Chapter 62
Sixty-Three
FRANKLIN
Nadia leaned against the sink with the bathroom door locked while music blasted from the speaker on the counter. That clash of trumpets and drums swallowed everything, including the sound of my fist hitting the door again and again. I kept knocking until my knuckles stung, but she did not answer.
One of my men had seen her earlier at a gas station on the highway. He described a quick exchange with a rough- looking male, and I understood exactly what that meant without needing anything else explained.
“Get the fuck out,” she said when I forced the door open.
A plastic bottle with its cap barely twisted on rested in her hand. I pointed at it. “What is that p>
“My doctor’s prescription,” she said. “Do you have a problem with that p>
“Those are not prescriptions a doctor gives. Those are the kind Cameron would lose his mind over if he knew his sister was taking them p>
She looked at me properly then, her face drawn, her mouth set tight.
“Then go tell him,” she said. “Run back and report everything p>
“Nadia.” I stepped closer and reached for the bottle.
She pulled back, her body turning away from me.
“Get out p>
“How many have you taken p>
“I said get out. You are not my father and you are not my caretaker. Stay out of my business, Franklin p>
I looked at the pills scattered across the counter and counted them without touching anything.
“You are getting addicted. You need proper help, not whatever you are taking to knock yourself out every night p>
She shoved the bottle into a drawer and slammed it shut.
“I do not need anything. Least of all a lecture from you p>
“I am worried about you p>
“Do not be.” She faced me fully. “I do not need your concern, and I do not need you hovering around me p>
She smiled, then reached for the zipper of her dress.
“Nadia p>
“What is wrong?” she said as she pulled it down. “Is this not what you want? You are always watching me and always finding a reason to stay close p>
The dress slipped to the floor, and she stood there in her underwear without hesitation. My body reacted before I could stop it, and I hated that she could still do that to me.
“See?” she said. “You want me. It is obvious p>
I turned my head. “Put your dress back on p>
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“Why?” she said as she stepped closer. “Are you afraid you cannot control yourself, or are you afraid I will turn you down p>
She stopped in front of me. “Because I will, Franklin. I do not want you, and I am not going to want you p>
“You are not an Alpha,” she continued. “I am not going to deal with people tearing me apart for choosing someone beneath that. I have spent my life being seen as less than, and I am not going to make it worse p>
“I never asked you to choose me p>
“You never had to say it. Every time you look at me, it is there p>
“I was trying to make sure you were safe p>
“Then stop. Stop caring p>
She picked up her dress, pulled it back on, and zipped it up. 1
“I am seeing Desmond,” she said. “An Alpha who fits where I belong, so stop pretending this is something it is
not p>
I turned and walked out, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the frame.
I stayed in the hallway, staring at the floor while the music continued behind the door. My hands would not stay still, so I clenched them until the feeling passed.
She knew exactly what she was doing. She pushed when she wanted distance and pulled when she needed something, and I followed every time.
I had been in love with her since we were teenagers, and she had always known. She never said anything, but she
never had to.
She showed up at my door late at night when she could not sleep. She sat too close when we were alone. She reached for my hand when something startled her, then let go as if nothing had happened.
Those moments were enough to keep me there.
She would not admit any of it. Pride mattered more to her than anything else, and she refused to be seen with someone who did not fit the image she believed she needed.
I could not hate her for that. I knew where it came from.
Her stepmother had torn both her and Cameron down in different ways. Cameron built himself into something no one could question. Nadia chose to break herself before anyone else could.
I could not fix that.
The next morning, I kept my distance at breakfast. I sat at the far end of the table and focused on my plate. I did not look up, even when I felt her attention on me.
Cameron and Evangeline sat across from each other, speaking carefully as if one wrong word would start another fight.
Cameron looked tired.
“I have been thinking,” he said. “We should try another doctor and get a second opinion p>
“No,” Evangeline said.
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“We need to consider other options p>
“I said no p>
“There is nothing wrong with looking,” Nadia said. She pushed her food around her plate.
“I do not want to be kept alive like this,” Evangeline said. “I am tired of being treated like a problem to fix p>
She listed the treatments she had already tried, the doctors she had seen, and the results that never changed. When she finished, she stood and walked out without waiting.
Silence settled over the table.
“She will come around,” Nadia said.
Cameron did not respond. I took a sip of coffee and let the bitterness sit on my tongue.
Later that morning, Evangeline stopped me in the hallway.
“Franklin, you are picking up Lisa today p>
“Yes p>
She handed me a sealed envelope. “Give this to my mother p>
I took it and slipped it into my jacket.
The drive to Creek Keepers passed in silence. My thoughts kept circling back to Nadia, repeating every word she had thrown at me.
I tightened my grip on the wheel and focused on the road.
Lisa’s mother’s house came into view, small but well kept. The guards I had ‘stationed there stood outside.
Lisa opened the door and gave me a polite smile.
“Thank you for coming p>
“Of course p>
Her mother stepped forward behind her. She moved carefully, and her gaze did not quite settle on anything. 1
We drove back without much conversation. Lisa stayed in the back with her mother, speaking quietly while I kept my attention on the road. 1
At the medical center, Lisa helped her mother through admissions and stayed with her while the doctors began their tests.
“Franklin p>
I looked up.
Lisa stood in the doorway.
“Are you okay? You seem off p>
“I am fine p>
“You are not a good liar p>
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“I have a lot on my mind p>
“Anything I can help with p>
I managed a smile. “Maybe focus on yourself. You need as much help as possible p>
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.