Fallen 138

Posted by Cedella, ? Views, Released on October 7, 2025

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CHAPTER 0138

Alaric’s POV:

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting Meadow to say to me. But anything would’ve been less surprising than this.

Anything

“What?” I pulled back to look at her properly–at the wild look in her eyes, the tears that had gathered but refused to fall. “What do you mean you killed your mother? Why would you say that?”

“…” Meadow’s bottom lip quivered. “I can’t… I didn’t know how to tell you so I just-“Her breathing turned shallow, and with the way she was trying not to cry, I could tell that she was about to have a panic attack.

My chest tightened. “Hey, hey, look at me, baby,” I rasped, gently gripping her chin so she was looking at me.” I’m here, alright? There’s nothing you need to be scared of. You can tell me anything. You know that.”

Meadow nodded fiercely as tears slowly slid down her cheeks. “I know, I just-”

“Want me to take you home so we can talk about it?” I asked, pushing her hair away from her delicate face. I wasn’t sure of a lot of things, but one thing I was sure of was that Meadow didn’t kill her mother.

A trauma like that would’ve been too heavy for her to carry.

“Mm mm,” she hummed, shaking her head. “I came here to talk to you about it.”

My brows raised in question.

“Talk to me, then.”

And she did.

“She tried to kill me once,” she started. “Nearly two years after my father was thrown in prison, my mother tried to poison me.”

My entire body stilled. “What?”

Meadow nodded, sniffing before burying her head into my chest again. “She blamed me for everything. Somehow, it was my fault that my father embezzled funds and swindled money off of people, my fault that he killed a man, my fault that he was arrested.” She laughed bitterly as I stroked her hair. “My mother hated me so much, she thought she and Juniper would be better off without me. And so, she slipped something into the meal the housekeeper prepared for me. But Juniper-”

She broke off, shoving out a breath. “Juniper snatched the food from me and ate almost all of it before I even got to the dining table. She nearly died, but luckily, the housekeeper was around and she called the medics. They were able to flush the toxins out of her system, but my mother never forgave herself for that. Or me.‘

“Fuck.” My chest tightened. My heart hurt for my wife. She had been through so much as a child, it was a miracle she ended up being someone so kind and reserved and passionate.

A fucking miracle.

1/5

“Yeah.” Her voice was lower than a whisper. And then she proceeded to tell me everything else from peeking into the bathroom and seeing her mother swallow a bunch of pills, to Juniper overhearing her conversation with the police officers after just getting discharged from the hospital.

And all of a sudden, it all made sense. The way Meadow always got so defensive about her sister, the way her only defense was “She’s my sister.” The way she took everything Juniper lashed out on her, the way she let her break her heart over and over and over again.

There was no difference between the way Meadow felt and how Nolan used to feel.

She wanted to be punished. She thought she deserved to be punished.

My sweet angel…

“Baby…”

“I know what you’re going to say,” she cut in softly. “You’re going to tell me it’s not my fault. That I didn’t kill my mother, but the truth of the matter is that I did. If only I’d stopped her. If only I’d called the paramedics or cried out for the housekeeper, maybe my mother would’ve still-”

“Been alive?” I murmured as my thumb slowly caressed her cheeks. “She’d have been alive, and what then? Tried to kill you again? Maybe a few more times until she succeeded?”

Her breath hitched, eyes widening. “I—”

“Meadow, your parents hated you, and the one person who was supposed to be your ride or die…” I trailed off, letting the silence do the talking. “I want you to believe me when I say that nothing that happened is your fault. You’re the victim here. Not them. You. And you don’t deserve anything your lunatic sister has ever thrown at you.”

She was shaking her head, like she was trying to disagree with me.

My hand drifted down to her waist, the other tilting her head up to face me. “Why won’t you believe me? Why don’t you want to accept it, Meadow? Why won’t you agree that it’s not your fault?”

“Because it is,” she blurted out. “Alaric, I knew that she was going to die but I allowed it to happen. Her life was …” Meadow’s lips quivered. “Her life was literally in my hands and I just… crushed it. It’s my fault.”

My jaw clenched. Meadow was a tough fucking nut to crack. There was nothing I could do to try to convince her to change her mind or at least see reason.

Nothing except…

“It’s not your fault,” I finally spoke after a few seconds of silence. “It’s mine.”

Meadow’s brows pulled together in confusion. “What…”

“I’m the one who put your father in jail, remember? If I hadn’t turned him in, he’d still be with your mother and she wouldn’t have tried to-”

“No-”

2/5

“Kill herself”

“Alaric, stop!” Meadow said firmly, glaring at me. “Don’t try to shift the blame on to you. My father killed There’s nothing you could’ve done except turn him in, so the last thing you should be doing is blaming yourself.”

yours.

My gaze dropped to her pursed lips and I dragged it back to her hazel orbs, smirking. “How about you take your own advice, baby? Because I promise you, I’m ready to stand here and take the blame if it means you don’t have to.”

The expression that flooded her eyes brought warmth to my heart. “Alaric…” I didn’t wait for her to finish before leaning in to claim her lips with mine.

Fucking hell. This woman.

She was the bane of my fucking existence. My doe.

My damnation.

Meadow wrapped her arms around my neck, rising to the tips of her toes as she opened her mouth to welcome my tongue. However, before I could deepen the kiss, she pulled away. “Wait… there’s something else.”

“The actual reason you came here?” I murmured against her mouth. She nodded, heaving a sigh. “What did your sister say this time?”

Meadow didn’t hesitate. “She pretended to be me and paid a visit to my father, and she… she told him about what I did to our mother and now all he wants is…”

Fucking bitch.

Panic flashed in Meadow’s eyes. “Alaric, what if he gets out? He’s going to-

“He’s not going to go anything because he’s not getting out, Meadow. And even if he were to get released in some alternate universe, he would never be able to hurt you.”

I saw the exact moment relief washed over her. Meadow let out a shaky breath, nodding.

My jaw clenched. The fact that Meadow thought that this was something to be upset or scared about fucking annoyed me.

I was always going to protect her. And I certainly wasn’t going to release her father, with or without him wanting to kill her. She knew all of this, and yet, she remained scared.

Curling my hand around the back of her neck, I leaned in. “You underestimate me so much, baby,” I said darkly. “I think you keep forgetting who I am and the things I can do.”

Her eyes widened and she swallowed. “No, I just…” Her eyes glazed over with lust as she leaned into my touch.

“And I think you need a reminder.”

If we were at home, this would be the perfect time to show her the tether room. But we weren’t.

375

This was even better.

“Come with me,” I murmured, taking her hand in mine as I led her to my office.

However, the moment the doors slid open, something unexpected happened,

“You fucking son of a bitch!” was all I heard froin Tyler before his fist connected with my jaw.

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.

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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.