The Gender Lie (The Gender Game #3) by Bella Forrest (i have read the book a hundred times .txt) 📕

that I had somehow missed in my time around Desmond. I kept returning to one memory – the delayed timer hooked to enough explosive to bury the entire facility. Thomas had mentioned a code... did that mean Desmond had it? Would she have entered it if we’d failed? Then there was the propaganda that Desmond had been feeding the boys. That had been against Matrus as well as Patrus. Why?

The queen chuckled, kicking her feet against her skirts in a childish way. “Worth all the headaches you caused me, to see that expression on your face.”

As I stared back at her in horror, she blew out. “My mother had done a great, yet terrible thing. I knew she would feel guilty eventually, so I started… putting things into motion. First, I had the egg stolen—by Desmond. She handed it over to a Patrian operative, and threw my mother’s operation in jeopardy. My mother tapped you to go get it, but then things went sideways… Clearly, Lee was not as loyal as his mother. Desmond hadn’t believed my doubts about him, but who could blame her—he was her precious son. Still, it was easy enough for me to see, which was why I predicted he would go against orders and kill the queen while leaving King Maxen alive… Of course, he believed that Mother was the queen that Desmond was always talking about. The fool.”

Desmond’s face was stony as Elena moved away from the window and over to the bookcase, where she ran her hand over the books’ spines. “No plan ever survives first contact,” the queen continued, “so a lot of what happened afterward was a bit of a race to get what you possessed, and bring you in for a nice grand public execution. Desmond let me know that you had popped up, and I ordered her to do just that. However, she saw something more in you, a tool that could be used to help us. And you helped us, Violet… You got us the Benuxupane.

“To be honest, I didn’t realize what Maxen intended it for… He is clearly smarter than I’ve given him credit for. But after learning about what it could do for the boys, I knew we needed it. You see… your involvement in the whole affair has forced us to adapt and change our plans. I was hoping to have more time to force the relationship with Patrus to deteriorate, while giving Desmond and her merry band of fools a chance to tame the boys—my thanks to your Mr. Croft for assisting us there.” She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter though—even though you stopped the bombing today, it still counts as a threat to the queen at one of the most sacred rituals of our people. With the Benuxupane, we have control over the boys and most importantly… we have you and Mr. Croft. The two malicious agents who confessed to being Patrian agents all along, trying to undermine the Matrian way of life.”

Elena stepped close to me and reached out to stroke a lock of my hair. I flinched back, my skin crawling, and she smiled.

“So, thank you, Violet,” she whispered. “Without you, none of this would have been possible.”

I looked away from the queen and stared at Desmond for several moments. My brain now felt paralyzed, my mind stunned by all the revelations that had just been dropped on me.

But then, surprising myself and the women before me, my lips slowly curved upward in a smile.

I wasn’t sure why I was smiling. I just felt such a cold rage begin to consume me—over everything Elena had said, every lie I had believed—that I suddenly felt unpredictable. Dangerous. Manic, even.

Concern flickered in Desmond’s eyes, which only caused my smile to grow.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Elena’s head start to turn away, and before I could think twice, I jolted to my feet in one powerful, fluid motion. Elena jerked her focus back to me, and I felt a rush of pleasure at the alarm on her face as I lunged for her, my fist making contact with her nose.

She flailed back with a shriek and her foot caught on the train of her dress. There was a sound of fabric ripping as she tumbled to the floor. I whipped around and saw Tabitha coming toward me, her eyes flat and hard. I leapt onto the table and, before she could defend herself, smashed my boot into her face.

Her howl came like music to my ears. My kick wasn’t enough to bring Tabitha down, but she staggered back, blinded with pain and gripping her nose as trails of blood flowed between her fingers.

I jumped to the floor and raced over to Desmond, who had been distracted with helping Elena.

“I hope you’re listening up, bitch,” I hissed, glaring down at the older woman. “I’m going to get out of here, and when I do, I am going to tear down everything you have built piece by piece. I’m going to stop your war, free those boys from you, and then I’m going to grant your greatest wish.”

Desmond sneered and I heard the doors fly open behind me.

“And what would that be?” she asked.

I moved closer, feeling immense satisfaction as she faltered slightly, and I bared my teeth at her. “I’m going to reunite you with your oldest son,” I said, as I snapped a hand around the back of her neck and slammed her face into a table leg.

Desmond groaning at my feet, I raised my hands and took a step back. Turning, I found myself face to face with six wardens—each pointing a gun at me.

But I wasn’t finished here just yet.

I glanced over to where Elena was picking herself up from the floor. “And you. You, Elena, I’ll hand over to your younger brothers.”

I watched the queen give me a confused, yet vicious look, and then smiled when I saw the blood drain from her face as my meaning dawned on her.

I