Ainsley returned to work after resting for a few more days. When Jacob called himโฆโฆโฆโฆโฆAinsley didnโt hesitate. He glanced at Ellison, who looked back at him curiously.โYou donโt mind, do you?โ Ainsley asked, already picking up the phone before Ellison could even respond. But Ainsley knew this call wasnโt from Jacob.His chest tightened. His voice remained calm, but every nerve in his body stood on edge, waiting and wanting.Thenโฆโฆ..โLet the Anthony Group go,โ her voice came, stiff, emotion coiled tightly beneath the surface.Ainsley leaned back in his chair. His grip on the phone tightened. It was her. That damn voice, he hadnโt heard it in days, and yet the second she spoke, his entire world tilted.He smiled slowly and coldly, and said in a voice that burned with longing masked as mockery, โAre you begging me now, Eloise? Or is that just your way of dressing up pride in pretty words?โEllison's blood ran cold.Eloise! The name slammed into his chest like a fist. He stared at Ains
Eloise'sโShe's all yours now. Do whatever you want with her.โI curled up on the floor, listening as the man in front of me, Alex, the Beta of the Litha Night Walker Pack gave his final orders to the Scamp."Youโll experience the same pain and humiliations my lovely sister Aura experienced," he said, looking at me with a dark intensity, his tone tinged with a hint of bloodthirsty emotion.โAura, my little sister, was a sweet girl. She's never been to a pub or entered the Scamp Forest alone. But now she was found ra*ed and murdered there. Your mate, Alpha Ainsley, and I went through Aura's phone, and we found out that right before the accident, you called her. The last message on her phone was to you. Where were you, Eloise?โ As Alex stared at me, his eyes were filled with hatred and killing intent.โAlex, I am in need of your attention. I am not responsible for the death of Aura. I have an important message to convey to Alpha Ainsley. Please listen to me.โ I pleaded and he looked at
Eloise's POVโIt should have been you.โMy body trembles uncontrollably, and a sharp pain shoots through my chest. Ainsley turned around, revealing a cold smile. His rigid face looked indifferent and cruel. He hates me because everyone thinks I killed Aura. I staggered to my feet, trembling inside. My legs were numb, so I fell back to the ground. Ainsley's ice-cold voice echoed in my ears once again.โIn the name of the MoonGoddess......" I raised my head, staring at the man in disbelief knowing what he was about to do. He must have hate me so much. โAinsley! No... You can't reject me. You don't know how much I love you! Please, let me explain... Please...โ He paid no heed to my pleas, simply continuing in his low, chilling voice.โEloise Anthony, I Ainsley Williams the Alpha of the Litha Night Walker pack, reject you as my mate. From this moment onward I sever the moon goddess fate and bond between us. You are hereby denied the opportunity of being my mate.โ Immediately, a wrenching
The Eloise the world once knew no longer existed.Curled into the corner of the damp prison cell, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, Eloise stared at nothing. He did it... He really did it. I donโt exist anymore. Her chest tightened. Not from the cold, but from something far worse. Emptiness.Who am I now? she thought. A ghost... a forgotten girl rotting in a cell like trash.The metallic clang of heavy boots echoed in the corridor the next morning. Then, suddenly a harsh shove knocked her over.โHey! Wake up, rat! Go clean the damn bathroom!โ a rough voice barked.A scream followed. โSheโs..... sheโs dead!โSomeone else scurried over, kneeling beside Eloiseโs still form.โShut up!โ snapped another voice. โSheโs breathing. Look, barely. But sheโs alive.โA guard was called. The door slammed open. But nobody comforted her. No one touched her gently. Why would they? She wasnโt Eloise anymore. She was just an inmate. Just a criminal.---Three years laterโฆThe streets felt foreign
Eloise did her best to avoid making eye contact but she failed.Her gaze flickered toward him, helplessly, involuntarily. The moment their eyes met, regret surged through her chest like a punch.His golden eyes locked onto hers like a predator snaring prey. He didnโt blink. Didnโt smile. He just stared, too amused, too aware. His lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk. Then, still staring straight at her, he kissed the woman in his arms, deeper this time. Hungrier. Wetter. It wasnโt a kiss; it was a spectacle.It was deliberate.The woman moaned softly against his mouth, her long fingers tangling in his dark hair. She arched into him, loving the attention. Eloise knew her name Amelia Javis. One of the Scarlet Heart's top escorts. Tall, statuesque, with legs that went on forever, and a face so sculpted it looked unreal. She oozed sex and poison in equal measure. Her beauty was the sharp, cold kind, the kind that didnโt warm when she smiled. Because she never smiled. She smirked. She own
