Chapter 165: Broken Trust
Chapter 165: Broken Trust
(Olivia’s POV)*
“Get away from me!” I snarled, struggling fiercely against Ethan’s restraining hold. My emerald eyes flashed with fury as I fought to break free.
My wolf was dangerously close to the surface, her rage barely contained beneath my skin.
Victoria had taken everything from me–first Lily, then Grandmother Stone, and now she was
trying to take my mother too.
A
“Let me go!” I screamed, clawing at Ethan’s arms. “She did this! She pushed my mother down
those stairs!”
Victoria cowered in her wheelchair, blood still streaming from her nose where I’d kicked her. Her performance was flawless–the perfect picture of an innocent victim.
“Please,” she whimpered, her voice trembling with fake fear. “Someone protect me from her!”
Two security guards moved toward us, but Ethan waved them away with a sharp gesture.
“Olivia,” Ethan said, his Alpha voice deliberately gentle as he tightened his grip around my
waist. “You need to calm down.”
“Calm down?” I spat, twisting violently in his arms. “Victoria killed Lily and your grandmother,
and now my mother is in the operating room, her life hanging by a thread. Ethan Stone, how
can you tell me to calm down?”
My voice broke with emotion, my wolf’s grief palpable in the air around us. I could feel her
clawing beneath my skin, desperate to break free and tear Victoria apart.
“Your accusations won’t help your mother,” Ethan said firmly, though I could sense his inner
conflict. “We need evidence.”
I laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and broken. “Evidence? Like you needed evidence when Victoria accused me of poisoning her? You were quick enough to believe her then!”
Ethan’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t release me. “That was different.”
“Different how?” I demanded, my eyes burning with unshed tears. “Different because it was me
being accused instead of your precious Victoria?”
I lashed out again, my elbow connecting with his ribs. He absorbed the blow without
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Chapter 165 Broken Trust
retallation, his amber eyes reflecting pain that wasn’t entirely physical.
“You’ve always chosen her,” I hissed, my voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “Over me, over Lily–your own daughter! And now my mother might die because of it.”
Victoria’s theatrical sobs echoed through the corridor, drawing sympathetic glances from the
medical staff. “I only wanted to make peace,” she cried, dabbing at her bloody nose with a
tissue. “And she attacked me!”
My wolf surged forward again, lending me strength as I nearly broke free from Ethan’s grasp.
“You lying b***h!”
“Enough!” Ethan roared, his Alpha voice making everyone in the corridor freeze.
The elevator doors opened, and Maxwell Chen stepped out, carrying a small digital tablet. His
eyes widened slightly at the scene before him, but his professional demeanor remained intact.
“Alpha King,” he said, bowing his head respectfully. “I’ve brought the Hospital Nightwatch
Surveillance Archive as requested.”
I immediately stopped struggling, my attention captured by the potential evidence. My wolf’s
senses heightened with anticipation as Maxwell approached.
“Show me,” I demanded, my voice hoarse from screaming.
Ethan loosened his grip but didn’t release me entirely as Maxwell turned the tablet toward us.
The screen showed footage from the medical den’s security cameras.
“This is from the east stairwell corridor,” Maxwell explained, his finger tracing the timestamp. “Approximately fifteen minutes before the emergency call was made.”
We watched as the footage showed Victoria wheeling herself toward the stairwell door. Ten
minutes later, the camera captured pack members rushing toward the same door, then
eventually bringing out my mother on a stretcher, with Victoria following behind in her
wheelchair.
“The critical moment isn’t here,” I said, frustration building in my chest. “Where’s the footage
from inside the stairwell?”
Maxwell shook his head. “There are no cameras inside the Moonlit Hospital Stairwell. It’s a blind spot in the security system.”
My heart sank. Without direct evidence, it would be Victoria’s word against mine–and I knew whose side Ethan would take.
“Alpha King,” Maxwell continued, his voice carefully neutral. “I’ve brought those witnesses
< Chapter 165: Broken Trust
here.”
+25 Points >
Two Beta wolves approached, both wearing medical den uniforms. They bowed respectfully to Ethan before glancing nervously at me.
“Tell us exactly what you saw,” Ethan commanded, his Alpha voice compelling truth.
The female Beta spoke first, her eyes downcast. “We heard Ms. Frost calling for help from the stairwell. When we arrived, we found her in her wheelchair beside Ms. Winters, who was
unconscious at the bottom of the stairs.”
“Ms. Frost was very distressed,” added the male Beta. “She said she had tried to catch Ms.
Winters but couldn’t reach her from the wheelchair.”
Victoria nodded tearfully, her scent deliberately projecting distress and victimhood. “I just
wanted to talk to her,” she sobbed. “To make peace for everyone’s sake.”
She looked directly at Ethan, her eyes wide and innocent. “And now Olivia has attacked me
too. She kicked me in the face! Look what she’s done to me!”
Ethan’s expression softened slightly as he looked at Victoria’s bloodied face. I could feel his
grip on me loosening, and my wolf howled with frustration inside me.
“You’re believing her again,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “After everything she’s done.”
Ethan’s amber eyes met mine, conflicted and troubled. “I don’t know what to believe,” he
admitted quietly. “But violence won’t solve this.”
Victoria reached out a trembling hand toward Ethan. “I understand your suspicion,” she said
softly. “After what happened with the silver poisoning, it’s natural you would question things.”
She lowered her eyes, the perfect picture of humble understanding. “I know you also
understand that Olivia misunderstands me too much. You’re afraid she won’t believe me, so
you want to find evidence to better prove my innocence.”
Victoria finished speaking, holding Ethan’s hand, choking and saying, “Ethan, it hurts.” She was
reminding Ethan that she was innocent, but I had just hit her without knowing the reason.
I could see what she was doing–manipulating him into forcing me to apologize to her, just
like he had done countless times before. My body tensed, preparing for Ethan’s rebuke.
But to my surprise, Ethan turned to Maxwell instead. “Take Victoria home,” he ordered. “She
needs rest after this ordeal.”
Victoria’s mouth fell open in shock. “But Ethan-”
< Chapter 165: Broken Trust
“Now, Maxwell,” Ethan said firmly, cutting off her protest.
Maxwell nodded, moving behind Victoria’s wheelchair. “Yes, Alpha King.”
+25 Points >
Victoria’s face contorted with barely concealed rage as Maxwell began wheeling her toward
the elevator. “This isn’t over,” she hissed at me, too quietly for anyone but a wolf to hear.
As the elevator doors closed on Victoria’s furious face, I sagged against the wall, suddenly
exhausted. The adrenaline that had fueled my attack was fading, leaving me hollow and
drained.
“I need to be with my mother,” I said, not looking at Ethan.
He nodded, stepping back to give me space. “I’ll stay until we have news.”
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I didn’t acknowledge his offer as I turned and walked back toward the surgical wing. The
antiseptic smell of the medical den brought back painful memories of another vigil–another loved one fighting for life.
Two years ago, I had sat outside an operating room just like this one, praying for Lily to survive her kidney surgery. The donor that should have saved her had mysteriously been
redirected at the last minute.
Now history was repeating itself with my mother.
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