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Chapter 0021
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ:
2024-01-06 04:00:15
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Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0022
Zoeâs POVI left Xavierâs home in the afternoon. He had work to take care of and I had overstayed my visit. Also, I knew that Aunt Julie would start to get worried. And I had a couple of messages from Maisie asking where I was. After Xavier and I had made the deal about him helping my Dad, I went ahead and blocked Johnâs number from my phone and on all social media that we used to follow each other. The only way we were going to contact each other was through Xavier, in a formal setting under Werewolf laws. I did not trust him any other way. I returned home to find that Aunt Julie had gone to get some fresh groceries and I was grateful. Because I wanted to get myself dressed up properly before giving her the good news. I chose a beige turtleneck Jumper with a sexy heart cut-out at the perfect place to reveal some skin but not too much that it looks slutty or makes me feel cold. I intended to go to Maisieâs home to deliver the news in person. Even though, we still had paperwork
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-01-07Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0023
Zoeâs POVI chose a peach-colored suit with a white lace bra as the top of my attire for the formal lunch that Xavier had invited me to discuss Dadâs case. He sent Jacob to pick me up from my house. I greeted Jacob and asked, âHow long have you been working for Xavier, I mean Alpha Councilor Shaw?â I kicked myself for forgetting that our relationship was probably secret. After all, we had not made anything official. âItâs okay, you can call him whatever you want in front of me. I won't tell on you.â He winked sweetly and answered my question, âSince I received my wolf, a decade ago. My brother is his Beta. You might think nepotism got me my job but Alpha doesnât do favors to anyone.â âI know that, Jacob. I donât doubt that you earn your job every day.â I smiled at him from the passenger seat. âYour case must be very special.â He commented and I asked confused, âWhy would you say that?â âBecause the restaurant that I am bringing you to, is one of those rare places that Alpha used t
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-01-08Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0024
Xavierâs POVWhen I had asked Zoe to join me for a formal lunch, I had promised myself that I would keep my personal and work life separate. But then she had showed up looking so formal and gorgeous. I was amazed at her dressing sense, she always looked like she had a professional designer and stylist dress her up. She loved showing off her undercut and always had her hair on the opposite side, accentuating the haircut. She was different, she knew it and made sure that no one forgot it. Not that anyone who had met her even once could easily forget someone like her. I kept blaming Spike for everything I did that I had not done for any woman except Claire, my only true love. So, stubbornly I kept believing that it was Spike that made me want to get up to greet her or pull her chair or flirt with her. I had started to imagine a lot of different ways this lunch could go but not the one that actually happened. Alyssa had called out with John on her arm and as much as I loved my sister,
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-01-09Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0025
Zoeâs POVOnce dessert was finished, I quickly said my goodbyes, eager to leave. Xavier offered to drive me home since he had some business in my pack. I nodded, not wanting to argue, and we walked toward his car. Just as we were about to get in, he patted his pockets and frowned."I think I left my phone on the table. Iâll be right back," he said before turning back toward the restaurant.I stood beside the car, watching the snowfall gently coat the ground. The scenery was beautiful, yet something about the lunch left a bad taste in my mouth. I felt uneasy."Well done. Iâm honestly amazed."A familiar, condescending voice made me whirl around. John approached, his expression a mask of sarcasm, but his voice was tight with fury.I tensed, glancing around for Xavier. Nowhere in sight."Looking for Xavier?" John sneered. "Stay away from him!" He grabbed my arm roughly, yanking me toward him. I gasped, struggling against his grip."Let me go!" I glared up at him, my voice shaking with ang
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-01-10Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0026
The next morning I woke up fresh and early, ready to visit a few places where I had seen signs about hiring new people. I went from place to place, all day. I was overqualified for some and underqualified for others. I needed more experience for some jobs and some were just not going to pay enough for me to save any worthwhile money. Overall, it was not going as well as I had hoped it would. By the time evening rolled in, I was feeling quite hopeless. I walked into what looked like my final stop for the day. It was a huge hotel and restaurant in need of more serving staff. It was fairly new and was still short on staff. At this point, even a bartending job wouldnât be bad. I smiled at the receptionist and before he could judge me, immediately said, âHi, I saw the ad for hiring serving staff. I hope you guys are still hiring.â He looked me up and down and nodded before picking up the landline and calling someone. I waited as he talked and placed the phone back before finally addr
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-01-11Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0027
