Lucy POV
Xaden appeared in front of the cell, his eyes burned with golden light… Anger seeped from him.
I gulped harder. I was doomed, literally.
"Don't tell me you believe I did that? I'm locked up in the cell. How could I possibly slap her and rip her clothes?" My eyes widen in terror.
I was freezing to death, but my head seemed to be sweating.
"She came close to the bars and attacked me!" Selena's fake sobs only grew louder.
I took a step back, trembling, "No… no, I didn't…"
"And how the hell does she have those marks on her face if you didn't?" Caden growled behind Xaden, his eyes dark as he scanned my naked body… A shiver went down my spine when his eyes stopped at one point. My breast.
"Can you even imagine that?" Selena turned swiftly to Xaden, wrapping her arms around herself like a fragile victim.
I stared at her, disgust tightening my throat.
This was insane.
"This is insane!" I shouted, my voice trembling with fury and disbelief. "She's lying! She's manipulating you all—"
"No, you're insane!" Malek snapped before I could finish, his voice sharp and raw with anger. He rarely spoke—his silence was his strength—but now, it shattered like glass.
His eyes locked on mine like I was a stranger. "Why would someone harm herself and lie like this? Who even does that?"
I froze.
The air felt like it was being crushed from my lungs. Of course they believed her.
She had become Lucy to them, the sweet, pure girl they were supposed to marry. Not me. Not the real Lucy, stripped, caged, and left to rot in a dungeon.
Would it have made a difference if they knew the truth?
Would they have still stood there and watched her rip me apart?
Goddess… I was so tired of this.
So drained from being treated like dirt in a life that once belonged to me.
Selena… She was shameless.
Twisting everything. Stealing everything.
These were my mates. My future. My sacred bond.
And she was tearing it from my hands like it never belonged to me at all.
"I guess she's so obsessed with us," Riven drawled with a grin, his arms folded casually as if this were all a joke. His silver-gray eyes were blank, soulless, and unreadable. "She can't even stand the thought of Lucy having us."
Each word sliced through me like glass.
"Exactly," Caden chimed in coldly, his gaze like frostbite. "We've had plenty of women fall at our feet over the years… But I've never seen a maid bold enough to try and outshine a princess. You crave what you'll never have, even if you live a hundred lifetimes."
The laughter in his voice stung worse than a slap.
Like I was pathetic for even existing.
I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. My nails dug into my arms, but I refused to cry. Not in front of them.
Not when they were letting Selena steal my name, my mates, and my entire life right before my eyes.
I summoned what little courage I had left, sinking my teeth into my lip until I tasted blood. Their cruel words cut deeper than knives, but I wouldn't let it end like this.
No. Not like this.
I stepped forward, legs trembling, the cold having seeped deep into my bones. My heart pounded like a war drum as I wrapped my fingers around the iron bars, now standing just inches from the five of them.
"I challenge her," I said, my voice low but steady. "I want to prove I'm the real Lucy. The true princess sent by Alpha Graveranon to marry you."
My grip tightened against the bars, nails digging into the rusting metal.
Their expressions twisted with mockery. Smirks spread across their faces like wildfire.
Selena blinked, her lashes fluttering with fake innocence. "What are you even talking about?"
"A challenge," I repeated louder, this time locking eyes with Xaden. "If you truly believe she's Lucy… Then test us. Ask us things only the real one would know. Let me prove it. Let me show you who I am."
I even dared to smile, though my insides felt like they were unraveling.
Caden scoffed, throwing his hand over his face dramatically. "You really must've rehearsed this well, maid. I'll give you credit. You're clever."
Malek's brow furrowed.
Riven tilted his head slightly, the first hint of interest flickering in his silver eyes. Caden still looked irritated, but I could see the flicker of doubt forming there.
Then there was Xaden. His golden eyes narrowed, focused solely on me like a predator trying to read its prey.
Selena scoffed beside him. Her dark hair swayed sharply as she turned and clung to Xaden's arm. "She's delusional. She needs help."
But I saw it.
She was nervous.
I knew her better than anyone, better than they ever could. As children, whenever Selena got nervous, she'd latch onto something. A chair. A table. A person.
Now she was gripping Xaden like her life depended on it.
The twitch in her fingers. The flicker in her eyes.
She hadn't expected me to fight back and certainly not like this. She wasn't prepared for it. She knew if it came down to the truth… she'd fail. Miserably.
Because she didn't know them. Only I did.
I had spent an entire night beside Xaden, every word, every silence, every detail etched into me like scripture.
And even if I hadn't interacted much with his brothers that night, I still knew things… things Selena never would.
Because I was Lucy.
"I have nothing to lose," I whispered. "But if I win… you set me free."
There was a beat of silence before Xaden spoke, his voice cold as ice.
"Fine."
He turned to Selena. "You accept?"
Selena paused, lips trembling… then smiled sweetly. "Of course."