Chapter 319: About you!
MARIA.
I have to be dreaming.
That was the only explanation my mind could desperately cling to as I stared at Vincent in complete disbelief. Nothing around me felt real anymore. Every single thing I thought I knew had suddenly twisted into something unrecognizable, leaving me feeling as though the ground beneath my feet had completely vanished.
"Tell me all this is a joke, Vincent!" I said, finally standing up from the bed as I slowly felt myself losing my mind. My voice trembled slightly despite my attempt to stay composed. "Tell me all this was staged," I continued, my breathing becoming uneven the more I spoke.
Because how was I supposed to accept this?
How was I supposed to believe that the man I had known as Vincent—the rogue who had smiled at me, spoken gently to me, and acted like my friend—was actually the Lycan Prince all along?
None of it made sense.
Vincent immediately stepped closer toward me, his expression softening as though he wanted to calm me down. Slowly, he reached his hand toward mine, trying to grab my hands gently.
"Don’t touch me!" I yelled instantly, jerking away from him as panic and anger rose sharply inside me.
The thought of him touching me now suddenly felt unbearable.
Because everything kept replaying in my head all at once.
He had ordered my death.
Even worse, he had done it while pretending to be someone else entirely. While sitting beside me during some of the competitions. While acting normal around me. While speaking to me like a friend.
Everything that had happened...every plan, every event, every attack carried out under the Lycan Prince’s command...he had approved all of it.
The realization made my chest tighten painfully.
"Relax, okay," Vincent said after a brief pause, his tone quieter now as though he was carefully choosing his words. "I am still your friend...I am still Vincent to you."
"No, you are not!" I snapped firmly before he could come any closer, my eyes burning with frustration as I stared directly at him. "You are the Lycan Prince who causes only misery to others," I added bitterly.
The moment those words left my mouth, Vincent’s face paled visibly.
For the first time since this conversation started, he actually looked affected by what I said.
"Maria," he began softly, his voice carrying an unusual tension now, "I know you might be thinking that what we shared was fake, but it wasn’t."
He started pacing back and forth restlessly, almost as if he was trying to calm his own nerves before continuing.
"Every other thing might have been a pretense," he admitted quietly, "but not our friendship."
I stared at him in disbelief.
What we shared?
The phrase alone irritated me.
"We have nothing, Vincent...because I never knew you," I said coldly.
The words hurt more than I expected, even to myself.
Because it was true.
The person I thought I knew no longer existed.
Or maybe he never existed at all.
A frustrated smile slowly appeared on my lips, though there was no humor behind it.
"Tell me..." I paused briefly, my gaze hardening on him. "Didn’t you come to me because you had an ulterior motive? To use me against the quadruplets?"
The question lingered heavily in the room.
For once, Vincent didn’t answer immediately.
"I... I..." he stammered, trying to speak.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t finish the words.
And somehow, that silence hurt more than any answer possibly could.
"Why are you even after them?" I asked angrily, my voice rising despite how hard I tried to stay calm. Frustration and confusion had already overwhelmed every rational thought inside me. "And why involve me in all this drama?" I added sharply.
Vincent didn’t answer immediately.
He simply stood there staring at me silently, his expression unreadable, which only irritated me more. The silence felt heavy, almost suffocating, as though he was trying to decide how much he should actually reveal to me.
"Look," I continued before he could say anything, "if you want the quadruplets, then go after them directly."
My chest tightened as Noah’s face crossed my mind instantly.
"I have already decided to settle down and live a peaceful life with Noah," I added firmly.
That was all I wanted.
Peace.
No more chaos. No more being dragged into dangerous conflicts that had nothing to do with me. I was tired of everything constantly turning into a battle I never asked to be part of.
"You don’t get it, Maria," Vincent finally said quietly.
His tone had changed again, softer now, but somehow even more unsettling.
"You were right," he admitted after a pause. "I approached you because of the quadruplets."
I felt my stomach twist painfully hearing him confirm it aloud.
So it was true after all.
Everything really had started because of them.
"But a long time ago," he continued slowly, taking another step closer toward me, "it stopped being about them."
My brows furrowed immediately.
"And what do you mean by that?" I asked cautiously.
Then another terrifying thought crossed my mind.
My eyes widened slightly as I looked at him.
"Wait..." I paused, my voice lowering nervously. "You aren’t about to hurt Noah, are you?"
The moment Noah’s name left my lips, Vincent’s expression darkened instantly.
"Damn it!" he snapped angrily. "How can you still be thinking about him at this point?"
Before I could react, he stormed toward the nearby table and violently scattered everything on top of it onto the floor. The loud crashing sound made me flinch immediately as objects shattered and rolled across the room.
The sudden outburst shocked me.
Vincent stood there breathing heavily for a moment before turning back toward me again.
Then he walked straight to me.
My heart pounded anxiously as he reached me and grabbed both my shoulders firmly.
"It stopped being about anyone else, Maria," he said intensely, staring directly into my eyes. "It was now about you."
My breath caught instantly.
For a second, my heart skipped involuntarily at the seriousness in his voice, and without meaning to, my gaze darted nervously toward the other man who was still standing quietly inside the room.
The entire situation felt unreal.
"I love you, Maria!" Vincent declared suddenly.
The words hit me so unexpectedly that my mind completely blanked.
"And only I deserve you."
I stared at him speechlessly.
I genuinely didn’t know what to say anymore.
Everything happening felt ridiculous.
Completely ridiculous.
How did things even get to this point?
Before I could process any of it properly, the door suddenly opened again.
And the moment she stepped inside, my entire body stiffened.
Her shoulders were raised confidently, her expression proud and composed as she walked into the room like she belonged there.
Honestly, I never believed I would ever see her again.
My eyes widened immediately in disbelief.
At the same time, the man who had entered earlier bowed respectfully toward her the moment she appeared.
My confusion deepened instantly.
What exactly is going on here?