Zoeâs POVMy new client, Angelina, was an adorable girl of seventeen from another pack. She was in our territory with her friend, whose elder sister was pregnant. Angelina and I decided to meet at a small cafe to discuss the details of the event. Her friend was also there to make sure that her sisterâs surprise baby shower was perfect. As it turned out Angelinaâs friend belonged to an elderâs family and was willing to pay a lot for the event to be memorable in a good way. I thanked Maisie in my heart and promised myself to treat her with her favorite foods when I got paid. The meeting had gone smoothly. Thankfully, the young girl from my pack did not keep up with the news and either had no idea about my Dadâs scandal or didnât care. I still decided to stay away from their home and elderâs eyes as much as I can. I needed this commission and I didnât want anyone to take it from me simply because they believed in the fake embezzlement case against my Dad. We settled on an indoor eve
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-01-11Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0028
She said she couldnât bear to go serve those people yet and begged for me to take over. I was not hopeful for any different results but if anything happened to me, I could go straight to the management to complain. Marianne wonât have to and hopefully, none of us will lose our jobs because of rich snobs who think they own the help. I walked over to a group of cute boys, barely out of high school. But their mannerisms instantly screamed of their playboy lifestyle because they had never had a day to worry about money or girls. I plastered a fake smile on my lips and pushed the trolley of their ordered desserts. âYour desserts, gentlemen.â I started plating when the rude comments started. They acted like I couldnât hear them and smirked when I stiffened at their remarks. âThis one is even better than the other one.â âImma order this one for a midnight dessert.â âHow about some chocolate on silky skin.â âStop it, man. My mouth is watering already.â They laughed as I stood up asking
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-01-11Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0029
Zoeâs POVOnce in a grand office with polished woodwork, carpeted floors, and a wall-sized window with a perfect view of the territory with the skyline. He was still fuming when Miss Williamson walked in nervously and closed the door behind her, her skirt somehow higher than normal and a button undone on her neckline. âAlpha Councilor. Sir, I will personally see to it that this rude employee doesn't ever get to see another restaurant in this or any territory. She is a new hire and started yesterday. It mustâve been a case of misjudgment by the hiring crew.â She blamed me blatantly for the entire catastrophe that had happened. My jaw dropped and my eyes widened in shock. I was the victim. I was being manhandled and she dared turn it around on me? Xavierâs nose flared at her words as he looked at her sharply, scaring her speechless for a second. He leaned back at the table and crossed his arms, raising a brow, âI thought, you as a manager, were responsible for all the new hires. W
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-01-13
āļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ
Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0185
It took an hour and a lot of emotional blackmail from Aunt Julie to convince me to let Xavier come to Kansas City. The only reason I agreed was to test if he could keep his word. Nothing more, nothing less.After endless talk about mates, second chances, and the Moon Goddess, Aunt Julie smiled and patted my back. "I'll go tell him you need to talk. Be nice, okay?"I didnât roll my eyes, though I wanted to. I respected her too much for that. Instead, I shook my head, knowing she had played me perfectly. She always did.If anyone had a right to push me, it was Aunt Julie. She had done more for my family than anyone. More than just a distant cousin of my dad or a housekeeperâshe was family. The closest thing I had to a mother."Be nice, Princess." She gave me one last sweet smile before heading inside.I sighed, leaning against the hood of my car and fidgeting with my keychain. My fingers itched for something that wasnât thereâmy fatherâs necklace. The one I had given him in the prison.
Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0184
Zoe's POVI climbed the stairs, leaving Xavier in the garage. He needed time to calm down. My forgivenessâif it ever cameâwouldnât be immediate. That was his problem, not mine.He wanted to tell me something about Claire, probably to convince me I had nothing to worry about. But I didnât care about her. I was done caring about him. His past didnât matter to me anymore.The only thing that mattered was getting to those coordinates. I had no idea what I would find there, but it was my only lead. My mother left me that clue for a reason. I wouldnât ignore it. A decade had passed. Anything could have changed. But I needed answers.I rushed through the house, grabbing only the essentials. Clothes, water, a flashlight, a knife. I packed quickly, like I had done this before. Because I had. Running was second nature now."Sheâs really doing this," Aunt Julie muttered from the kitchen doorway.I ignored her. Nothing to say.Xavier, however, had other plans. By the time I reached the garage, my
Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0183
Zoe's POVI barely heard Xavier start talking. I knew he had been planning this speech since we got in the car two days ago."Zoe, I wonât pretend to understand your pain. I wonât insult you by saying I do. But I know how many times Iâve let you down." His voice was careful, like he was walking on thin ice."Donât. Please." I turned away. I had dreamed of this moment so many timesâXavier realizing what a huge mistake he had made. But not like this. Not when I was barely holding myself together."Let me say this. You need to hear it, and I need to say it." He stepped closer, his hands resting lightly on my arms. Not trapping me. Just asking me to stay."Why?" My voice was bitter. My body tensed under his touch. I hated how my senses reacted to him nowâtoo sharp, too raw. "You didnât care about talking months ago.""Believe me or donât, but I thought letting you go was the right choice. I wanted you to have a fresh start." Regret thickened his voice, but I didnât care.I let out a short
Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0182
