Chapter 165: Explain
Zane~
Griffin Blackthorn lay crumpled on the marble floor, unconscious and twitching slightly, a pungent stench lingering in the air from the puddle soaking into his pants. I stood over him with clenched fists, my heart pounding like a war drum. My eyes burned with barely restrained fury, Red, snarling inside me like a beast waiting to be let loose.
I turned slowly, the air around me crackling with too many emotions, and locked eyes with Natalie.
"Why the hell," I growled, voice low and razor-sharp, "is he in my house? And more importantly—how the fuck is he alive, Natalie? I saw his corpse with my own eyes. I saw it." My voice broke at the end, a raw edge of disbelief slicing through my rage. "Don’t lie to me."
Natalie flinched but stood her ground, her back straight, her gaze meeting mine—not defiantly, but earnestly, painfully. Her fingers curled at her sides, trembling slightly, but her voice when she finally spoke was clear and deliberate.
"There’s something you need to know, Zane," she said, stepping forward, her tone gentler now, like she was approaching a wounded animal. "Please, just... let me explain."
I crossed my arms over my chest, jaw tight.
She drew in a breath. Then another. Her eyes locked onto mine, and when she spoke, her voice carried a tremor that instantly snapped my attention. "Griffin’s death wasn’t some elaborate trick," she said quietly. "He was gone. Completely. But I brought him back. Not because I wanted to," she added quickly, catching the storm beginning to flicker in my eyes, "but because I had no choice."
I didn’t move. Didn’t blink. I felt the ground shift beneath everything I thought I knew.