Chapter: EPILOGUE I year later The wind blew again, this time stronger than the first. Alister adjusted the thick fur cloak on Luciana’s shoulders and smiled as she buried her head in the crook of his arms. In her condition, she wasn’t supposed to be there but she was as stubborn as him. “Do you think she’s looking down on us and regretting what she did?" Luciana mumbled. Alister sighed; he knew that Ophelia regretted what she did and that was why she had killed herself, but he didn't know whether she had found peace in the afterlife. “I hope she found peace after all”, he mumbled. “ I miss her…the kids too” Luciana said. Alister nodded. He wouldn’t admit it, but he also missed her. He had forgiven her for what she did and would have loved it if Ophelia knew that she was forgiven. They stayed that way for a while before someone cleared their throat behind them. He knew who it was even before he turned to face the person. Elijah was standing there with a white rose in his hands, Ophelia’s favorit
Last Updated: 2023-08-31
Chapter: chapter 80Alister’s POVThe fight is in full force, and so far, the Black Moon pack seems to be holding their own. He looked around the fighting ground once again and couldn’t spot his uncle Helster. He knew his uncle’s wolf by now. If Helster’s wolf wasn’t on the battlefield, then where was he?A rogue charged at him, and he pounced on the wolf, tearing its spine away from its body and killing it instantly. The more Rogues they fight and kill, the more additional Rogues charge out of the woods.He saw Elijah finishing off another rogue, and his mind linked to him.“Helster is not here; why?”Elijah turned around and shifted into his human form. He ran back to where Alister was standing, already shifted into his human form.“I wouldn't want to believe that he’s hiding." Alister said.Elijah shook his head and said, “He wants the pack; he’s not hiding. I think he wants to sneak into the pack from another border. Catch us unawares." he said.Just then, as Alister wanted to respond, Peter’s
Last Updated: 2023-08-31
Chapter: chapter 79Luciana’s POVElder Haruto is dead. Wilson had said to her last night after he had returned to his house. He was now the head of the council and would preside over their case. She felt relieved that things were indeed working in their favor.Luciana shifted in her chair. She was waiting for their case to be called, like every other person who was there. She looked around, trying to see if Alpha Reed was already there, but she didn’t see him.Maybe it was a good thing that they would meet inside and not out in the open, she didn't know if she could control herself if she saw him out there in the open.“Black Velvet Pack!" a werewolf standing by the door called.She saw an Alpha stand up and walk into the room where the hearing was being held. Their case was the next one; she had seen the order earlier when Wilson had spoken to her.She pulled the folder out and held it firmly on her lap. The future of their pack depended on her, and as much as she had been the one who had caused all th
Last Updated: 2023-08-30
Chapter: chapter 78Alister’s POVIt was hard. Knowing that his mate was somewhere in the council, doing what he was supposed to be doing, was hard. It had been hard letting her go, and even now, he had to restrict himself from entering a car and driving to the council." Daddy… I want to pee." Keita said, tapping his leg.Alister rolled his eyes, looking down at the boy. “You just did that like five minutes ago”, he mumbled.Keita frowned. “I know, but I still want to go. Mom would be upset if I peed on myself,” he said, pouting his lips.Alister shook his head. Either Keita was missing his mother and didn’t know how to communicate his feelings, or he was trying to be difficult and frustrate him. He suspected it was both.“Fine, let’s go”, he said, picking Keita up. The moment he moved to leave, Omar jumped up from the chair and followed them. Alister sighed. It was going to be hard trying to pull Omar away from him when the time came to defend the pack, and Luciana was not yet back.Thankfully, the re
