Why couldn’t he see that, to her, he was nothing more than a shadow she didn’t need to acknowledge?

Neil’s face hardened, his calm barely containing the fury beneath. “Take off the mask, Katelyn. I’m done with this game. I saw the mole behind your ear.”

Katelyn’s jaw clenched. That damn mole had given her away. She’d spent three years in a loveless marriage, believing Neil couldn’t even see her. But that tiny detail? She never expected he would notice it.

But what did it really matter?

A harsh laugh slipped from her lips, sharp and bitter. “A mole? That’s what you’ve got? Step aside, Neil. You won’t like what happens next.”

Neil’s eyes were unyielding, his voice calm but edged with quiet threat. “Take off the mask. If you’re not Katelyn, I’ll apologize. But if you are…” Original content can be found at f?ndnovel.net

“Why does it matter to you who I am?” Katelyn’s voice cut him off, sharp and quick. She held his gaze, her lips curling into a defiant smirk. “Let’s get something straight—you need me. Who I really am has nothing to do with this.”

“Who do you think you are, questioning my identity?”

As long as Carol was safe, nothing else mattered. How could Neil not understand something so simple?

Neil’s face tightened, his patience beginning to crack. He snapped, “I’ve treated you with enough respect. Don’t push me. This is your final warning—take off the mask.”

Katelyn looked at him with nothing but contempt. Without a word, she lifted her foot and kicked his wheelchair hard, sending it lurching forward with a sharp, jarring movement.

Neil’s wheelchair tipped suddenly, and he crashed to the floor with a harsh thud.

Additional chapters at g ln ov els .?

“Neil!” Lise rushed to his side, panic flickering in her eyes as she tried to help him up. “Hades, you’ve crossed the line! Just because you’re a magic healer doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want!”

With Lise’s support, Neil slowly pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly as he fought to steady himself. His glare was like a knife.

“Am I being too soft with you? Do you really think you can just do whatever you want?”

Katelyn’s lips lifted in a faint, knowing smile. Her voice was calm, controlled, but there was a sharpness to it.

“Take this as a warning.”

“Push me again, and I won’t hold back.” Her disdain for Neil was obvious, heavy, and palpable.

Vincent watched quietly, observing closely. The way Hades spoke sounded just like Katelyn, but there was something off now, something different.

She stiffened, her usual calm replaced by a sharp, almost tense alertness.

What had she just seen? What was really happening here?

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