“What if word already got out? Or what if she confronted them directly after discovering something?” I could picture her doing exactly that-she had the nerve of a true Luna.
Judging by her boldness at poker, she absolutely had the courage to face them head-on.
I rubbed my temples in frustration. “Send word immediately. If we don’t hear from Celina within the hour, the entire management team of both the branch company and the factory will be removed from their positions.”
“But…” Beta Sawyer looked shocked. “What reason will we give? They’ll claim it’s unjustified.”
“No reason needed,” I said coldly. “If they dare to harm someone under my protection right under my nose, they’ve shown they don’t respect me. That’s reason enough.”
“But we don’t have proof that something happened to Celina at the factory,” Beta Sawyer protested weakly.
“I trust my instincts,” I replied firmly.
Right now, we had no other options.
Celina
Mmmph…
I tried to speak, but my mouth was sealed tightly with duct tape.
My hands were bound behind the chair, and a blindfold covered my eyes. Darkness enveloped me completely, but I could hear the distant crash of waves and smell the unmistakable scent of rotting wood mixed with salt air.
This afternoon at the factory, Thomas had told me the couple was waiting for me at a nearby restaurant. Foolishly hopeful, I had believed his words.
I thought to myself: It’s broad daylight, a public place with people coming and going-what could possibly go wrong? I just wanted to observe how they would spin their lies and whether they could truly deceive headquarters.
But I never made it to that restaurant. Instead, they led me down a dark alley, and then-darkness swallowed me like falling into an endless abyss.
When I came to again, I was trapped here, clueless about where I was but knowing only to avoid the light.
After some time, the door creaked open slowly. A cold beam of light slipped inside, casting shadows and illuminating the cruel smile on a man’s face-a smile filled with contempt and cruelty, like a beast eyeing its prey.
Him.
I would recognize that face anywhere.
Celina
The moment I saw that face, I knew exactly who he was-Zoe, the Vice President of the Silver Peak Pack’s branch company. His presence here confirmed my worst suspicions: someone from inside the company was working against us. Yet, I had never imagined it would be him.
“So cruel, tying up our delicate Secretary Celina like this,” Zoe remarked, his voice dripping with fake sympathy as he casually walked into the dim room. He shut the door behind him and flicked on the light-a single dusty bulb hanging from the ceiling, tangled in cobwebs, casting a ghostly glow over the neglected space.
Under that faint, eerie illumination, I finally took in my surroundings. It looked like an abandoned living room: a worn dining table, a sagging sofa, and an empty TV stand, all thickly coated in dust and cobwebs, evidence that no one had set foot here for years.
I fixed Zoe with a cold, hard stare, letting my eyes convey the icy contempt I felt.
“Oh, what a fierce little glare,” he said with a cruel smile, reaching out to stroke my cheek with a slow, deliberate touch. I jerked my head away, repulsed, my skin crawling under his fingers. The scent he carried was sickening.
Zoe rubbed his fingers together, savoring the feel of my skin before bringing them to his nose. “So sweet,” he whispered, “Throwing such a beautiful woman into the sea would be a waste.”
Panic surged through me once again. The fear I had fought so hard to suppress returned in full force, clutching my heart like a vice. But this time, I was fully aware, every terrifying detail searing into my mind.
I thrashed against the ropes binding my wrists and ankles, desperate to break free. My movements were so fierce that one leg of the fragile wooden chair beneath me snapped with a sharp crack. The chair tipped over, and I crashed to the dusty floor, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
I needed to cough, but the duct tape muffling my mouth stopped any sound. Instead, tears streamed down my face as frustration and helplessness overwhelmed me.
Zoe crouched beside me, excitement gleaming in his eyes. “Already so eager to lie down for me?” he taunted.
His hand slid over my calf, inching upward slowly, as if savoring each moment of my fear and despair. The more frightened and vulnerable I appeared, the more he seemed to relish it.
“I’ve changed my mind,” he announced suddenly. “Instead of tossing you into the sea, I’ll keep you here. Whenever I want, I’ll come to play. Let me taste what it’s like to be an Alpha.”
I glared at him, my struggles growing more frantic.
“Don’t fight it,” he said smoothly. “We both know what it means to serve powerful men. I may not be as young or strong as Alpha Sebastian, but I can keep you alive. And really-what else matters more than that?”
His shameless attempt to manipulate me made my blood boil. He was trying to break my spirit.
