Fallen 58

Posted by Sara Lili, ? Views, Released on September 11, 2025

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CHAPTER 0058

Alaric’s POV

I hated the parties my mother threw. They were always filled with self–absorbed asshole relatives who never stopped believing that their opinions were needed in affairs that concerned my own fucking life.

Delusional? Yes, they were. And I could just as easily tell them to stay the fuck away from me, but I wasn’t in such a bad mood tonight.

First, after what Meadow did for me, touching my hand as if she sensed that I was losing my cool earlier, it made me feel a sense of relief. Lifted this fucking heavy rock off my chest that I had no idea was even there.

I hadn’t felt that way in a long time.

So I figured the least I could do was behave, nod through a couple of conversations while she took care of her business in the bathroom.

Which, if I had to admit, was a long fucking time to be in the bathroom.

“Enjoying himself at a party?” My brother’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Never Ric Ashford. Nuh–uh Not my brother. I’m not even sure the word “fun” exis in your stick–up–the–ass dictionary.”

My gaze narrowed at him and he smirked. “No one would ever believe you own a club.”

“Where’s your date?” I muttered half–heartedly. “Left your pompous ass to find a more interesting man?”

Nolan huffed out a breath, grabbing two glasses of whiskey from a passing tray. He handed me one. “God, I fucking hope so. Too damn clingy, that one. Where’s your own date? Sorry–your wife.”

I decided to ignore his purposeful blunder. “Freshening up in the bathroom. All this has got to be overwhelming for her.” Raising the glass to my lips, I took a sip, enjoying the burn.

Nolan lifted a brow. “Overwhelming for her or for you?”

I didn’t answer.

Any normal person would take my non–answer as an answer, but not my brother. Not the man who loved

to taunt me for days unending.

“I mean sure, your wife is probably not used to this kind of crowd. You, however, have only ever brought one girl to family functions like this. And the last time was over ten years ago.”

Slowly? I lifted my gaze to Nolan’s, keeping my expression indifferent. “Your point?”

“Well, thank you for asking.” Nolan drawled, his eyes glinting with mischief. “My point is…” He trailed off, looking at something over my shoulder.

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I noticed the exact moment he froze. His face paled, his grip tightening around the glass in his hand

Fuck. Ric…”

Curious to see what had made him lose his breath, I turned around, brows pulled together fiercely.

My breath stopped. Every single thing just paused, I didn’t know the glass had slipped from my hand

until I heard the crash as it broke.

A waiter nearby hurried to clean it up, but I wasn’t even focused on them.

Strutting toward me slowly, a shy smile on her face… was her.

My jaw clenched.

“Ric,” Nolan breathed behind me. I think Mutti invited you here with an ulterior motive in mind.”

No.

Fuck, no.

She couldn’t be here.

Anyone but her.

My nostrils flared as I whipped around to face my brother. “Right. And you conveniently didn’t know

about this,” I gritted out.

His eyes widened. “I swear, Ric, I didn’t know.”

I wanted to believe Nolan. In fact, a part of me already did. But it was hard to trust him when all he’d been doing the last few years was making sure I never forgot.

Who’s to say he wasn’t in on this?

And what the fuck did my mother just do?

I forced myself to take a deep breath before I lost my temper and did something to Nolan that I would

regret.

“Go,” I said coldly.

Nolan hesitated just for a second, his eyes flashing as they shifted to her, and then he nodded. “Alright.”

A second barely passed before I heard her silky voice behind me. “Wow. The Ashford brothers within three feet of each other and not throwing punches? That is a sight I never thought I would see ”

Straightening my spine, I turned around to face my ex–girlfriend. I took in the red silk dress she had on, coupled with the bright red lipstick, her dark hair falling straight down her back.

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Clarissa was never one for subtlety.

I smirked. “It was easy enough to do once we got over you.”

She gave me a smirk of her own, grabbing a glass of champagne and muttering a “thank you” to the

waiter.