Zoe's POV"What are you so happy about?" I asked Aunt Julie whose excitement was confusing me.Instead of answering right away, she gave me a nostalgic look, sat me down on the couch, and took my hands gently, like a mother would."Did your dad ever tell you that you have your mother's eyes?" she asked, her smile soft but sad.She didnât wait for me to respondâprobably because she already knew the answer, "Of course not. He did his best to remove any mention of her from his life. That was his way of dealing with his grief."What about my grief? I wanted to ask but I chose to listen.She was right, no one was allowed to talk about Mom in our house. I was never allowed to ask any questions. Aunt Julie tried her best to fill that hole in my life but for a ten-year-old girl, no one could replace her mother. I barely had any memories of her either. The psychiatrist had told Dad that it was a form of PTSD. I don't remember what the trauma exactly was, but apparently, it was deep enough for
Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0181
Zoe's POVI ran to my room, grabbing everything from the box. My old laptop barely held together, but I powered it up and searched the coordinates. Then, I rushed outside to my broken car.Xavier and Aunt Julie followed as I yanked open the backseat door."You can't take that. It wonât even start," Xavier commented."It better. The coordinates are a two-day drive away," I muttered, then turned to him. "Key?" I held out my hand."Zoeâ""Key. Now."He sighed, pulled the key from his pocket, and placed it in my palm. I grabbed it and turned without a thank you."You can't let her go alone," Aunt Julie protested."I'm not," Xavier assured, arms crossed as I tried to start the car. It didnât even sputter.I kept turning the key, refusing to admit he was right. The car had been through too much. It wasnât taking me anywhere.Aunt Julie whispered to Xavier, "How long do we wait?""You can wait inside. She wonât last long," he replied, knowing full well I could hear him."I heard that!" I sna
Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0180
Zoe's POVI placed the envelope on the coffee table between us, staring at Xavier. "What are these?"His brows furrowed as he leaned forward, confusion flickering across his face. "A letter to you?""The numbers. What do they mean?" I resisted the urge to roll my eyesâor worse, to kiss the perplexed look off his face. He was trying not to upset me. I didn't know why he suddenly cared, but a small part of me was relieved he hadnât mentioned his so-called chosen mate. Right now, it seemed like he only cared about me. I didn't want to let him in again, but deep down, I wasnât sure if I had ever truly let him go."Looks like coordinates," he murmured, thinking out loud.I knew it. Snatching the envelope back, my fingers brushed against his, and for a brief moment, we both pretended not to feel anything."I can have the location checked. If you want," Xavier offered softly.I didnât answer. Dahlia, my beast, was already debating with me.'Say yes,' she urged, practically purring."I wonât.
Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0179
Xavier's POV"Weren't you informed not to call? The lines can be intercepted!" I whisper-yelled into the phone as soon as I was sure neither Aunt Julie nor Zoe could overhear."This one's fine, Sir. I made sure. And this is urgent." Jacob spoke in a hushed tone like he was afraid."Well?" I said expectantly, urging Jacob to resume."We were found. Some of our men work for your father and call him Alpha. I don't know how they found out." Jacob informed."Did they take Claire?" I asked expecting the worst."No. They tripped off an alarm I had planted around the area and I got a fifteen-minute headstart. I drugged Claire and took her before they could get us. They knew about the underground room." He told."Where are you now?""At the Shaw Safehouse. I cleaned up any evidence of the underground room being in use before we left. They won't know Claire was there." Jacob reassured me and then said, "But the bad news is, the cleanup team at Golden Eclipse didn't do as great of a job.""What d
Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0178
The next morning, I was up and out of the house just as the dawn broke through the sky.I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, the same nightmare burned through my mind. I had waited for my wolf for so long, only to realize I would never transform like the others because I was wolfless.But now, I had a beast. Not a regular wolf, but an animal nonetheless. And I wanted to transform. I needed to know it had actually happened, that I wasnât imagining it. Focusing on that need kept me distracted from my grief, kept me from falling apart over the loss of my father."Dahlia," I called out, dropping to my knees. I willed my bones to shift, for my skin to be covered in thin gray fur, for my canines to elongate and sharpen. But nothing happened.Dahlia tried to help me, pushing her strength into me, but it was useless. No matter how hard we tried, my body refused to transform.âUGH!â I screamed in frustration.I could talk to her. That was proof enough that I wasnât wolfless anymore. Bu
Fated to My Ex's Brother-In-Law   Chapter 0177
[WARNING: This chapter contains details of gore and death. Proceed with caution.]Zoe's POVThat night, I slept in my old bed. Apparently, no one had known about our departure from Golden Eclipse or our arrival at Silver Moon. Xavier chose to stay, and Aunt Julie offered him my fatherâs room, but he refused. He knew Iâd be furious if he stayed there. I blamed him for my fatherâs death, and honestly, so did he.Aunt Julie wanted to ask Xavier about his pack, but heâd been so quiet that she decided against it.I sat on my bed, staring at the contents of the wooden box. I looked at the pictures again, this time paying more attention to the details. I read the notes on the back of each one. Some were simple comments about the photo, while others were written in the same unfamiliar language as the bundle of papers and needed to be deciphered.It was all too much to process at once. The only good thing about opening the box so far was that it had distracted me from my grief, even if just for
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