Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 135

**Healing Slowly But Surely**
By R. Joseph

135 At long last.

135 At long last.

Chalice.

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My body still throbbed from the passionate encounter with Louis the previous night. So, when Gavin stormed into my room, breathless as though he had just sprinted a marathon, I felt a surge of irritation bubble up inside me.

I glared at him, my voice sharp, “God, Gavin, what if I had been naked?!”

He shot back, defensive, “I checked with Agnes first!” His tone was clipped, “She told me you’d just finished getting dressed, so I knew you weren’t!”

I froze in place, taken aback.

It wasn’t just his words that surprised me; it was the edge in his voice. Goddess, he had never raised his voice at me before.

This was a side of him I had never seen, and instead of the warm adoration that usually radiated from him, there was now a flicker of anger… and something else—was it suspicion?

My heart raced as I turned away from the vanity mirror, facing him fully. I crossed my arms defensively over my chest, trying to mask the unease bubbling inside me. “What is it this time?” I asked, my tone deliberately cool, though it betrayed the turmoil within.

His gaze drifted slowly over my body, and I felt exposed under his scrutiny. Then, with a voice that dripped disdain, he demanded, “Tell me, Chalice, did you lie about seeing Leilani push Grandma down the stairs?”

The moment those words left his lips, I felt as if time had stopped. My heart plummeted to my stomach, and a wave of icy fear washed over me. Goosebumps erupted across my skin. I struggled to maintain my composure, forcing a frown onto my face. “Gavin?”

“Don’t call my name,” he snapped, his eyes narrowing. “I asked you a simple question, and I expect a straightforward answer.”

I lowered my gaze, shaking my head in disbelief. Tears began to pool in my eyes, and I hoped to guilt him into softness with my sorrow. But when I looked up, he didn’t flinch. Instead, he scoffed, “Chalice, this is not the time for tears! What I need from you is a simple yes or no!”

“I know!” I shouted back, my frustration boiling over, “But it hurts that you would even ask me that! It feels like you don’t trust me!”

At my words, he stopped, his expression softening for a fleeting moment. A flicker of hope ignited in my chest; perhaps I had successfully deflected his question and played on his emotions.

But I was mistaken.

I was so, so wrong.

He sighed deeply, pulling me into a brief embrace before stepping back, his hands warm against my cheeks. But his voice, low and chilling, cut through me like ice. “Right now, you’ve made it incredibly difficult for me to believe you.”

“Gavin?” I whispered, my heart racing.

“It’s hard to trust you when you won’t even answer my question directly. And, Chalice, it sounds like you have secrets that you’re hiding.”

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