But then, something shifted inside me. I lowered my eyelids slightly, pretending to consider his offer. After a few tense seconds, I looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and nodded.
His hand paused at my waist. “You agree?”
I nodded again, feigning a survival instinct that prioritized safety above pride.
I tilted my head toward the staircase behind us, then looked down at the floor, shaking my head weakly. The message was clear: I wanted to go upstairs, not remain on the cold, filthy ground.
“I get it,” he said with a smirk. “I wouldn’t want to do it on this hard, dirty floor either.”
A flicker of predatory hunger crossed his face.
He knelt and began untying the ropes around my ankles, then moved to my wrists. Halfway through, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it, letting it ring loudly in the eerie silence.
After freeing my hands, he didn’t fully release me. Instead, he fashioned the rope into a loose noose around my neck to keep me from running away.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he said, pulling me up from the chair.
I followed obediently, all the while noticing his phone kept ringing. I guessed Alpha Sebastian and Beta Sawyer were not only aware of my predicament but had identified Zoe as the culprit. They might even be close by.
We climbed the stairs, Zoe fumbling for the hallway light switch. When it failed to work, he cursed under his breath, hung up another incoming call, and switched on his phone’s flashlight.
I took the opportunity to study the second floor. A narrow corridor stretched ahead, flanked on both sides by old-fashioned double-hung windows. One pane was shattered, and judging by the direction of the sea breeze and the entrance below, that broken window faced the ocean-my only chance for escape.
I feigned weakness in my legs, staggering toward the window side of the hallway. Naturally, Zoe followed, leading me toward a room in that direction.
From the moment he untied me until we reached the stairs, I had been perfectly compliant, biding my time. He was distracted by his phone, and I hadn’t made a single attempt to flee.
Perhaps he thought sacrificing my body was a small price to pay for keeping me alive.
He was smug, convinced he had me figured out.
But as he reached to push open a bedroom door, his guard lowered. In one swift motion, I slipped the noose from my neck and bolted to the window. Without hesitation, I threw it open and jumped.
The move was quick and precise-like a trained operative.
Zoe froze, stunned, his hand hanging in mid-air, his body stiff with shock.
He had severely underestimated me.
The splash of my body hitting the dark water snapped him out of his daze. He rushed to the window, but all he saw was the endless black sea, swallowing every trace of me.
His phone rang again.
This time, he answered.
“Beta Sawyer,” he said quickly, his voice slick with excuses. “Sorry, I was driving and dropped my phone under the seat. What? Fire everyone if she’s not found? That’s… extreme, don’t you think? Alpha Sebastian can’t possibly- I know nothing about this situation!”
Beta Sawyer didn’t respond. He simply hung up.
Zoe stared at his phone, then immediately dialed Amara.
“I’ve been with the branch company for years,” Zoe hissed, his tone thick with bitterness. “And now Alpha Sebastian’s throwing everything into chaos over a secretary? Tell me, Amara, what is she to him, really?”
On the other end, I imagined Amara’s grip tightening on the steering wheel.
“They’re issuing ultimatums before we’ve even arrived,” he continued, voice low and venomous. “And if Secretary Celina really is dead? Then what? Are we all supposed to burn for a woman who was never part of the chain of command?”
“Or is this what happens when an Alpha starts thinking with his instincts instead of his head?” His words were carefully chosen to provoke. He knew about the history between Amara and Alpha Sebastian and wanted to rattle her.
“Enough,” Amara said coldly, her voice sharp with authority. “We’ll discuss this at the factory.”
But Zoe wasn’t finished.
“Amara,” he said smoothly, “You were appointed by Alpha Yardley himself, weren’t you? The former Alpha may have stepped back, but his judgment still carries weight. If he knew how… emotionally unstable things have become under his son’s leadership, I wonder what he’d think.”
He didn’t mention Alpha Sebastian directly.
Amara’s eyes narrowed. Her tone dropped to a razor’s edge.
“You’re treading a dangerous line, Zoe. Alpha Yardley named me, yes, but I serve under Alpha Sebastian-and so do you. Questioning the Alpha’s judgment, even indirectly, is a mistake you cannot afford.”
Zoe’s smile faltered for a brief moment before returning, smaller and tighter.
“I meant no offense, Amara. Just concern. For the Pack.”
“Keep your concern to yourself,” she snapped.
She hung up. But Zoe was already smirking. He had planted a seed of doubt.
Looking out toward the sea, he sneered.
“Beautiful lady,” he muttered, “you brought this on yourself.”
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