Chapter 367: How are you so sure?
Adrein.
For a moment, I was too shocked to react.
My mind went completely blank.
The unexpected contact had caught me so off guard that I simply stood there, frozen, trying to process what had just happened.
Then the shock faded, and in its place came a powerful wave of disgust. It crashed through me so violently that my stomach twisted.
Without hesitation, I shoved Vanessa away from me.
She stumbled backward immediately, her eyes widening in surprise.
For a second, she nearly lost her footing entirely, her body swayed dangerously before she finally managed to steady herself.
I didn’t care, as my attention was elsewhere.
With pure irritation coursing through my veins, I immediately raised my hand and wiped my lips.
Once.
Twice.
As though I could erase the memory of what had just happened.
My jaw tightened, while anger simmered beneath my skin. I was already opening my mouth, ready to unleash every bit of my frustration on her.
But the words never came out, because at that exact moment, someone appeared behind me.
My entire body stiffened.
Maria.
The moment I saw her, every thought inside my head scattered.
My breath caught in my throat.
And suddenly, all the anger I had been feeling disappeared beneath something much worse.
Panic.
My strength seemed to drain from me instantly.
Did she see it?
The question hit me so hard that my chest tightened painfully.
She must have.
There was no way she hadn’t.
Instinct immediately screamed at me to go after he, to stop her, to explain, to tell her exactly what had happened and to make her understand that I hadn’t wanted any of it.
That Vanessa had forced herself on me.
But I couldn’t.
The thought died almost as quickly as it appeared. Maria was still wearing the golden mask, therefore to everyone around us, she wasn’t Maria.
She was the Lycan Princess.
Following her, calling out her name and trying to stop her in the middle of the palace corridors...that would only attract attention.
And the last thing I wanted was to place her in trouble.
A low yet rough frustrated growl escaped me. It was filled with helplessness as I could only stand there and watch—watch as she continues walking away, watch as the distance between us increased with every step she took and watch as she left without even acknowledging my existence.
The very woman I had longed for day and night had just walked away from me and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
The realization hit harder than I expected.
A feeling of dejection settled heavily inside my chest, and then came the anger.
Fortunately for me, there was a perfect target standing right in front of me.
My gaze snapped toward Vanessa.
Without thinking twice, I stepped forward and grabbed a fistful of her hair.
She cried out immediately, as her hands flew to my wrist as she tried desperately to pry my fingers away.
"Adrein!" She called out, as her voice cracked. "You are hurting me!"
She winced visibly as she struggled against my grip.
But I wasn’t interested in her pain, not after what she had done and not after the trouble she had just caused. If anything, my grip tightened further.
"Tell me," I growled, my voice thick with annoyance and barely restrained fury, as I stared directly into her eyes. "Why did you do that?"
"Do what exactly?" Vanessa asked the question with an almost innocent expression on her face.
Her eyes widened slightly, and if I didn’t know her better, I might have actually believed she had no idea what I was talking about.
But I did know her, and that was exactly why her act only fueled my anger.
A sharp laugh nearly escaped me.
The audacity.
Without thinking, I twisted my fist tighter around her hair.
Vanessa immediately gasped, as a pained wince crossed her face as she tried to pry my hand away.
"Stop playing dumb, Vanessa!" I yelled, my frustration finally boiling over, as my voice echoed through the corridor. "You clearly saw Maria coming from behind me, so you deliberately kissed me!"
The accusation came out harsher than I intended, not that I cared but I was furious.
I took a deep breath, attempting to control the anger threatening to consume me.
"What exactly are you trying to prove?" I demanded.
For a moment, Vanessa simply stared at me, and then, unexpectedly, she chuckled. The sound immediately put me on edge.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," she said.
Although she was still wincing from the pain, there was something annoyingly calm about her tone.
Then her eyes narrowed slightly. "But how are you so sure she is Maria?"
The question hit me like a bucket of cold water, and Instantly, my grip loosened.
My thoughts froze.
And for the first time since this confrontation started, I found myself completely tongue-tied.
Vanessa noticed.
The moment my grip weakened, she yanked herself free. She immediately stepped back and began fixing her disheveled hair.
Then she adjusted her clothes as though trying to restore whatever dignity she felt I had taken from her.
Meanwhile, I stood there silently, as I was thinking.
"You haven’t answered me, Adrien." Vanessa pressed further, as her eyes remained fixed on mine while waiting and studying my reaction.
I clenched my fists tightly.
My heart sank.
Because suddenly, a terrifying possibility occurred to me. I had been so certain she knew that was Maria.
And if she knew that...then she might also know who the Lycan Princess truly was.
Shit.
My stomach twisted.
What if she decided to tell the Lycan Prince?
What if she informed him that I knew the true identity of the Lycan Princess?
The consequences could be disastrous.
"Adrein." She said, her voice pulling me from my spiraling thoughts.
"Shut it, Vanessa!" I snapped, as my tone came out sharper than intended. "That was the Lycan Princess."
I forced myself to remain calm, and forced my expression to change, and even forced myself to sound convincing.
"I just miss Maria so badly that I’m beginning to hallucinate."
The lie tasted bitter, but it was necessary, and I hope she buys into it.
For a moment, Vanessa simply stared at me, and then her face suddenly paled. Only for her expression to darken a second later.
The change was so dramatic that it caught my attention immediately.
And before I could stop myself, the words slipped out.
"Shit." I blinked. "And now you look like Maria."
The moment the sentence left my mouth, I knew I hit the right spot.
Vanessa’s entire face darkened, as pure fury flashed across her features. She stomped her foot so hard that the sound echoed through the corridor.
"I will never look like that seductress!" she yelled, her voice practically vibrating with outrage.
And judging by the murderous glare she was sending me, I was so certain I had really hit the right nerve..
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