrong. "How are you even standing right now? After all that drinking and dancing and wildness at the party, you should be struck down with a hangover."

She shrugged. "Maybe I am just used to it."

Those words made me pause. I looked at her more carefully. "Used to it? Have you been behaving like this the whole time I have been at the academy? Throwing parties? Drinking?"

"No," Asteria replied immediately. "Of course not."

"Are you lying to me?"

"I am not lying."

I stood up from the bed and pointed at her. "If I find out you have been lying, I am packing all your stuff and sending you straight to Aunt Lila's place. Do you understand me?"

"You would not—"

"Try me," I cut her off. "I am serious, Asteria."

She crossed her arms but did not argue further.

I started pacing the room, running my hands through my tangled hair. "Going to that academy in the first place was really wrong of me. I neglected my duties here. I left you all alone without proper guidance. What kind of sister does that?"

"I am fine—"

"You are sixteen!" My voice rose. "You should not be fine on your own. You should have someone watching over you."

Asteria moved away from the window. "You are here now. That is what matters."

I shook my head. "But for how long? I have to go back to the academy eventually." I paused, the thought forming even as I spoke it. "Maybe I should not go back at all. I have done enough damage already. Both the Mooncrest and Silverthorn packs are in serious clashes because of what I posted. Maybe it is time I stopped this revenge mission and came home. And took up my responsibilities properly."

"No!" Asteria's response was immediate and fierce. "You cannot give up now. You are not done with the revenge yet."

I looked at her. "What more do you want, Asteria? Their reputations are destroyed. Their packs are fighting. What else is there?"

She corrected herself quickly. "I mean, I am not satisfied yet. Not completely."

"Both packs are tearing each other apart and you are still not satisfied?"

Asteria walked over to me, her expression shifting to something softer. "This is not all about me anymore, Raven. You are included now too. You are on the list of people whose hearts Darius broke."

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"He abandoned you at the hospital after indirectly causing your accident," she reminded me. "Then he went ahead and accepted Selene as his fiancée without even talking to you about it. He hurt you just like he hurt me."

"The accident was caused by my own carelessness," I argued. "I was drunk and racing recklessly. That was not Darius's fault."

"But he still abandoned you."

"And Darius and I were never in love," I continued. "We were never even together properly. So how could he break my heart?"

Asteria stepped closer, her eyes searching my face. "I know you better than anyone, Raven. I saw how hurt you were when Selene was announced as his fiancée. I know you have feelings for Darius. You cannot lie to me about that."

I opened my mouth to deny it, then closed it again.

She was right.

Somewhere between meeting him at that building to work on our speech, going on those outings together, spending time getting to know each other, I had developed a soft spot for him. Maybe more than just a soft spot.

When he asked me to be his woman for the festival, I had actually believed something real was going to spark between us. I had let myself hope that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way I did.

Then his father came along and shattered that hope completely by announcing the engagement to Selene in front of everyone.

"I was convinced he knew about it," I whispered. "I was convinced Darius knew his father was going to announce the engagement. That he intentionally invited me as his woman just to humiliate me in front of the entire academy."

Asteria sat down on the bed beside me and took my hand. "I know that feeling. Because Darius did the same thing to me. He did it to your friend too. And now he has done it to you. He will go on and continue doing it to other girls unless someone stops him."

I looked down at our joined hands.

"He needs to pay for his crimes, Raven," Asteria continued, her voice gentle but insistent. "And you are getting so close to completely ruining him. Just a little bit more."

I thought about Darius's face when they led him away in handcuffs. The blood. The pain. The devastation.

Had we gone too far already?

"I do not know if I can keep doing this," I admitted quietly.

Asteria squeezed my hand. "Remember the pain, Raven. Remember the humiliation. Remember how he made you feel when you saw him with Selene. Remember how he abandoned you in that hospital. Remember everything he has done to hurt you."

The anger started building again. Slow at first, then faster.

She was right. Darius had hurt me. Had made me feel like I was nothing. Like I did not matter.

"You are right," I finally agreed. "He needs to pay."

Asteria smiled. "That is my sister."

We had breakfast together at the small kitchen table. I made eggs and toast whilst Asteria poured juice.

"I am serious about the parties," I warned her as I set her plate down. "If I find out you have been throwing them regularly, you are going straight to Aunt Lila's place. There will be no arguments and second chances."

"I heard you the first ten times," Asteria rolled her eyes but smiled. "I will behave. I promise."

"Good."

We ate in comfortable silence for a while. Then I stood up and grabbed my bag.

"I need to get back to the academy before anyone notices I was gone all night."

Asteria walked me to the door. "Be careful, Raven. And do not let guilt stop you from finishing what you started."

I nodded and left.

My phone started ringing the moment I got back onto academy grounds. Caleb's name flashed across the screen.

I ignored it.

There were also several missed calls from Samantha. Guilt twisted in my stomach. I had left her alone last night after she was so upset about Dorian.

I headed straight to our room and pushed open the door.

Samantha sat at her desk studying, but she looked up the moment I entered. Her face flooded with relief.

"Raven!" She jumped up and threw her arms around me. "Where were you? I was so worried."

I hugged her back tightly. "I am so sorry. I should not have left you alone last night. I am a terrible friend."

"You are not terrible," Samantha pulled back and looked at me. "Just tell me you are alright?"

"I am fine. I just needed to clear my head."

We sat down on my bed together.

"Has Selene been released yet?" I asked.

"Yes, she came back this morning but immediately got dressed and left the academy again."

I frowned. "Left? Where did she go?"

Samantha's expression shifted to something strange. She was almost excited but also nervous.

"That is what I need to talk to you about," she leaned in closer. "I have got some mind-blowing information to share with you. And you should not be shocked when I tell you."

"What information?"

Samantha took a deep breath. "The almighty fiancée to Darius, our dear Selene, has a hidden boyfriend."