Last Updated: 2023-08-30
Chapter: chapter 77Reed’s POVReed arrived at the council the next morning. He could feel his victory, and that gave him the confidence to enter the council building. He still had time before the hearing, so he decided to pay a visit to Veronica, his mother.Her office was not far from the academy. He climbed the stairs and walked down the hallway until he got to her door.He knocked twice and waited for her response before pushing the door open and entering the small office. His mother was sitting behind her desk, and she looked like she had never aged since he last saw her.Veronica lifted her head and the surprise on her face was obvious. He didn't blame her for being shocked at him standing in her office; he too would be shocked if he were in her position.Growing up, they never had the best mother-son relationship. She was more like a figure who was just there beside his father. He hated her for that—for not loving him like every other mother loved their children.She pulled the glasses off her fac
Last Updated: 2023-08-30
Chapter: chapter 76Luciana’s POVLuciana closed the zipper of her luggage with a sigh. She was ready to leave, but her heart couldn’t bear to see them all as she was leaving. She could hear the different voices gathered in her living room to bid her goodbye.She sighed and dragged her luggage out of the room, walking down the stairs.“Oh Lucia." Ophelia mumbled, coming up to her to envelope her in a huge hug. Luciana buried herself in the hug.It wasn’t that she was going away from the council for long. Hell, she was just going to be gone for two or three days, so she didn't understand why they were all acting like she was going to be gone for a year.“Take care of yourself and my boys,” she muttered close to Ophelia’s ears.Ophelia nodded her head and released her. “I will. Stay safe,” she said, taking the luggage from Luciana and carrying it outside towards the waiting car.Alister was the next one to come up to her. He was holding Omar, who had refused to let him go and was clinging to him.“You can
Last Updated: 2023-08-30
Chapter: 88.Anthony's POVIsaac immediately straightened beside me. “Finally,” he muttered, pulling out his phone. “I was about to send a search party.”I didn’t say anything. I just leaned back in my chair, arms folded, pretending to read the schedule packet on the table. But my jaw was tight enough to crack. The minute I saw her walking in, hair a little messy from the wind, jacket half-zipped, cheeks flushed like she’d sprinted across the parking lot, I felt that familiar mix of irritation and relief. Mostly irritation.Samantha scanned the room, her gaze flitting over the sea of suits, cameras, and glinting lenses before landing on us, on me. For a second, she hesitated, like she could feel the storm brewing behind my face. Then, with that signature mix of confidence and reckless grace that only she could pull off, she made her way over.“Hey,” she said softly, stopping just in front of me. Her voice had that slightly breathless edge, like she’d been rushing. “I know I’m late, but, ”“Save
Last Updated: 2025-10-23
Chapter: 87.Anthony’s POVThe truth was, I didn’t know why I was so worked up. Maybe it was because I’d spent the last few weeks trying to rebuild this partnership from scratch, learning to trust her again after everything. Or maybe it was because Logan’s words hit too close to the insecurities I didn’t like to admit I had.Ethan. The yoga guy.The name rolled around in my head like a splinter I couldn’t dig out. I’d seen it flash across Samantha’s phone screen once , Ethan Calling. It was right after practice, when we were both half-dead from the new lift sequence. She’d been sitting beside me on the bench, catching her breath, strands of hair sticking to her temples. Her phone had buzzed, she’d glanced at it, and her expression had softened , just a little, but enough for me to notice.She answered quickly, voice lighter than it ever was with me. “Hey,” she’d said, smiling in that easy way that always disarmed people. I’d pretended not to listen, tugging at my laces, but every word stuck.
