VICTORIA'S POV

"Robert, you love me? Are you sure about that? What you feel towards me is not love, it's an obsession. Love is not about getting what you want. It's not about snatching the person you love from someone else and keeping her by your side. Love is a spiritual, blissful, and pure feeling. When you love someone, you find happiness in what that person loves. ​​

If you would've loved me, then you wouldn't have tried to snatch me away from Alexander. You would've come to me, talk to me, and tell me about your feelings first before you thought of harming everyone.

You said you love me? Then what this destruction is for? You loved your family too, didn't you? So where is your love now? How can you hurt them just like this?" I asked, trying to incite the good in him and stop this bloodshed.

"How can I hurt them? You are asking me that Victoria? Have you forgotten, it was you who had told me to take revenge. It was you who had told me to pay them with tenfold of pain. It was you who had taught me tit for tat. It was you who gave me hopes that there was something I can look forward to. That I can get back what was mine by hook or by crook. How can you be so cruel to me now that I am on the verge of winning this battle? How can you?" Robert shouted, making me shudder as a little bit of fear crept inside me temporarily when I looked into his menacing crazy eyes.

I felt scared, impatient, and angry. I was scared because I couldn't feel Alexander near me anymore. I was impatient because this new turn of events was stopping me from going and check up on Alexander. I was angry because Carla wants to kill Robert but my conscience who always thought of him as my first friend was getting in the way of doing that.

I wanted to hurt him when he said he deliberately took Alexander away from me, however, the determination to get him back on the right track was enough to keep me going.

He was my first friend that I had made after almost risking my life, and I had bowed to him to maintain this friendship forever. I was not a coward to break my promise, I know I won't be able to bear with the pain and resentment, and thus, the only choice I was left with was getting him back.

"Robert, when I told you all those things, I didn't know the other side of the story. What they did is still wrong, there is no doubt in that." I said, holding his face in between my palms as I forced him to look into my eyes.

"But, do you really think that they never loved you? That Rosaline never treated you like her own child? That Theodore never trained you like Alexander? Just because I said those things to you, you agreed to it? You say you loved your family, but what are you doing? This is what you are doing just because they committed a mistake?

There is no hate if there is no love. If you hate them, then that means you still love them somewhere. You are just hurt because of what they did. Theodore insulted you, but didn't you also tried to kill him?

Is this your so-called love?

You say you love me. If someone comes someday and due to some misunderstanding I treat you badly, you'll do the same with me, no?" I asked, forcing him to look back at me when I saw him diverting his gaze from me.

"This is not about that Victoria. I would never do that to you." He said while he pulled me more close to him.

Carla was getting impatient because of this chit-chat, but I knew I need to do this if I want to save so many lives.

"Then, if you love me, will you stop this war? This war, this bloodshed, this hateful environment, this is not what I want and desire. What I desire is the true friend, that you are. What I want is the boy who had laughed with me when I had fallen on my butt, trying to catch coconuts. I want that friend back who had used his hand as a pillow for me when I couldn't sleep. I want that soft-hearted person back in my life.

Is the love that you mentioned, the only kind of love in the world? Who said that only you loved me, that only you loved your family? I also loved you as my friend, heck you never left my mind ever since then. Rosaline loved you as her son. Daniel loved you as his best friend. How can you be so selfish and not see our love?" I asked, and I knew my words were working when I saw his eyes watering.

"Robert, it's still not too late. Please come back to us. Please bring back that sweet guy that you were." I said, feeling my own eyes watering.

"Don't cry, Victoria, please," Robert said, closing his eyes for a moment as he pulled me in for a hug.

However, this time, I didn't feel the discomfort I was feeling earlier and even Carla became quiet.

"Please stop this. I want nothing more than my first ever made friend back." I sobbed.

I noticed Daniel from my peripheral vision and could not help but feel sad when I saw his pained expression.

He must be itching to hug his best friend as much.

Theodore was no better. Though they were still fighting, I knew their ears were planted on our conversation.

"I...I... Can't stop, Victoria." Robert said, making me stiff in his arms as he nuzzled his face in my hairs.

"You can stop if you want. But if you don't want, no one can stop you either." I mumbled again, trying to devise a plan that I need urgently since I don't think this way will work.

"Is this what you want, Robby?" I heard a voice from behind me, and before I or Theodore could react, we heard the door of the mansion opening, and a very pained-looking Rosaline strutted out.

What shocked me was the trail of blood that was flowing out from her hands as she walked out of the mansion, her gaze fixated on Robert, who was too perplexed to react.

Because of that witch potion, we all knew that any wound at this time could be lethal because of the inability to heal.

As if the dripping blood from her large wound on her hand was not enough, she cut the upper portion of her right hand, making all of us gasp. The pained look in her eyes was saying a thousand words.

Her white gown, whose skirt was almost stained with blood and her paled expression with streaming tears, was enough to break my resolution to bring back Robert, and I was about to fight Robert and his rogue wolves to save my people, to save Rosaline, however, what happened next shocked me once again.