Chapter 194: Shattered Evidence
Chapter 194: Shattered Evidence
(Olivia’s POV)
The parking lot outside Rosewood Haven became a battlefield. Ethan’s grip on my wrist was like an iron shackle, his Alpha strength making it impossible for me to break
free.
I fought against his hold with every ounce of strength I possessed. My wolf snarled beneath my skin, her emerald eyes flashing with fury as revulsion toward him flooded
my system.
“Let go of me, Ethan Stone!” I shouted, my voice raw with rage. “Who do you think you
are, to make decisions for me?”
My anger was uncontained, my voice shaking as I struggled, but the Alpha refused to release me. His amber eyes were determined, his jaw set in that stubborn way I’d
come to despise.
James rushed to my defense despite his weakened state. His russet–brown wolf rose protectively as he clamped his good hand onto Ethan’s wrist, trying to pull the Alpha away from me.
“Let her go, Stone!” James growled, his hazel eyes flashing with protective rage.
But even our combined efforts were futile against Ethan’s superior strength. The Alpha King barely seemed to notice James’s attempt to free me.
James’s face contorted with pain and frustration. I could see the regret in his eyes- regret for ever calling Ethan to this place, thinking he would finally see Victoria’s true
nature.
When words failed, James resorted to throwing a punch with his uninjured hand. The blow was aimed at Ethan’s jaw, but the Alpha twisted away with supernatural speed.
In one fluid motion, Ethan pinned me against his Midnight Maybach, using my body as a shield while maintaining his iron grip on my wrist.
“Stop fighting me, Liv,” he commanded, his voice low and strained. “I don’t want to
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hurt you.”
+ Points
James stumbled backward, nearly collapsing from the exertion. His recent injuries
had left him weaker than usual, his breathing labored as he prepared for another
attempt.
Before he could move, Victoria’s security guards appeared from nowhere. They
seized James, pinning him roughly against the hood of the car.
“No!” I screamed, watching helplessly as they restrained my friend. “Let him go!”
James struggled against their hold, his wolf thrashing beneath his skin, but he was
outnumbered and weakened from his injuries.
Ethan noticed the roughness of their actions, his amber eyes flashing with Alpha
authority. “Don’t hurt him,” he commanded coldly.
The security guards immediately eased their grip, still restraining James but no
longer causing him pain.
I was beside myself with rage, my emerald eyes glowing with my wolf’s fury as I
trembled in Ethan’s grasp.
“Let go of James!” I shouted, my voice breaking with emotion. “Ethan Stone, you’ve
gone too far!”
My protective instincts flared for my oldest friend, the only one who had stood by me
through everything–through Lily’s illness, through her death, through my darkest
moments.
Ethan’s gaze was conflicted, emotions swirling in his amber eyes as he looked down
at me.
“I don’t wish to pressure you this way, Liv,” he said quietly. “But no matter what, she’s
Little Orange, someone I promised to protect for life.”
His words only fueled my anger. Always Victoria. Always his precious Little Orange.
“Just this once,” he pleaded, his voice softening. “Let her go, just this once. The last
time.”
I could hear the warning in his voice–not just to me, but to Victoria as well. But it
wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
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Chapter 194 Shattered Ev
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“How can you excuse what she’s done to James just because she claims to love her
daughter?” I demanded, my wolf howling with indignation beneath my skin. “Where’s
the justice in that?”
The scent of my anger permeated the night air, sharp and bitter.
Ethan’s expression shifted, becoming more businesslike. “Maxwell Chen will contact
him tomorrow,” he said, nodding toward James. “Whatever he wants, as long as it’s
not too much, I’ll provide it.”
He spoke as if this offer, bundled with the previous compensation for signing the
Blood Heritage Confirmation Report for Emma, would somehow make everything
right.
“I can ensure he receives the best medical care, a position in Stone Pack Enterprises,
whatever he needs,” Ethan continued, his tone reasonable, as if we were negotiating
a business deal.
