Chapter 193: Unmasked Deception
Chapter 193: Unmasked Deception
(Victoria’s POV)
+8 Points >
My heart nearly stopped when I saw Alpha King Ethan Stone standing beside James Knight at the entrance to Rosewood Haven. My mind spun in panic, desperately
trying to assess the situation.
When did Ethan arrive? How much had he heard?
I couldn’t afford to speak rashly. Years of manipulation had taught me how to adapt quickly. I composed my features, transforming my expression from shock to pitiful vulnerability in an instant.
I raised my face toward Ethan, making sure he could clearly see the redness and
swelling from Olivia’s slaps. Tears welled in my eyes on command, a skill I’d perfected
over the years.
“Ethan…” I called out, my voice breaking perfectly.
The tears fell right on cue, streaming down my cheeks as I made myself look as
fragile and heartbroken as possible. This was the act that never failed–my helpless sobbing always triggered his protective instincts and fed his sense of guilt.
My wolf whimpered pathetically beneath my skin, projecting vulnerable pheromones
that would reach his Alpha senses.
As expected, Ethan stepped forward, walking straight toward me. My heart soared
with triumph.
Just one tear, and he would always feel sorry for me. That had been our pattern for
years.
I reached out my hand, anticipating his warm touch and comforting words. But they
never came.
Instead of taking my hand, Ethan stopped just short of me, his amber eyes cold and distant. There was no comfort, no soft words–only disappointment radiating from him in palpable waves.
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My wolf sensed the change immediately, whining in confusion at his unexpected
response.
I lunged forward desperately, trying to grab his hand, but the sudden movement
caused me to slip from my Raven–Trimmed Wheelchair. I landed at his feet in an
undignified heap, looking up at him expectantly.
He didn’t help me up.
+8 Points >
The trust he had given me for years had turned to bitter disappointment. I could
almost hear his inner wolf questioning: “Why did my Little Orange become like this?”
He had never blamed me for our youthful betrayal–I was too young back then, he
always said. But now, having overheard everything, his heart was breaking with
disillusionment.
James Knight entered the garden behind Ethan, still dressed in his hospital–issued
Moonstone–Infused Recovery Garments with a jacket thrown hastily over them.
Instead of approaching me, he walked directly to Olivia’s side.
They stood shoulder–to–shoulder, a united front, watching me coldly.
James understood Olivia after years of friendship. He knew she was already
thoroughly disappointed in Ethan. He had purposely brought Ethan here so he could
finally hear with his own ears what kind of she–wolf he had trusted and spoiled for so
many years.
“You’ve been exposed, Victoria,” James said, his hazel eyes hard as stone. “No more
manipulations. No more lies.”
His russet–brown wolf bristled beneath his skin, still protective of Olivia despite his
own injuries.
I met Ethan’s disappointed amber gaze and realized he had indeed overheard
everything. My carefully constructed world was crumbling around me.
I dropped the act, my tears/becoming genuine as I broke down completely, covering
my face with my hands.
“Ethan, don’t look at me like that,” I sobbed. “You’re tearing my heart apart. You know
I’m not that kind of she–wolf.”
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+8 Points
I gestured wildly, my desperation growing. “I only said those things because I was
forced–Olivia just came at me and hit me. My legs are disabled, I couldn’t fight back.”
I pointed to my reddened cheek. “Look at my face, Olivia hit me so hard. I was in so
much pain, I lost control and said those things, but that’s not how I truly feel.”
My voice cracked with emotion. “I regret what happened to James, but I had no choice. You know, Emma is my whole world.”
My wolf projected desperate maternal pheromones, trying to trigger Ethan’s
protective instincts as I had done countless times before.
“Emma is only seven–her life has just begun,” I continued, painting myself as a
desperate mother. “She was dying, and we couldn’t find a matching blood type. I watched her suffer every day.”
I clutched at my heart dramatically. “I tried everything. Olivia hates me and refused to
let James donate. She made me kneel and beg in public, and I did, but she still
wouldn’t help.”
My voice rose with desperation. “What could I do? I couldn’t just watch my daughter
die…”
My wolf whined pitifully, emphasizing my maternal desperation.
Ethan’s response was cold and unyielding, his Alpha energy pulsing with controlled
anger. “Even so, you shouldn’t have destroyed James! You knew he was going to
compete in the Crystal Competition!”
I tried to justify myself, admitting to my selfishness while spinning it as maternal
devotion.
“I know I was selfish, but I only cared about my daughter’s life,” I pleaded. “Even if I
have to carry a lifetime of guilt, I’d do it again if it means Emma survives!”
I had used similar excuses years ago to justify stealing Lily’s organ donor,
manipulating Ethan with the same line: “For my pup, I can do anything.”
My wolf’s scent carried the bitter notes of desperation mixed with calculation.
(Olivia’s POV)
I watched Victoria reach for Ethan again, her performance flawless as always. This
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Chapter 193 Unmasked D…
time, he did not avoid her touch.
James observed this with a cold face, his hazel eyes flashing with disgust.
“Ethan Stone, you’re hopeless!” he scolded, shaking his head.
+ Points
I could see the heartache in James’s eyes as he glanced at me, guilt written across
his features. He was thinking about all the years I had wasted loving a man who
would never choose me.
But I was already numb to such disappointments. My wolf had retreated deep within
me, no longer howling with pain at Ethan’s betrayals.
“Let’s go,” I said softly to James, my emerald eyes dull with resignation.
My goal had been achieved–I had exposed Victoria’s true nature. Ethan’s stance no
longer mattered to my wolf or to me.
As James and I turned to leave, Victoria clung desperately to Ethan’s clothes, her wolf
projecting frantic distress pheromones.
“Ethan, you can’t let Olivia expose me!” she cried, her voice trembling with genuine
fear. “If what I said gets out, what will happen to me and Emma?”
Her fingers clutched at his shirt. “She just had surgery; she can’t handle such a blow!
Please, Ethan, I know I was wrong, but let Olivia spare me just this once!”
I didn’t bother to look back as James and I walked out of the garden. We had already reached the gate, heading toward James Knight’s Midnight Rider Motorcycle parked
outside.
Suddenly, I felt a strong grip on my wrist. Ethan had caught up to us,
strength evident in his hold.
his Alpha
His lips were pressed tightly together as he leaned close, his voice low and
commanding, his wolf’s dominance evident in his tone.
“Liv, give me the audio recorder.”
His amber eyes locked with my emerald ones, silently acknowledging the truth he’d finally been forced to confront about the she–wolf he had protected for so long.
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