Eloise stepped into the dimly lit room, her heartbeat quickening the moment the door clicked shut behind her. The air felt thick, almost suffocating, and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled with unease. She hesitated for just a moment, taking in the scene before her.A handful of guests lounged casually on the sofas, their eyes glazed with boredom, while several escort girls flitted about, their fake smiles barely hiding the tension in the air. But it wasnโt the guests that held her attention, it was Mavis.Mavis stood in the center of the room, her body stiff, her face twisted in quiet desperation. As soon as their eyes met, the younger girlโs lips parted, and she took a shaky step forward.โEloise, help me!โ she cried out, her voice breaking through the thick silence of the room.Eloiseโs heart lurched at the sound of Mavisโs plea.The moment Mavis spoke, the entire room seemed to shift. The guests she had learned to fear in silence turned their eyes toward Eloise, scrutinizin
Eloiseโs breath hitched in her throat as she slowly raised her head, her gaze locking with the man sitting across from her. The weight of his words lingered in the air like a suffocating fog, thick with venom and malice.โHow could I ask her to kiss another man?โ Ainsleyโs voice was low and deceptively calm, but there was a cruel edge behind every syllable. It sliced through her like a knife. Her heart stuttered painfully as she tried to comprehend the reality of what he had just said.Ainsley. Her fated mate. The man she had once loved more than life itself. The same man who had cast her aside without remorse.Now, after all these years, fate had dragged them back together, not in loveโs embrace, but in a brutal power struggle. Love was long gone. What remained was raw pain, betrayal, and the scorched remnants of a bond that had been burned beyond recognition.How could he ask me to do this?Eloiseโs stomach twisted, bile rising in her throat. The room seemed to shrink, the air too he
Lucian stood at the entrance of the hotel room, his eyes moving between Ainsley and the woman standing behind him.Both led powerful packs in Metrocity, and as rivals? Yes, but there was an unspoken bond between them as well. They were enemies, and yet, at times, they were also reluctant allies.His gaze shifted to Eloise, standing stiffly behind Ainsley. To his surprise, her ears were bright red, a clear sign of embarrassment.So, itโs her first kiss, Lucian thought with a sly grin. Interesting.โHey,โ Lucian teased, breaking the silence, โwas that your first kiss?โEloiseโs face flushed a deeper shade of crimson. She didnโt answer, but her downcast eyes and the way she nervously shifted her feet were enough to confirm his guess.Lucian couldnโt help but smile, feeling a small, satisfied thrill. There was something amusing about catching her in such an awkward moment, but before he could continue his teasing, he turned his attention back to Ainsley.Ainsleyโs cold gaze lingered on Luc
Ainsley returned to work after resting for a few more days. When Jacob called himโฆโฆโฆโฆโฆAinsley didnโt hesitate. He glanced at Ellison, who looked back at him curiously.โYou donโt mind, do you?โ Ainsley asked, already picking up the phone before Ellison could even respond. But Ainsley knew this call wasnโt from Jacob.His chest tightened. His voice remained calm, but every nerve in his body stood on edge, waiting and wanting.Thenโฆโฆ..โLet the Anthony Group go,โ her voice came, stiff, emotion coiled tightly beneath the surface.Ainsley leaned back in his chair. His grip on the phone tightened. It was her. That damn voice, he hadnโt heard it in days, and yet the second she spoke, his entire world tilted.He smiled slowly and coldly, and said in a voice that burned with longing masked as mockery, โAre you begging me now, Eloise? Or is that just your way of dressing up pride in pretty words?โEllison's blood ran cold.Eloise! The name slammed into his chest like a fist. He stared at Ains
The conference room turned thick with tension as people were afraid Ainsley would make a comeback. If so, they would suffer.Ainsley sat still, the usual fire in his gaze dulled. No color touched his cheeks; he looked neither angry nor defeated.โAinsley,โ one of the shareholders snapped, almost too quickly. โItโs done. Step down from your position. Youโre no longer CEO of the Williams Group.โAnother chimed in, his voice tremulous but thrilled, โYes. You heard the board, get the hell out of the building.โChairs scraped, papers rustled. Tension rolled like a wave about to crash.But then, a voice rang out, cutting clean through the noise. It was steady, almost too steady.โWho said the final vote had been cast, or have I suddenly been removed from the shareholders? Because the last time I checked I happened to be one of the shareholders.โThe room fell into a shocked hush, peopleโs heads snapped toward the source. Gasps rippled across the boardroom. Faces turned pale.Ellisonโs brows