Last Updated: 2025-10-22
Chapter: 86.Anthony’s POV I rubbed the back of my neck, glancing toward the entrance again. A few reporters were already milling around the hallway, cameras slung around their necks, laughing at something I couldn’t hear. “Anthony,” Cole said quietly, dragging my attention back. “You need to breathe.”I scoffed under my breath. “I am breathing.”“Not really. You’re pacing in your head.”He wasn’t wrong. I could feel my thoughts racing like blades on ice, too fast, too sharp.Isaac pulled out his phone, unlocking it with a tap. “I’ll just call her.”“Good idea,” I muttered. “Maybe she’ll answer you.”He dialed, pressing the phone to his ear. We all waited. One second. Two. Ten. His brows furrowed. Then, with an exhale, he pulled it away. “Voicemail.”“Try again,” I said immediately.“I did.”“Well, try again.”Cole gave me a warning look. “Anthony.”I groaned, dragging a hand over my face. “I’m not trying to be difficult, but this, this is ridiculous. She knows how important today is.”“She also
Last Updated: 2025-10-20
Chapter: 85.Anthony’s POV The conference hall smelled like freshly brewed coffee, camera flash powder, and nerves. The kind of cocktail that reminded me this was showtime , the first Grand Prix press conference of the season. Every skater in the country worth their salt, whether they had qualified or not, was invited to attend the press conference, polished and picture-perfect under the blinding lights. Everyone except Samantha. I checked my watch for the third time in five minutes. 9:42 a.m. Eighteen minutes before the USA Figure Skating Grand Prix press conference officially started. We were supposed to be seated by ten. And still no sign of Samantha. Cole sat across from me, legs crossed, scrolling through something on his phone with the kind of calm that made me want to throw mine against the wall. Isaac was beside me, tapping his foot like a human metronome. “She’s not here yet?” he asked, though he already knew the answer. I exhaled through my nose, jaw tight. “Does i
Last Updated: 2025-10-20
Chapter: 84.Samantha's POVThe air between us thickened, heavy with unspoken things, accusations, regrets, and everything we’d buried under medals and resentment.Ethan glanced at me, the crease between his brows deepening. I could almost feel the question in his silence. Should he interfere? Why does he still get under your skin?But I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Not here, not now, not with Logan looking at me like he’d won something just by showing up.He gave a short laugh, the sound low and humorless. “You’ve still got that fire,” he said, almost admiringly. “Guess some things don’t change after all.”“Guess not,” I said, forcing a smirk that didn’t reach my eyes. “You should know. You’re still the same arrogant jerk who thinks the world spins on his blade.”Ethan coughed softly, almost like he was suppressing a laugh, but Logan’s expression only darkened, that brittle pride flaring up again.“Arrogant,” he repeated, as if tasting the word. “Funny coming from someone who left a trail of broken
Last Updated: 2025-10-19
Chapter: 83.Samantha’s POVLogan stood a few feet away, casual as ever, with that same smug grin I remembered too well. His hair was shorter now, the dark waves neatly trimmed instead of wild, and his jaw had sharpened with time, but his eyes. God, those eyes. Cold, assessing, like they were always measuring, always waiting for you to slip.“I could ask you the same thing,” he said smoothly, his tone dripping with condescension. “Didn’t take you for the zen type.”His voice, low, familiar, edged with that smugness I used to hate, hit harder than it should’ve. It had been weeks, maybe a month, since I’d heard it, but my body remembered before my brain did. The slight tightening in my chest, the instinctive clench of my jaw.I forced my arms to cross over my chest, more for armor than attitude. “People change,” I said evenly, pretending his presence didn’t rattle me. Pretending I wasn’t right back on the ice, the same old Samantha again, who used to skate with him, arguing with him after another
Last Updated: 2025-10-19
Chapter: 128.Laurel’s POV She ran a hand over her face, feeling the weight of it all settle in her chest again. “Every time I close my eyes, I still see that fire. The way the smoke swallowed the sky. And that ring, gleaming in the dark like it was mocking me.” She mumbled in a shaky voice.Callaghan was silent for a moment, then said quietly, “You said the files they burned could’ve proved who was really behind the transfers. Do you remember what was in them?”Laurel shook her head, her eyes unfocused as she tried to recall. “Not exactly. But I know one of the files mentioned offshore accounts and a project labeled ‘V-14.’ I never found out what that meant. But I think… I think that’s why they wanted me gone. Because I was starting to piece it together.”The detective jotted down the note and looked up again. “We’ll find out what ‘V-14’ means. You did good, Laurel. Really good.”Callaghan exhaled slowly. There was a brief silence where she felt that everything she was saying was perhaps too much
Last Updated: 2025-10-12