“Ahh, yes.” She laughed softly. “Ten years–or is it twelve? I lose count sometimes–and this is your idea of getting over me? Getting married to a younger girl? You wound me, Ric.”

My chest tightened. I hadn’t seen this woman in years, and she hadn’t even changed. Not at all. And I hate the fucking rush I felt in my veins from her attitude.

“Is that how desperate you are for happiness?” she finished.

The fucking nerve.

I took a slow step forward, watching her take a sip of her drink. My head tilted slightly as my eyes did a slow sweep of her body. “Let’s see. You showed up uninvited, wearing that dress, coming up to me to talk about my wife choices–and I’m the one who’s desperate?”

Clarissa’s smile didn’t falter. If anything, it grew even wider. “You can’t seriously think I’m uninvited. I’m here honoring a very special invite. From your mother.” She took a slow sip of her drink again, watching me over the rim of her glass. “You know how fond she used to be of me.”

“I remember,” I said coolly, an annoyed sigh leaving my lips. “I also remember exactly why I left you.”

She let out a chuckle, biting down on her bottom lip as she dragged those brown eyes over my body. I didn’t love her anymore. Far from it. Clarissa betrayed me and I never forgive betrayal.

“So cold, Ric. Then again, you know I loved how much you used to make me shiver.”

My jaw clenched as she stepped forward.

“God, I’ve missed you so much, Ric,” she whispered. And then she reached for my face, cradling my cheek.

I had fucking hoped that by some miracle, I wouldn’t be able to feel her anymore. But that wasn’t the case. Clarissa’s palm felt soft and warm as she stroked my cheek gently with the pad of her thumb, and my eyes nearly fell shut.

She smiled, like she noticed my expression. “And I can tell you’ve missed me too.”

That made me snap out of it. I yanked her wrist away from my face, stepping backward as I shot her a glare. “You’re seriously mistaken, Clarissa. All I want right now is for you to go back into whatever hole you came out of and never show your face here again.”

Her smile faltered this time as something flashed in her eyes. And then, she shook her head. “You know, I wasn’t planning on staying before. I was just going to watch you from a distance and go back to my

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business. But now..

She trailed off, and the smile grew again. And this time, it was a full–on grin. “Now, I think I might

reconsider.”

Sara Lili

Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.

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Fallen

Score 9.9

Status: Ongoing Type: Alpha Native Language: English

Fallen Summary & Review: Fallen

Meadow Russell arrives at an upscale hotel, heart fluttering with excitement and nerves. She’s about to marry the love of her life, Tyler, in a small, private ceremony — just the two of them. Clutching her bag, she approaches the front desk with a smile. “Hi, I have a reservation. Meadow Russell.”

But from the very first second, something feels off.

The receptionist’s red-painted lips curl into a mocking sneer, and her colleague exchanges a strange look with her. Meadow’s cheerful tone falters as confusion settles in. The woman scoffs, “You’re kidding, right?” The disbelief in her tone makes Meadow’s stomach twist. She frowns, insisting there must be a mistake, but both receptionists continue to look at her with something close to pity — and something else she can’t quite name.

Then comes the shocker.

According to the hotel records, she’s already checked in. Two hours ago. With a man. The receptionist even claims to have spoken with her — complimenting her “cute top.” The same white crop top with the word “BRIDE” written across it that she’s wearing now.

Meadow tries to rationalize it. Maybe Tyler had checked in under her name. Maybe it’s a simple mix-up. She laughs nervously and explains that her fiancé must have done it for convenience. But both receptionists seem unconvinced. One of them finally sighs and hands her a spare keycard, muttering, “I hope you get things sorted out.”

On her way up to the room, Meadow’s heart pounds in her chest. Something feels horribly wrong, but she refuses to believe it. Tyler would never do anything to hurt her. They’ve been planning this wedding for months — their dream elopement. She tries to calm herself, breathing in and out as the elevator ascends, but her hands won’t stop shaking.

When she finally reaches the room and swipes the keycard, her worst fears materialize before her eyes.