My disgust boiled over. He thought he could buy forgiveness. That he could pacify us with material offerings while Victoria escaped all consequences.
Without thinking, I slapped him hard across the face, my wolf’s strength behind the
blow. The sound echoed in the parking lot, and Ethan’s head snapped to the side.
He didn’t dodge or retaliate. When he turned back to me, his cheek bore the red
imprint of my hand.
“Can you give me the recorder now?” he asked quietly, his voice rough with pain.
His amber eyes remained locked on mine, his wolf refusing to back down despite the
stinging mark on his cheek.
“Never!” I spat, struggling with renewed vigor.
I fought with everything I had, fists and feet flying as my wolf lent me desperate
strength. I clawed at his arms, kicked at his shins, but it was like fighting a mountain.
Ethan, fearing I might hurt myself in my frenzy, pinned me more firmly against the car, his body becoming a cage around mine.
“Stop fighting, Liv,” he growled, his Alpha voice rumbling in his chest. “You’ll hurt
yourself.”
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Chapter 194 Shattered Ev
When his hand slipped into my pocket to search for the Hidden Audio Recorder, I
froze. The violation and helplessness overwhelmed my wolf’s pride.
“Don’t you dare!” I hissed, shoving at his chest with all my might.
But he was immovable, his Alpha strength far exceeding my own. His hand continued
its search, methodical and determined.
James, watching helplessly from under security’s hold, yelled desperately, “Stone,
stop this! You’ve lost your mind!”
His hazel eyes flashed with protective rage, but the guards held him fast.
Despite the pain it clearly caused him to see me so distressed, Ethan’s search was
swift and determined. His fingers closed around the Hidden Audio Recorder in the inner pocket of my jeans.
The moment he touched it, I erupted in even more violent resistance.
“Ethan Stone!” I screamed, my emerald eyes blazing with hatred.
My wolf snarled and thrashed beneath my skin, desperate to protect the evidence that could finally bring Victoria to justice. But the recorder was wrenched from my grasp and fell into his hand.
He hesitated for just a moment, hugging me tightly against him, unable to let go. I could feel his wolf whining with conflicted emotions before he finally released me.
I lunged for the recorder, but it was already beyond my reach. My wolf howled in frustration inside me, her emerald eyes flashing with helpless rage.
Victoria stood just inside the door of Rosewood Haven, her wolf’s triumph evident in her posture despite her wheelchair.
“Destroy the recorder, Ethan,” she called out, her voice carrying that calculated sweetness she always used with him.
“Don’t you dare!” I screamed, my voice breaking with desperation.
But I could only watch, powerless, as Ethan crushed the last shred of evidence against Victoria in his powerful grip. The plastic cracked, the circuitry inside splintering under the pressure of his Alpha strength.
Chapter 194 Shattered Ev.
+8 Points >
My hatred for him calcified in that moment, hardening into something unbreakable. My fists clenched at my sides, and my lips trembled with frustration and despair.
Once again, Victoria escaped unscathed, her crimes buried by Ethan’s protection. The hope of justice was crushed beneath his Alpha strength, just like the recorder in his
hand.
(Victoria’s POV)
I watched from behind Ethan as he destroyed the evidence, a victorious smile spreading across my face. My wolf preened with satisfaction beneath my skin, reveling in my power over the Alpha King.
So what if you’re really Little Orange? I thought, staring at Olivia’s defeated expression. With no proof, Ethan will never believe you. In his heart, I will always be Little Orange, and he will always stand by my side.
I savored the moment, the sweet taste of triumph filling me as I watched Olivia’s hopes crumble along with that recorder. My wolf’s scent carried notes of smug satisfaction, barely contained beneath my skin.
But then, as an impossible figure appeared in my line of sight, the smirk vanished from my face. My eyes widened in terror, my wolf cowering within me as my pale and bruised face drained of all color.
The security of my victory evaporated in an instant as I stared at the newcomer, my body frozen with sudden, primal fear.
