Cecilia’s pov
"Ha..." There was a mocking laugh in my throat.
I was beyond words. The audacity of their lies had left speechless, a surreal wave of disbelief crashing over .
"Are you actually laughing?" Yvonne’s voice rose in disbelief on the other end of the line. "How can you laugh at this? The Blood Moon Pack just dumped all their dirty laundry on your doorstep to make that little snake Cici look like a saint! You can’t possibly let this slide!"
Her voice grew more passionate. "Unleash that fierce energy you had at the charity gala! Throw their lies back in their faces!"
"Destroy these manipulative bastards!"
I had to smile at that. Yvonne—Denver’s premier socialite, known for her sweet deanor and elegant Southern drawl—was now cursing like a sailor on my behalf.
"What if everything they’re saying is true?" I asked sarcastically. "They’ve presented so much ’evidence,’ after all. It’s quite convincing, isn’t it?"
"Bullshit!" Yvonne practically scread into the phone. "I’d stake my life on the fact that you’re nothing like what they’re painting you to be!"
"Everyone in our circle knows what kind of person Cici really is," Yvonne continued, her words tumbling out in rapid succession. "I’ll admit, I used to envy you for having Alpha Xavier. He was sexy, handso, seemingly devoted... but the mont he got involved with that Cici, it was like watching soone dive into a cesspool. The stench of their actions is making everyone gag. His reputation is in shambles."
She scoffed loudly. "And this nonsense about a decade-old mating contract? Good grief, why don’t they just claim they were star-crossed mates in a past life while they’re at it!"
I let Yvonne vent. She’d known during the days when Alpha Xavier and I seed inseparable—when he treated like the most precious thing in his world.
...
Back then, Yvonne and I weren’t particularly close. We maintained a cordial relationship built on mutual benefit and networking, our interactions often laced with feigned warmth that masked our superficial connection
But everything changed when her life imploded. She fell from living in luxury to being ostracized overnight. The sa people who once surrounded her—friends, family, supposed confidants—either pretended not to know her or actively pushed her further down.
I was the one who extended a hand when she needed it most.
When she called , I didn’t hang up. I didn’t spout empty platitudes. I listened to her story and simply said I could help.
...
I let her continue her tirade without interruption.
Finally, Yvonne grew impatient with my silence. "Why aren’t you saying anything? If you’re afraid to confront them, I’ll expose their ugly faces myself!"
"No!" I blurted out, suddenly alard. "Please don’t get involved with them."
I exhaled heavily, feeling the weight in my chest. "I can handle this myself. Thank you for believing in —that’s more than enough."
My problems had already affected my parents, Harper, and Alpha Sebastian. I couldn’t bear to drag anyone else into this ss.
Yvonne opened her mouth, clearly wanting to insist she could help, but then hesitated. What could she really do against the combined forces of the Blood Moon and Shadow Packs?
"Look at you, being all smart and refusing to let help," she said with mock indignation.
I managed a small smile. "I appreciate the thought. Just watch from the sidelines, okay?"
"You’re ridiculous," she muttered before hanging up.
The mont I put down the phone, the facade of ease I’d been maintaining crumbled. My shoulders slumped as reality crashed back down on .
For the next hour, my phone buzzed non-stop with calls and ssages. I was grateful my parents weren’t among the callers—they probably hadn’t heard the news yet. But it was only a matter of ti before they did.
The thought of seeing the pain and disappointnt on their faces made my heart ache as if it were being seared with a hot iron.
I clenched my fists until my nails dug painfully into my palms.
I hated myself for not listening to them years ago.
I wished I could tear those mories from my mind completely.
[They want to defeat , but I won’t let them succeed.]
Author’s pov
While the world was in chaos, Alpha Xavier woke up in a strange hotel bed, still half-drunk and disoriented.
He hadn’t gone ho.
His phone was dead.
He’d missed work.
It wasn’t until Beta Henry finally tracked him down and, with barely concealed panic, filled him in on the unfolding disaster, that reality slamd into him like a thunderclap out of the blue.
....
Across town, Alpha Sebastian had just finished a lunch eting when he slid into the back seat of his car. Before he could even ask about his next appointnt, Beta Sawyer handed him a tablet, his expression grim.
One glance at the screen told Alpha Sebastian everything he needed to know.
The Blood Moon Pack had released an official statent.
The press conference was already trending—Luna Dora, seated like a queen flanked by elders, had taken the spotlight. She’d introduced herself as the mother of the man in "that video" and, with terrifying poise, began to spin a story that sounded rehearsed down to the last detail.
Alpha Sebastian read through the transcript in silence, his face an unreadable mask.
But Soren was not so calm.[They’re trying to destroy her, ]Soren growled. [They’re painting her as a liar. A whore. A threat.]
When Alpha Sebastian finished reading, the temperature in the car seed to chill, though his voice remained deceptively casual.
"The Blood Moon and Shadow Packs are getting cozy, I see," he said, eyes still on the screen. "If they’re working so well together, I doubt they need our money anymore. Cancel their project loan."
Beta Sawyer hesitated. "Alpha Sebastian, the first installnt’s already been disbursed. The second is scheduled within the week. If we pull the plug now—"
Alpha Sebastian looked up, voice dry with mock concern.
"Do you take them for fools, Beta Sawyer? This is Alpha Xavier and Cici’s love project, isn’t it? I’m sure they’d sell a kidney each to fund it. I have complete faith in their devotion... to each other."
"...Understood."
Soren chuckled darkly in the back of his mind.
Alpha Sebastian knew what the others at the company would think. That he was flexing his power. That he was stepping on toes. That this was personal—and it was.
On the ride back to the office, he issued the final directive.
"Have the legal team begin a reevaluation. Base it on... recent publicity issues. Make it clear we’re concerned about the borrower’s ability to honor the terms of the agreent."
And that was that. Whether the project would survive the second review? Everyone knew the answer depended entirely on one thing—Alpha Sebastian’s mood.
As Denver’s most powerful tycoon, he was allowaed to the occasional whim. And today, he simply didn’t feel like feeding stray dogs.
...
anwhile, at the Shadow Pack house , a very different scene was unfolding.
Luna Dora sat at the head of the long dining table, flanked by Alpha Claude and the entire White family. Cici sat close to Luna Dora.
Luna Dora managed a stiff smile, her spine perfectly straight, like a puppet held up by strings. Claude ate in silence, seething behind his calm exterior. He was furious with his wife for going rogue—and they’d argued bitterly in the car—but now that the damage was done, he had no choice but to play along.
A union between the Blood Moon Pack and Shadow Pack seed inevitable now.
It’s Cecilia’s fault, Alpha Claude thought bitterly. I gave her a chance, and she spat in my face. If she’d just stayed in her place...
Cici pouted dramatically, her voice rising.
"Where on earth is Alpha Xavier? Why hasn’t he called? He’s not still with that gold-digging Cecilia, is he? That shaless bitch!"
Her act was almost convincing—if you ignored the venom in her eyes.
The rest of her family joined in like a well-rehearsed chorus.
"She’s nothing but a vixen who uses her looks to manipulate n."
"Alpha Xavier was young and stupid. That girl clearly bewitched him."
"She’s got that fox face. You can tell she’s not a decent woman."
"I feel dirty just saying her na."
Their words dripped with sanctimony, as if they hadn’t all just watched Cici claw after a man who was never hers to begin with.
And just as they were reaching the crescendo of their performance—The dining room doors burst open.
Reviews
All reviews (0)