The moment the door opens, the sound hits her first — muffled moans, heavy breathing, the rhythmic creak of the bed. Then she sees them.

Her twin sister, Juniper, straddling Tyler, his hands gripping her hips as he thrusts into her without restraint.

The world stops. The bag slips from Meadow’s trembling hands and lands with a soft thud. The scene before her feels like a cruel joke — something ripped out of a nightmare. Her vision blurs with tears, her body frozen in disbelief.

For a full minute, she just stands there. Watching. Waiting. Hoping someone would scream “gotcha” and end this cruel trick.

But there’s no misunderstanding to clear up. No mistake. No illusion.

Her twin sister moans again, whispering, “Yes, that’s it, baby,” as if to drive the knife deeper into Meadow’s heart.

Something inside her shatters.

“Juniper…? Tyler?” she finally manages to whisper, her voice barely recognizable.

They both turn, startled. Tyler’s face twists in shock, then panic. He pushes Juniper off him, stammering, “Meadow, I swear, I thought she was you!”

It’s a pathetic excuse. One that doesn’t even make sense.

Juniper doesn’t even bother covering herself. She just smirks, tossing her messy hair over her shoulder like a queen enjoying the chaos she’s created. “Oh, please,” she scoffs. “It’s time we drop the act. This has been going on for a while.”

Meadow stumbles back, staring between them. “What are you talking about?”

Her twin rolls her eyes. “You really didn’t think he loved you, did you?”

It hits Meadow all at once — the hotel mix-up, the receptionist’s strange looks, the duplicate “Meadow Russell” check-in. Juniper had stolen her identity, her name, her wedding — and the man she loved.

Tyler tries to approach her again, naked and unashamed. He grabs her jaw gently, his expression hard. “You thought I loved you, Meadow? No. Juni’s the love of my life.”

The words pierce like knives.

Every memory — every kiss, every late-night conversation, every promise he made — turns to ash. She had believed in him completely, trusted him with her heart. And all along, he’d been sharing that same intimacy with her twin sister.

Meadow stares at Juniper, still unable to process it. The last time she saw her twin was two years ago. They’d grown apart after Juniper’s endless trail of lies and manipulation had driven a wedge between them. Juniper had always been the beautiful, daring, chaotic one — the one who got what she wanted, no matter who she hurt. But never, not in her darkest thoughts, had Meadow imagined she would do this.

Juniper laughs again, the sound sharp and cruel. “She’s in shock, baby. Maybe we should help her out of her misery,” she says mockingly, then pulls Tyler into another kiss right in front of her.

That’s when Meadow realizes this isn’t a mistake. This isn’t a sudden betrayal. It’s a plan.

Her sister had known exactly what she was doing. She had tracked Meadow down, learned about the wedding, and swooped in like a vulture to destroy what little happiness she had built. The matching outfit, the fake check-in — all of it was deliberate.

The pain turns into rage. Her tears blur her sight, her breath coming out in shaky bursts. Every muscle in her body screams at her to turn around, to run far away from the two people who’ve just ripped her soul apart.

But she doesn’t move.

She stands there, trembling, her heart breaking piece by piece as she watches her sister smirk and her fiancé — her almost-husband — stand there unashamed, not even offering a shred of remorse.

Tyler and Juniper exchange a look, and she realizes — they’re enjoying this. They want her to see. To suffer.

Meadow’s hands ball into fists. She feels like she’s watching her life crumble in real time, and there’s nothing she can do but breathe through the ache and pray she doesn’t collapse.

Every part of her screams that this is the moment she loses everything — her trust, her love, her family.

And yet, deep inside, a spark ignites — not of despair, but of something darker. A promise that this won’t be the end of her story.

Because betrayal that deep doesn’t fade. It carves itself into your bones. And Meadow Russell — heartbroken, humiliated, and hollow — walks out of that hotel room knowing one thing for certain.

She will never forgive them.

And one day, they will both pay for what they’ve done.