Fallen 152

Posted by Sara Lili, ? Views, Released on October 17, 2025

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CHAPTER 0152

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CHAPTER 0152

Meadow’s POV:

Ingrid Ashford’s presence was still as tall and intimidating as ever. However, I wasn’t in the mood for her shit today.

To my surprise, her hair wasn’t pulled back in the tight bun it usually was–she let it down beautifully today.

“Gives me a migraine,” she said as she noticed where my attention was. “As if having two boys wasn’t enough of a headache already.”

Holy… shit.

Did she just say something light–hearted to me? Did she just try to make a joke?

My gaze narrowed. “Your children are hardly boys, Ingrid. They’re grown men.”

‘And maybe you need to get off their backs,‘ I wanted to add, but decided against it.

“Maybe one day, when you have children, you’ll understand why we as mothers do the things we do and why we’ll always do anything to protect our children even if that means risking our health.”

That was it.

I scoffed, shooting Ingrid a glare. “If this is what you came here for, then I’ll gladly shut the door in your face. I’m already going through a lot without you coming to make things worse.”

I’d already come to the conclusion that Ingrid was a terrible person. It was as simple as that. I was already hurting, and here she was, at my doorstep, still throwing jabs at me. She wasn’t even my mother–in–law anymore, so she wasn’t entitled to my respect.

Why on earth did she come to my apartment?

I began to close the door, but Ingrid stopped it. “Wait,” she said. “Please. I only wish to talk, that’s all.”

I paused, studying the expression on her face. She didn’t seem like someone who came here to fight with me- like she always did. Today, the expression on her face was a bit solemn.

Vulnerable.

“You misunderstood me, Meadow. I wasn’t throwing a jab, I’m only saying it as it is. I understand that my words may come out strong sometimes, but that is not what I’m here for.”

My stomach twisted, brows furrowing as I watched her. Her lips parted, and she stared past me into the apartment and back at me, silently asking if she could come in.

Frowning, I opened the door wider so she could step into the living room.

For a moment, we just stood there, staring at each other as she wrung her hands awkwardly. I was getting impatient.

“What is it, Ingrid?” I finally asked with a sigh, crossing my arms in front of my chest. “Come to gloat about me

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not being your daughter–in–law anymore? Or about Clarissa reclaiming her position as the woman you thought would give you grandbabies?”

I was referring to that faithful night–the night that she threw that party, the same party I found out that my aunt Yvonne was Alaric’s ex–girlfriend.

Something stabbed at my chest and I let out a bitter laugh. “You must be over the moon right now.”

“No,” Ingrid said quickly, shaking her head. “I…” she looked around, walking over to one of the sofas. And then she gestured at the opposite end of it, giving me a smile that seemed warm. “Please, sit.”

I watched her warily as I walked over to the sofa, making sure to leave a huge space between us as I sat at the very end of the it.

This was weird.

This was extremely weird.

“Meadow,” she started. “I knew exactly who you were from the first night I saw you at that event.”

My breath hitched. She knew who I was? “What?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Your father is in prison for the wrong he did to my family, dear. Dare I say it would’ve been negligent on my part not to know Clint Russell’s daughter when I saw her. Finding out you were married to my son didn’t make any sense at first. It’s why I… cornered you that night to know how much Alaric paid you. I never wanted to believe that it was love. Never. And when I discovered that he could feel you, it further confirmed my suspicions.”

My eyes fell shut, my throat tightening. I didn’t know how to feel about that, about the fact that everyone had known. Everyone except me- and Nolan, until last month, that is.

“So what? Are you here to remind me of what a fool I was all along? That I fell for your fake ignorance?” 1 scoffed. “What exactly are you here for, Ingrid? Because if you can’t—”

“I’m here to apologize, Meadow.”

J froze.

Or maybe it was hell that just froze over. Was this a dream? Was I going to wake up at any point during this meeting and go back to my regular life? Or was Ingrid Ashford really here saying the word ‘apologize‘?

“You want to… apologize?”

She nodded firmly, “You were right. I was jealous that he could feel you. Alaric has always been the kind of person to put his brother and I first in everything he did. And even though we weren’t always happy, I thought that we were going to be okay. But… all of a sudden, his father died and…” She trailed off, her voice breaking, And then she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, this topic is a very hard one for me to discuss, but the truth remains that Alaric lost his sense of touch not too long after his father died.”

My heart throbbed.

I mean, I knew that, but hearing Ingrid say that with a shaky voice and unsteady gaze, it did something to me. I

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wondered how it must’ve felt, both to Alaric and to his mother.

Ingrid let out a bitter chuckle, continuing. “Not being able to hug my own son or touch him because he couldn’t feel my touch… I blamed myself for everything. I hated myself for not being able to fix it. I labeled myself a failure, a mother who could never do anything to save her sons even when they were being abused by my own husband. When Clarisaa came along, things got slightly better. She was easy to deal with, a nice girl, and she made him happy.”

My chest throbbed harder. I didn’t like this.

“But then she cheated on him, and that hurt him deeply. After that, he shut us out, he shut ME out. It’s why I was so desperate to get them back together.”

“If all you wanted was for Alaric to feel something, why did you hate me the moment I came along?” I found myself asking.

“Because–like I said earlier – I knew who you were. And I… I didn’t think it was fair that you got to be the one he could feel.”

I scoffed, rolling my tongue over my teeth. Ingrid’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. “But I was wrong. It was foolish of me to think that, especially since I know the way he feels about you. I see it… I see how much he needs you and I…”

“You what?” I prodded.

“I see how much you need him too.”

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.