Chapter: 127.Laurel’s POV Laurel nodded, shame flickering across her face. “They blamed him, too. Said he was part of it, that he helped me disappear. The board nearly tore him apart in the media. They said he colluded with me to move the money offshore. But I never even got to that meeting.”“What happened instead?”“The night before, I got a call from someone in the office. A woman I barely knew. She told me not to come in the next morning. Said they knew I’d been talking about The Grove, and if I showed up, I’d be next.”Callaghan leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Next, as in, dead?”Laurel’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Yes.”The detective was quiet for a long time, eyes studying her. “So you disappeared.”“I grabbed Kael, he was just a baby, and ran. I thought I could protect him if we stayed off the radar. I changed my name, changed cities every few months, worked in cash jobs. I burned every document that tied me to Storm Capitals.”He let out a slow breath, tapping the edge of his
Last Updated: 2025-10-12
Chapter: 126.Laurel’s POV“There was a group,” Laurel said quietly, her voice hoarse from hours of questioning. “They called themselves The Grove. Sounded harmless, like a gardening club or some local charity.” She gave a small, bitter laugh. “But they weren’t planting trees. They were laundering money, moving funds through shell companies, fake accounts, small businesses that didn’t even exist. On paper, it all looked legitimate.”Detective Callaghan leaned back slightly, pen poised above his notepad. “And you were involved?” he asked.“No, I wasn’t… not directly. I worked for someone who was,” Laurel replied quietly, her voice carrying the weight of memory. “At Vorenth Holdings. I was an assistant in the finance division back then. Handling scheduling, payments, invoices. I thought I was just doing my job.”Her hands trembled as she spoke, the faint rustle of her cuff brushing against the table as she clasped them together tightly in her lap. Laurel could still picture the glossy office floors
Last Updated: 2025-10-12
Chapter: 125.Laurel’s POVThe fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, a cold, relentless hum that burrowed into her skull. The air smelled like burnt coffee, disinfectant, and something faintly metallic, fear, maybe. The chair beneath her was metal, unyielding, every edge a reminder that she didn’t belong here. Nothing in the interview room was meant for comfort. It was meant for control.Her fingers curled around the edge of the table, knuckles whitening. She’d been running for so long that stillness felt unnatural. Every nerve in her body itched with the instinct to flee, to grab Kael and run until her lungs burned and her legs gave out. But there was nowhere left to go. No dark alleys, no back roads, no motel rooms under fake names.Now, there was only this.Laurel had to be officially investigated, just like Asher had warned her. There was no way around it if they wanted her case reopened.When he’d first told her that, she remembered how his tone had shifted, calm, careful, but honest. “It won’
Last Updated: 2025-10-12
Chapter: 124.Asher’s POV “She’s brave,” Avery said quietly, her voice barely rising above the whisper of the night breeze drifting in through the half-open window. Her fingers brushed along the edge of a folded blanket resting at the foot of the bed, tracing the soft fabric as if the motion itself grounded her thoughts. “I’m talking about Laurel.” She whispered.Asher knew who she was referring to, even without being told. The name hung between them, heavy with meaning.Asher leaned back against the headboard, his expression thoughtful. “She is,” he said after a pause. “Smart, too. She knew what she was up against and still found a way to fight back. Keeping all that evidence… that couldn’t have been easy. She risked everything just to make sure it got out.” He said.Avery’s gaze dropped to her lap. The dim light from the bedside lamp softened the edges of her face, catching the faint shimmer in her eyes. “She protected her son,” she murmured. “I understand that.”There was something in the way
Last Updated: 2025-10-12
Chapter: 123.Asher’s POVThey had barely stepped back into the hallway when Asher’s phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket and saw Nolan’s name on the screen.He answered with a low, “Yeah?”“You’ll want to come down to the precinct first thing tomorrow,” Nolan’s voice was curt but steady. “They have reviewed the contents of Laurel’s flash drive. It’s… substantial.”Asher glanced toward the parlor where Laurel now sat, quietly sipping tea beside Georgia. Avery and the boys were nestled on the rug in front of the fireplace, Kael included. The house felt full, warm, for the first time in years.“I figured as much,” Asher replied. “You’ll need her testimony?”“Yes. And she needs a full security detail. The files name names, Asher. Real ones. High-profile investors, offshore banks, fake companies, bribes, this isn’t just corporate theft anymore. This is political.”Asher felt the chill creep back into his bones, the weight of what Laurel had carried for seven years settling heavily across his shou
Last Updated: 2025-10-12
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