Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed novel Chapter 838

“How dare you?” The veins in his forehead bulged, each word forced out through clenched teeth.

Kathleen’s eyes flickered, but she quickly masked it with confusion. “Honey, what are you even talking about?”

Teague let out a cold, hollow laugh. “‘Honey’? If you weren’t feeling guilty, would you call me that right after I slapped you? Wouldn’t you be screaming at me instead?”

Kathleen’s face went rigid, a chill crawling up her spine to the back of her neck.

“I… I just thought you must’ve been drunk to hit me…”

“I haven’t had a drop tonight,” Teague shot back.

Kathleen swallowed hard, her voice tinged with hurt. “What on earth happened that you’d lash out at me like this? I just don’t understand…”

She broke off, a single tear sliding down her perfectly kept face. Even in distress, the corners of her eyes and mouth hinted at a mature beauty that time hadn’t erased.

“I grew up loved and sheltered, you know. And you just—hit me, like that. How am I supposed to hold my head up after this?”

Her voice grew softer with each word, her head bowing lower, the picture of a wounded wife complaining to her husband—half sulking, half pleading, and maybe, just maybe, trying to win him over.

But Teague was unmoved. His face remained cold and expressionless. Then, with a sneer, he looked her over, head to toe and back again, as if seeing her for the first time.

“Funny, I never knew you could lie so easily. Or that you’re so damn bold.”

“Daddy’s little princess, all pampered and perfect? That’s not what you said tonight at the Rodriguezes’.”

He heard it.

He heard everything.

Kathleen’s soul nearly left her body.

Teague’s eyes narrowed. “Do you really think you can fool me? Are you naïve, or do you just take me for an idiot?”

“If you’d just owned up to it, I might’ve respected you for once. Madge was right about you. You really are rotten to the core.”

Kathleen swayed on her feet.

He heard it.

He actually heard everything—

“Fine! That’s right! I did it on purpose! I set her up to be caught by those men! I wanted her dead! Is that what you want to hear?!”

Smack—

Teague struck her again, his whole body shaking with rage. He just couldn’t understand—he really couldn’t—