A Rogue For The Quadruplet Alpha's.

Noah.

The absolute audacity and arrogant confidence with which Damien spoke irritated me far beyond the limits of my imagination.

What exactly did he mean by telling me to quit?

Was the man completely insane?

Did we really need to keep dragging out this endless, repetitive argument about who could or couldn’t be with Maria?

Was he so blind to reality that he couldn’t see what was right in front of his eyes?

It was only today, standing in this quiet stone corridor, that I could totally and definitively tell that every single one of those brothers was completely dumb.

Maria had already made her choice loud and clear—and that choice was me.

There had never been any ambiguity in her actions, her words, or the way she had chosen to stand beside me. She had already made her decision, and as far as I was concerned, that should have been enough to settle the matter once and for all.

So how on earth could I possibly be the one who needed to quit, when I had already won her heart long ago?

The very thought was absurd.

Why should I be the one to step aside when I had already earned the place he was desperately trying to claim?

Why should I walk away simply because he refused to accept the reality standing directly in front of him?

A sudden surge of cold fury swept through me, replacing every trace of restraint I had managed to hold onto moments earlier.

My jaw tightened, my blood seemed to burn beneath my skin, and before I could think twice about it, I immediately turned on my heel and marched straight back toward him.

I needed to make him understand.

I needed to forcefully make him see exactly who had lost this fight.

Before he could even react to my sudden return, I lunged forward. My hands shot out and seized the fine collar of his tunic, my fingers curling tightly into the fabric as I yanked him toward me.

Then my grip shifted higher, tightening firmly around his throat.

My knuckles turned stark white beneath the pressure as I held him there, my fingers rigid and unyielding. I stared directly at him, refusing to loosen my hold, determined to make the message painfully clear without needing to repeat myself.

"Look here, Damien," I started slowly, my voice dangerously low as I leaned into his pale face. "You really need to start using those brains of yours for once." I added calmly, keeping my gaze locked onto his wide, shocked eyes. "Maria has already chosen me over you time and time again, which clearly means that you and your pathetic, entitled brothers have already lost!" I declared, letting every single word land like a heavy blade.

And before he could regain his composure or even gather enough strength to push me away, I shoved him backward with all the strength I could muster.

My hands struck against him firmly, and the force behind the movement sent him staggering across the hard floor.

His feet stumbled beneath him as he struggled to regain his balance, his body swaying dangerously for a moment before he finally managed to steady himself.

I remained exactly where I was, watching him without an ounce of hesitation. I refused to let him see even the slightest trace of uncertainty in me. I had already said what needed to be said, and I had no intention of allowing him to turn the situation around or make me retreat.

"Have I made myself crystal clear?!" I demanded, my voice ringing through the hallway with enough force to bounce powerfully against the surrounding walls.

The question hung heavily in the air, firm and unmistakable. I stood tall before him, my posture rigid with confidence, my chin lifted as I stared at him without blinking. I wanted there to be absolutely no misunderstanding about where I stood or what I meant.

And without waiting a single second for his pathetic response, I turned away.

I wasn’t going to stand there and listen to another excuse, another argument, or another attempt to challenge me. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of dragging me back into the same pointless confrontation.

I simply turned around and walked away from the hallway, my head held high and my shoulders pulled back proudly. Every step I took carried the certainty of someone who had nothing left to prove.

They were the real losers here.

I had long since won her heart—that is, if I had ever even considered this entire ridiculous circus a competition in the first place.

Either way, I had no reason to look back, because I knew exactly where I stood, and I walked away with that certainty firmly planted in my mind.

The quadruplets were truly the most delusional, self-absorbed beings I had ever come across in my entire life. It was almost astonishing how completely convinced they could be of their own version of reality, even when everything around them suggested otherwise.

Imagine running a race all by yourself, pouring every ounce of energy into reaching a finish line that no longer existed, and still somehow believing you were winning.

Imagine fighting a battle that had already ended, swinging your fists at an enemy who was no longer there, yet proudly convincing yourself that victory was within your grasp.

Imagine being the only person participating in a competition you had already lost, while somehow remaining arrogant enough to believe everyone else was simply too blind to recognize your triumph.

How utterly, completely pathetic.

Despite how ridiculous they were, however, there was something else weighing heavily on my mind.

I immediately went in search of Maria, already certain that she must be thoroughly angry with me at this very moment. I could practically imagine the disappointment in her eyes, and the thought alone made me regret the situation even more.

In hindsight, I really shouldn’t have allowed myself to get dragged into that bitter argument with Damien, especially not right in front of her. I should have known better than to let the confrontation escalate when she was already dealing with far too much emotionally.

Especially not after she had just confessed how shattered and torn apart she felt inside after discovering her sudden twin sister. She had barely begun to process that revelation, and the last thing she needed was to witness another bitter confrontation unfolding right in front of her.

Truth be told, even I couldn’t stand Patricia for a single second. There was something about her attitude that made it almost impossible to tolerate her for any length of time. She was arrogant, unbelievably rude, ridiculously sassy, and thoroughly spoiled to her core. Every word she spoke seemed to carry that same irritating confidence, as though she had never once considered that she might be wrong.

And yet, despite how much Patricia irritated me, I couldn’t help regretting that I had allowed my argument with Damien to become another burden for Maria to carry.

Because back at the academy, she had taken deliberate pleasure in making life a living hell for Maria at every possible turn. Learning that she was Maria’s flesh and blood was a nightmare I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

I took a long, deep breath to steady my racing pulse and quickened my footsteps, pushing down the silent hallways as I kept desperately searching for her.

And luckily, after what felt like an eternity, I spotted her tucked away in a quiet corner of the corridor. She was sitting directly on the cold stone floor, her knees pulled tightly against her chest as she curled herself up into a small, fragile ball against the wall.

"Maria!" I called out softly, my heart breaking at the sight of her. I carefully approached and lowered myself down to her level, crouching right beside her just to ensure she was physically okay.

"Don’t touch me!" she gasped out immediately, pulling her knees closer and taking a small, shuddering breath as she sniffed back a loud sob.

"I’m so, so sorry, Maria!" I said calmly, keeping my voice gentle and hushed as I tried my absolute best not to anger or agitate her any further. "I fully acknowledge that I was entirely in the wrong back there, and I swear to you that I won’t ever do it again." I added, looking at her with absolute remorse.

She slowly raised her head up at my soft words, her eyes bloodshot and her cheeks wet with fresh tears.

The moment her gaze locked onto mine, she reached out and began hitting my chest with her fists, each blow landing with a loud, heavy thud against my tunic.

"Don’t you ever do that again!" she sobbed, throwing all her overwhelming frustration and exhaustion into the desperate strikes against my chest.

"I won’t! I promise you I won’t!" I reassured her softly, making no move to stop her hits until her strength finally gave out.

The moment her hands fell weak, I immediately wrapped my arms firmly around her shoulders, pulling her tight into a warm, protective hug while gentle, rhythmic pats brushed her trembling back to soothe her aching soul.

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