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Chapter 8
Life finally quieted down.
Alpha Jackson, likely shaken by Zachary’s words that day and didn’t bother me again.
That was fine by me.
I thought, Now I can focus on my work.
Ever since breaking up with Alpha Jackson, I’d thrown myself completely into my job, pulling all–nighters and working overtime regularly. It paid off–I managed to land a few big projects.
But…
Knock, knock, knock.
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A series of knocks echoed from my door. I frowned. Not again…
For some reason, Zachary had taken it upon himself to drop by whenever he was free after work.
Resigned, I walked to the door and opened it.
“This time, what do you want to borrow
Before I could finish, he interrupted me, holding up a USB stick with a sly grin.
“Don’t you want to know what’s on this?”
I stared at him, skeptical.
“Nope.”
What could possibly be on there that I’d care about? Right now, my mind was focused
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solely on client proposals. There was no way someone like Zachary, whose work wasn’t remotely related to mine, would have anything useful for me.
I began to close the door, but he stepped forward and held onto the frame.
“Hey now, what’s the rush? Don’t you even want to take a guess?”
I paused, looking at his teasing expression. No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine what would make him act this smug.
Finally, seeing my patience wearing thin, Zachary mercifully revealed the truth.
“This,” he said, waving the USB stick, “is a backup of the surveillance footage from the day that girl pushed you.”
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My eyes widened in shock.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
“She’s bold, I’ll give her that. Committing such an act in a place teeming with cameras? What was she thinking?” He sighed dramatically, then nudged me lightly.
“Nicole,” he said, his voice soft but laced with mischief, “do you… want to get back at her?”
Did I?
I asked myself that question.
There was no doubt that I hated Yvonne. She had stolen my mate.
She had caused me the humiliation of being detained at a police station. She had
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shamelessly clung to my ex, parading him around like a trophy. Of course, I hated her.
But…
Was I really willing to drag myself out of this peaceful life and dive back into the chaos of pack politics?
Just as I hesitated, my phone buzzed with a notification.
I opened it. It was that same friend request.
Yvonne’s friend request, which I’d been ignoring for days.
After some thought, I finally accepted it, though I couldn’t fathom why she wanted to connect with me. I’d already handed over Alpha Jackson to her. What more could she
want?
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Buzz.
A new message popped up immediately after I accepted.
Yvonne:
Nicole, what did you do to Jackson?
Her tone was as condescending as ever.
Me:
What are you talking about?
Without missing a beat, she dropped a bombshell.
Yvonne:
If it weren’t for you, he’d be marrying me right
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now!
I stared at her message, frozen.
For a long time, I thought I’d become immune to any emotions involving Alpha Jackson.
Turns out, I hadn’t.
I looked over at Zachary, whose expression was a mix of amusement and curiosity.
In his gaze, I saw my own resolve reflected back.
I nodded firmly.
“Yes.”
Yes, I wanted it.
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Yes, I wanted justice.
Yvonne truly had been sheltered by her family. So much so that while she had plenty of malicious intent, she lacked the intelligence to carry it out properly.
Pushing someone in a location riddled with surveillance cameras. She never even thought to choose a spot without them.
Previously, her family’s influence meant that such incidents were smoothed over before they could escalate. No one bothered to check the footage; no one cared about the truth. But this time, things were different.
This time, Zachary made sure the truth saw the light of day.
Yvonne’s cries echoed through the courtroom as the judge passed the
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sentence. Because The elderly person passed away despite rescue efforts. Her family pulled every string they could, yet all they managed was a reduced penalty. Even the strongest pack ties couldn’t erase what had been caught on video.
I didn’t know what connections Zachary had, but honestly, it didn’t matter. The elderly person she shoved had been innocent, and for once, justice had been served.
As we left the courthouse, Yvonne’s family stormed toward me, their fury palpable. One of them grabbed me by the collar, sharp claws grazing my skin. Before I could react, a powerful force ripped them away from me.
Alpha Jackson.
His grip was firm, his aura crackling with barely restrained energy. Even Luna, who had
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always been poised and elegant, broke down into sobs. The pack’s unity had cracked, and there was no fixing it now.
Outside, the wind howled whipping through the streets as I stood on the sidewalk, facing Alpha Jackson.
His eyes were dark and unreadable, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
“You know everything now.”
I nodded. Yes, I knew.
I had pieced it all together–the hushed phone call between Alpha Jackson and Yvonne’s parents, the one he refused to put on speakerphone.
That night, Yvonne’s parents had offered him
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a deal: marry Yvonne, and they would ensure his claim to the Alpha position of the Silver Claw Pack. On top of that, they’d grant him access to a portion of the Blue Moon Pack’s wealth. A future of power, security, and absolute authority–all in exchange for me.
I remembered the anxiety he carried after graduating, worried about his father’s illegitimate pups circling for his position like vultures. I remembered the way he stared at his dwindling bank balance, unable to sleep.
He told me he loved me.
But when faced with a choice between love and power, he chose power.
Something inside me–something once raw and aching–settled into cold acceptance. This outcome didn’t surprise me. It was what he had always wanted.
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Chapter 8
+ 5 Points
J
Some paths are simply not meant to cross. our worlds were too different.
And now, our roads would never meet again.
