Fallen 72

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

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CHAPTER 0072

Alaric’s POV:

“If I did, then there would be no reason for this meeting, would there?” she continued. “Because Meadow

would’ve already left you by now.”

My jaw flexed, my grip still around her throat. I didn’t loosen it. Not yet. If anything, I squeezed even harder just to watch the color in her cheeks darken. But she wasn’t scared. She knew I wouldn’t hurt her.

I leaned in close, my nose brushing hers as I let my voice drop to a dangerous whisper. “You will not tell

her.”

“Or what, Ric?” she whispered back. “Are you gonna lock me up in that same facility you held my niece? Wait.” She pulled back as if something just struck her. “Meadow knew about Juni being in there, didn’t she?”

I released Clarissa’s neck, examining my knuckles. It was easy to forget that I was injured. Before I left the house, I had Mel bandage my wrists up. It was the least I could do to cover just a little bit of the shame I felt about Meadow finding me down in the gym, seeking pain like a fucking lunatic.

Clarissa took my silence as an answer. “Why?” Her voice shook. “Why was Juni in there-”

I turned on my heel, walking away from her and toward the minibar. “You did a terrible job of raising her, Clarissa.” I poured myself a glass of bourbon. “Just thought you should know that.”

I could feel her anger radiating throughout the penthouse. “Well, excuse me for being a twenty–one year old who had to raise eleven year old twin girls who hated each other.” she spat, storming toward me. “Did you know? Did you know that the man you accused of murder had two daughters?”

“I did,” I answered honestly, taking a sip of my drink before I looked at her. “I also knew his daughters had a mother who would take care of them. Although I was wrong about that.” I shook my head.

“So what? That was some kind of sick revenge against me?”

My gaze narrowed. “It wasn’t revenge. It was fucking justice.”

Clarissa scoffed, brushing her hair away from her face. “Yeah, right. Real convenient that it all happened after you broke up with me.”

I stepped around the bar slowly, dropping the glass down on the surface. “I will say this once and only once, Clarissa. When I decided to get justice for my family, you were not in the back of my mind. I didn’t know that you were related to Clint Russell in any way. So don’t go around thinking I did that all because you fucked my brother-”

“It was a mistake-”

1/4

CHAPTER 0072

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“I don’t care for your explanations.” My gaze narrowed. “All I care about is how to put Meadow’s evil twin

in check.”

Clarissa’s mouth parted for a second as her brows drew together. “What do you mean? What happened?”

I wasn’t sure why Meadow wasn’t in contact with her aunt, but my gut told me it has something to do

with Juniper. It was always her.

I fixed Clarissa with a blank state. “I’ll leave you to have that conversation with the monster herself. However, you should know that I’ll have no problem putting her back there if she doesn’t behave, or better still, stay away from my wife. And that goes for you too, Clarissa.”

The main reason I even let Juniper go wasn’t because Clarissa threatened to tell Meadow what I did to her father. I let her go for Meadow. All I wanted was to protect her in any way I could, and keeping her sister away and Tyler under my watch was a way of doing that. But I couldn’t keep her there forever.

And there was no way Meadow was going to learn to stand up for herself if her sister was locked up. No way Meadow was going to learn to live without her sister. Because from what I could see, no matter how many times she hurt her, Meadow would never stop loving her.

And there was nothing I could do about it.

Clarissa’s red lips pulled down into a sneer as her gaze moved to my drink and back to my face. “Why? Because she’s yours?”

I smirked. “Smart girl.”

As I took my drink again, Clarissa watched my every move. And then she stepped even closer. Her voice lowered to a whisper as she reached for my tie again. “Do you really think her father is guilty? You think

her father would kill yours?”

My jaw clenched. “Fucking sure of it.”

Meadow’s father and mine were estranged friends. Enemies, if you would. Only, I didn’t know about it

until I needed to.

“You have no idea of the series of unfortunate events that happened, Alaric. I lost my only sister, and I

wouldn’t have if Clint wasn’t thrown in jail.” Her eyes watered and she glared at me. But I knew Clarissa.

She wasn’t upset with me.

“When you said you had to go back,” I started. “That was because of the twins, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” she nodded. “Although from what I can remember, you didn’t give a shit that I was leaving.”

My gaze narrowed. “No, I didn’t. And I still don’t give a shit about you or what you do, Clarissa. I don’t get why you’re back.”

2/4

CHAPTER 0072

+15 BONUS

Something crossed her eyes then, but it was gone before I could figure out what it was. Instead, she cleared her throat and smirked. “Same way I don’t get why you married Meadow. You broke her family, Ric. Something tells me you mean to break her too.”

She didn’t get all the words out before my hand was around her neck again and I pushed her against the bar. “There we go,” Clarissa moaned. “Did I hit a nerve, baby? You know, if you keep putting me in positions like this, I might just be tempted to kiss you.”

“Shut the fuck up!” I growled.

“Why?” she breathed. “You haven’t answered my question. Despite everything that’s going on, I still care about my niece, Alaric. But you put her father in jail, and years later, all of a sudden you marry her? How

does that even make any sense? If her father killed yours, what you should be looking for is revenge. Not

a damn wife!”

I knew it didn’t make any sense at all. Clarissa was right to be concerned.

Initially, I planned to seek revenge. Their father being in jail wasn’t enough for what he did to my family. I

was going to ruin them before they even knew who I was.

But then–Meadow touched me.

And all of a sudden, all I wanted was her and nothing else.

All I needed was her.

And not just because I could feel her, but because she was hurt. Damaged. And I had a feeling it wasn’t completely because of me and what I did–if it even was at all.

Her gaze softened slightly. “It’s not because you can feel her, is it? Because if all you want is some physical touch, I’m more than happy to-”

I scowled at Clarissa. “I don’t owe you any answers. I gave you what you fucking wanted, and Meadow is

mine.”

Clarissa’s breath hitched as my grip tightened around her neck. She clawed at my arm, trying to pull it away from her. My grip wasn’t too tight, she was overreacting.

“And you will leave my penthouse and forget this conversation ever happened. And god fucking help me, Clarissa. If I ever find out that you told Meadow the fucking truth, I’m going to make you regret it. Slowly.”

She slapped my arm away, and this time, I let her,

“Same goes for you too, baby,” she said breathily, pushing her hair away from her face. “Meadow is my niece, and I love her. If there was anything I could do to keep her from you, I would. But if you fucking hurt her for the sins of her father, I will make your life miserable, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

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CHAPTER 0072

+15 BONUS

My lips twitched. “Cute.”

I wished I could say I would never hurt Meadow. I wouldn’t–not intentionally.

But what all this had made me realize was that secrets weren’t safe. Not entirely. Sooner or later, Meadow

would find out the truth. That was a given.

It was only a matter of when.

CHAPTER 0073

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.