And yet, something about this information burned in my consciousness.
How the fuck did I miss this? Wasn’t this why I had hired Fred Anderson? Did he not know about this partnership before now?
I see… He played a smart one, huh? I had to keep a close eye on him. Right now, I don’t trust him anymore.
Another message came in.
Him: And guess who’s standing with them?
I frowned, my fingers hesitating over the screen.
Me: Get to the fucking point.
Him: Wescor Industries.
My breath stilled.
Him: They’ve shifted their investments toward Valor Lante. Their new partnership with Belinzo gives them access to the largest market expansion in decades. With their backing, Valor’s market value is expected to soar-and their reach will extend far beyond what you can counter.
I leaned against the sink, exhaling sharply.
Him: And since Wescor is one of Zamford’s biggest shareholders, you should be asking yourself… how long before they start pulling out?
My fingers curled into a fist.
That was the real hit.
If Wescor withdrew its stakes in Zamford-or worse, redirected funding to Valor-it wouldn’t just be a financial inconvenience. It would be a fucking disaster.
Their investment kept Zamford’s market value stable. Their influence secured long-term contracts, allowing us to stay competitive. If they withdrew and redirected their resources to Valor, it wouldn’t be long before Zamford’s stock took a hit. A big one.
I exhaled, my pulse hammering.
Him: Marry June. Secure the alliance. Her father has a direct line to Belinzo. If you can be with her, Mellors will make sure Wescor doesn’t turn its back on you.
I stared at the message, feeling the walls close in.
This wasn’t just another power play-this was a fucking ultimatum.
If I refused, I wouldn’t just lose Wescor-I’d lose my entire leverage in the market.
Zamford would be vulnerable. The board would start looking for better options. If Valor’s value skyrocketed under this new deal, investors would abandon Zamford in droves.
I’d seen this shit happen before.
And if I wasn’t careful, I wouldn’t just lose the company-Id be replaced.
Fucking hell.
KESTER.
My chest kept constricting no matter how hard I tried to clear it out. I’d been at the convenience for a moment now, but I still didn’t feel well enough to step out, even to face Kasmine. Not after how I had yelled at her.
I braced my hands against the sink, fingers curling against the cool porcelain as I stared at my reflection. My eyes were hooded from exhaustion and frustration. And a touch of guilt.
I had let the pressure, the fucking weight of everything, spill over onto her.
My reflection blurred as I closed my eyes.
“It’s going to be fine.”
I whispered the lie under my breath.
Repeated it.
Like some desperate fucking prayer.
But the words felt so empty and unreasurring. And no matter how many times I said them, they did nothing to stop the sinking feeling that I was losing control.
That I was already trapped.
I pushed the door open and stepped into the cabin but froze immediately.
She wasn’t there.
The seat beside mine was empty, her blanket neatly folded. The reclining bed was untouched, and the champagne glass on the tray was still full. I felt a sharp prickle of panic.
Where the fuck was she?
My gaze swept the cabin. No sign of her. My pulse ticked up a notch as I turned toward the flight attendant stationed near the entrance.
“Where’s Kasmine?”
The hostess blinked at me, momentarily taken aback, before offering a polite smile. “She walked out a few minutes ago, Alpha Kester.”
Walked out?
The pulse at my temple throbbed. “Where to?”
“I believe she went to the economy section-“
I didn’t wait for her to finish.
I was already moving.
My strides were extremely controlled, but rage burned my insides. Kasmine had no fucking business being in economy – where I wasn’t with her to protect her. What if someone hurts her? What if…
Wait. What the fuck?
The moment I stepped into the economy section, I saw her
Sitting there.
Laughing.
Her head tilted slightly with that familiar smile on her lips, the one she always reserved for people she liked. And right beside her was a young man-early twenties, maybe three years older than her-leaned in, his arm casually draped over the armrest, his fucking hand resting on her thigh.
On her bare thigh!
Because she was wearing that damn short I picked for her to wear because I liked it, and we would be staying in the first class cabin together, just the two of us.
Was this not the same man I thought I saw her smile at while we were ready to board? Oh… I had seen correctly, after all.
Something inside me snapped, and the world blurred.
I didn’t think. I just moved.
One second, she was laughing, oblivious. The next, I was there, grabbing her arm and yanking her up.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply