Christina’s POV
"I bet you were just devastated when you didn’t catch sleeping with Fabrizio in so hotel room."
The sarcasm poured from my lips before I could stop it.
"Is that what you thought? What you’ve always assud since eting him? That he wanted , and the mont you left Paris, we’d jump into bed together? Is that what this whole tracking thing is about?"
Then it hit like a freight train. "Is that why you left Paris so suddenly? You didn’t actually leave at all, did you? You just pretended to, hoping I’d fall into his arms so you could catch cheating."
Hudson tried to interrupt several tis, but I wasn’t having it. Akira paced restlessly in my mind, growling with frustration.
He’d always had these possessive tendencies. I saw that clearly the day he bought the apartnt across from mine. Then he showed up at a random bar I’d chosen. When I moved to Oakwood Apartnts, he purchased the entire building.
It had unsettled , sure, but back then, we were two people caught in a complicated lie, each trying to solve our own problems. I didn’t feel it was my place to call him out.
But I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
I jumped up from the chair and started pacing. Holy shit. Why hadn’t I connected these dots sooner? Hudson needed control like he needed air. He had to know everything, be in charge of everything. And I absolutely hated being controlled.
Why had I ever convinced myself this relationship could work just because we were attracted to each other?
"May I speak now?" Hudson asked.
"Go ahead," I gestured dramatically.
"I wasn’t stalking you or trying to catch you cheating. I tracked you down because I have news, sothing I needed to tell you in person before you heard it elsewhere or saw it in the press."
"You could have called ."
"I did. Multiple tis. You didn’t answer."
I grabbed my phone from my pocket. Sure enough, there were several missed calls from him.
"I was in the middle of an important dinner."
"With Fabrizio," he said flatly.
"Yes!" I spun around and glared at him. "And instead of trying to seduce him like you clearly think I would, I was trying to get information to put him behind bars."
That stopped him cold.
In sharp, clipped sentences, I explained about Inspector Silva, his visits, and my undercover dinner operation. "Fabrizio was literally seconds away from giving a na when you barged in. Now the whole operation’s ruined."
I folded my arms across my chest and shot him a look that clearly said, "This is entirely your fault."
But instead of looking guilty, Hudson looked... furious?
"You shouldn’t have done that," he said.
"Done what?"
"Accepted Silva’s request. You put yourself at unnecessary risk."
"Fabrizio isn’t dangerous."
"He’s a criminal."
"A white-collar one. He doesn’t prowl around with weapons murdering people."
"Back anyone into a corner and see how quickly they turn violent."
"He wasn’t ard. Plus, I can take care of myself."
"That’s not the point. You shouldn’t have agreed to this without telling ."
"So now I need your permission to make decisions?"
"That’s not what I ant."
"It’s exactly what you ant!"
He went quiet for a mont, then surprised by admitting, "Yes, it is. I wish you’d talked to first."
I looked away, feeling my anger deflate slightly.
He was right. That was the worst part.
If I’d shown him Fabrizio’s books from the beginning, he probably would’ve spotted the red flags imdiately. He was sharp, with a much better eye for financial fraud than I’d ever have. Maybe then I wouldn’t have dumped five million euros into a sinking ship, and I wouldn’t be desperately trying to recover it now.
It wasn’t even the money that stung most. It was the humiliation of screwing up so badly, of looking stupid. And that was precisely why I hadn’t told Hudson. I couldn’t bear to lose face in front of him.
"I don’t need you monitoring my every move like I’m so pup who can’t be trusted," I said, my voice quieter but no less firm.
"Silva used you," Hudson said bluntly. "He could have made an arrest with what he already had, but he wanted more evidence to strengthen his case and advance his career. He used you as bait."
I knew that. I just hadn’t cared. If the plan worked, Silva would get his promotion, and I’d get my money back. Win-win.
But the plan hadn’t worked.
Now I could only hope Fabrizio was too drunk to rember how desperate I’d sounded tonight.
"You should have co to . I would have gotten your money back," Hudson said, his voice softening just enough to irritate more.
That set off like a rocket.
"I KNOW! I know you could have fixed everything with a snap of your fingers. You run the biggest pack in the North and have connections everywhere. You can make things happen with a single phone call. But that doesn’t an I should co crawling to you every ti sothing goes wrong in my life. I don’t want to be that woman, Hudson. I’m not going to fall apart and beg Alpha Hudson to fix my problems for ."
There it was. Every insecurity I’d buried since we got serious. Hudson’s power and influence didn’t comfort ; they made feel small. I could ask for help, and he’d gladly give it. He was like this immovable mountain, solid and unshakable. Under his protection, I’d be safe.
But what if one day that mountain crumbled?
I didn’t want to be so weak, dependent wolf, living off soone else’s strength, incapable of surviving alone. Maybe it was better to end this before I completely forgot how to stand on my own four paws.
I touched the engagent ring on my finger. It was beautiful, simple yet elegant. He’d clearly commissioned one of the best jewelers.
But had he forgotten I was a designer too? Why hadn’t he asked to design our rings? Wouldn’t that have made them more special?
Or maybe he hadn’t forgotten. Maybe he just didn’t think my work was good enough.
I started to pull off the ring.
"Christina!" Hudson’s voice cracked like thunder.
I looked up. "What?"
He was staring at my hand with an intensity that made Akira whimper.
"Don’t do it," Akira pleaded in my mind. "He’s your fated mate. Don’t say sothing you’ll regret forever."
I hesitated, my fingers still on the ring.
"I have news," Hudson said, his voice suddenly grim. "It’s about your father."
That stopped cold.
"What about him?" Wasn’t Franklin still locked up in the maximum security wing?
Hudson’s face was grave, his eyes holding mine with an intensity that made my stomach drop.
"He’s dead, Christina."
The ring stayed on my finger as I sank back into the chair, the world spinning around .
Not because I loved my father, Goddess knows I didn’t, but because death was so... final.
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