Chapter54
Alistair stared at me, incredulous.
He must have thought I was either naive or foolish to turn down such terms.
“How about I make you a deal? Agree to this, and I’ll stay.”
“Name it.”
“Twenty percent of say in the pack.”
Alistair’s face darkened.
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“Think it over. If you agree, I’ll patch things up with Adrian. He can keep a whole pack of mistresses-third, fourth, fifth, I won’t care. He can bring them home, flaunt them in front of me, and I’ll clear the bed for them
with a smile.”
My tone was light, my expression indifferent.
Outside, I sensed a presence-Adrian, lingering in the shadows.
He must have rushed back and heard every word.
I could almost feel the way his heart ached at my words.
He must have thought of the she-wolf I once was: the one who looked at him like he hung the moon, who agreed to a secret bond, signed a pre-binding agreement, endured his parents’ cold shoulders, and stayed by his side with unwavering devotion.
How had he lost me?
Inside the dining room, a sharp crack echoed as Alistair slammed his fist on the table.
“Vivian, you can’t be that greedy. Do you really think you’re worth that much?”
I didn’t flinch.
“Guess you’re not agreeing.”
I sighed, feigning regret.
“In that case, tell your son to finalize the bond-breaking with this greedy she-wolf. Haven’t you always wanted
a mate for him from a matching pack? Here’s your golden chance. If Adrian’s bored of Vanessa, find him a fresh one. He’s bound to love someone new.”
“Vivian!”
Adrian stormed in, his presence radiating fury.
His menacing aura sent my two bodyguards springing to my side, shielding me.
I smiled calmly.
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“It’s fine. Step back.”
The guards eyed Adrian warily, retreating a few steps but staying close.
They were to protect me, and they weren’t leaving.
“You’re late,” I said, my smile unwavering.
“Your dad and I already hashed it out.”
Adrian’s teeth clenched.
“This is between you and me. Talking to anyone else won’t change a thing. Break the bond? In your dreams.
You’d have to kill me-or yourself-first.”
I smirked.
So he’d gone from playing shameless, to groveling, to threats now?
Poking a raging wolf wasn’t smart, and reasoning with him was pointless.
After a brief pause, I said,
“You keep saying you won’t break the bond, that you love me, but at the airport, you left me to carry Vanessa off. These past few days, don’t tell me you haven’t been with her.”
Adrian froze, speechless.
He had chosen Vanessa at the airport, and with her daily suicide threats, he’d had no choice but to stay by
her side.
“Let’s end it,” I urged.
“This bond has no meaning anymore.”
His gaze turned icy, a bitter laugh escaping his throat.
“You’re so eager to be unbound because you’re itching to be Alpha Gideon’s she-wolf, aren’t you?”
Alistair’s jaw dropped.
Alpha Gideon?
He recalled the towering wolf from the gala video, as striking as his son-Charles Hartley’s heir. No wonder I
was dead-set on breaking the bond.
I was aiming for the Hartley pack.
“Vivian, you think just because you got into the Blackwood, you can waltz into the Hartley’s? Keep dreaming!”
I stared at the father and son, exasperated.
Taking a deep breath to keep my cool, I said,
“Alpha Gideon and I are clean. You throw around accusations like that, you’d better watch out for the
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Hartleys coming for you.”
“Then why was he at your place in the middle of the night?” Adrian demanded.
“Him being there proves we’re together? Got evidence? No? I do. My doorstep has cameras. He dropped me off and was out in under a minute. Tell me, what can happen in sixty seconds?”
I didn’t give him a chance to sling more mud.
“Not only can I prove my innocence, I’ve got proof of you messing around with Vanessa. I’ve got a juicy recording on my phone-her taunting me, calling from your phone while you two were in bed, live and in
stereo. Want me to play it for everyone?”
I started scrolling through my phone for effect.
Adrian’s face paled.
He snatched it from me.
“She set that up herself. It’s not real.”
“Oh? You gave her your phone, and she faked the whole show? The wolf’s panting in the background-was
that hired help too? You think I’d buy that? Or your dad?”
Alistair looked like he was about to have a strok. It’d be like stripping the Blackwood and Quinn packs bare
for the world to gawk at.
“Break it! Break it! Take her to pack court tomorrow and get it done!”
Alistair roared.
He thought a generous offer would smooth things over, but now it was clear-I wouldn’t rest until I’d torn a
chunk out of the Blackwoods.
Adrian said nothing, staring at me like he could burn a hole through me.
Finally, his voice light, he said,
“Go ahead, take it to court. Throw everything you’ve got at me. I’m game.”
He pulled out a chair and sat.
I was exhausted.
Alistair exploded.
“Court? Haven’t you humiliated us enough? She doesn’t love you anymore. End it cleanly and move on!”
“Adrian,” I added,
“swear you’ll break the bond, and the second it’s done, I’ll delete the recording and all my evidence.”
“Are you both done?”
Adrian picked up his knife and fork.
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Chapter 4
“Let’s eat.”
I bit back the urge to hurl my glass at his head.
To Alistair, I said, “Keep talking to him. We were mates once; I don’t want this to get uglier than it has to.”
I signaled my guards to wheel me out.
Adrian didn’t react.
I didn’t bother with him anymore.
Outside, one guard went to get the car, the other stayed by my side.
I felt a flicker of relief,
Suddenly, a group in Blackwood security uniforms approached, swiftly restraining my guard,
“What are you doing?!”
Before I could stand and run, a shadow loomed.
I was scooped up, airborne.
Looking up, Adrian’s cold, chiseled face stared back, his eyes glinting with something dark, almost demonic.
My heart sank, I squirmed.
“Put me down! What are you doing?!”
Ignoring me, Adrian carried me to his car, shoving me into the passenger seat, locking the doors, and peeling
out with a screech of tires.
As we sped through the gates, his car brushed past a white one pulling in.
The Alpha Regretted Maving an Anāll