Eloiseโs brow twitched slightly. Her calm gaze faltered for a second.Jacob caught it. That tiny flicker of emotion sent a surge of rage through him. He threw the apple aside.โArenโt you worried? "Donโt you care what couldโve happened to him?โ he snapped, his eyes burning into her face.Eloise turned her head away. โI didnโt ask him to.โJacob stood. His voice was firm, serious. โNo, you didnโt. But maybe you shouldโve. You could hate him, you could curse his name. But donโt act like you donโt care. Because when you collapse, your body answers what your mouth refuses to say. The only treatment you responded to was his touch.โShe clenched her jaw. โHe locked me in that place. I donโt care how long he sat by my bed.โJacob stared at her. โThen tell him that. Not to me. "You keep telling everyone you donโt care, but your hands were shaking when he touched you.โShe didnโt answer.โDuring the years you were gone, Ainsley searched for you like a possessed man,โ he added, his voice sharp
The car reeked of blood. It was the only smell Ainsley could register; thick, metallic, and heavy in his nose and mouth. He stirred with a low groan, his body aching as if it had been crushed from the inside out. Pain throbbed behind his bandaged head, spreading like wildfire through his skull and down his spine.He tried to move.โDonโt move,โ Jacob snapped from the front seat, spinning around. His voice cut through the air like a blade. โYou scared the hell out of me, Ainsley. What the fuck were you thinking?โAinsley winced. His hand reached for the door handle, but it slipped off weakly. His head dropped back, the world spinning.โI passed out again, didnโt I?โ he muttered.Jacobโs hands clenched the steering wheel, so tightly his knuckles turned white. โYou did more than that. You nearly fucking died. You collapsed in front of a hundred people like your damn soul left your body.โHe turned fully to face him, his eyes blazing like fire. โDo you understand what that looked like? Yo
Suddenly, Ellison stood up and pushed Ainsley hard. He said, โLet her go. Youโre so selfish! Didnโt you hear her? Eloise has no intention of going with you!โAinsley, caught off guard, stumbled backward. His usually fierce and commanding presence, like a true Alpha, was broken at an unexpected moment. He collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.Gasps echoed through the crowd, the peopleโs eyes widened in shock. Even the air seemed to stand still.Jacobโs face darkened. Without hesitation, he rushed forward and knelt beside Ainsley. โAinsley, are you okay?โ His voice cracked with concern as he reached to cradle his head. But his palm came out wet. Jacob looked down and froze. His fingers were stained red.โWhat is this?โ he whispered, stunned.Blood!A sharp silence followed. Ellison, noticing the shift, stepped forward instinctively, but Hank had already rushed past him, panic flashing in his eyes. โAlpha Ainsley?โEloiseโs eyes widened. Her body stiffened, and for a moment, she see
Ellison stood frozen on the stairs, halfway down, his hands clenched tightly on the railing. Heโd come down to stop Ainsley, to intervene, but when he saw the fire in Eloiseโs eyes, the way she held herself back from launching another object, he couldn't move. Not yet.Ainsleyโs cold voice echoed through the tension-filled room. โWhat else do you want to throw at me? Iโll get it for you.โEllison stepped forward, breaking the thick silence. โNo need to bother you, Ainsley. Iโm free right now, and Iโll help her.โHank took a step, ready to intervene, but Kelly subtly blocked him with a glance.As Ellison reached the floor, he picked up a broom lying nearby. The scrape of the handle against the tiled floor felt too loud in the quiet. He offered it to her with a calm face, but sarcasm glinted in his eyes.โMaโam, here you go.โEloise looked at the broom, then at him, her brows furrowed in confusion. โA broom?โHe nodded once, the corner of his lips lifting in a crooked smile.โMa'am, flu
Lucian, unfazed, threw his jacket to the ground in front of Ainsley. โFine. Letโs see what happens,โ he said before he turned and left.Ainsley stayed where he was, watching Lucianโs departure with steely eyes. The tension still hung in the air, thick and unresolved.โWeโre going to Waikiki Beach this afternoon,โ Ainsley said after a long pause. โIโm sure sheโs there. I need to find her.โMeanwhile, on the other side of the island, Eloise paced restlessly in her room, her nerves fraying with each passing moment. Her thoughts spiraled. She had been hiding, but it was all falling apart now. Ainsley was coming for her.No, she told herself. I canโt let him find me. Not again.Then, just as the wind picked up, a familiar warmth brushed against her.Her body stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. She didnโt have to turn to know he was there. The scent of him, so unmistakable, overwhelmed her senses.Ainsley stood behind her, his presence enveloping her. His arms wrapped around her alm
In the car, Ainsley gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white as he sped toward the airport. His mind was spinning. Without thinking, he reached out to Jacob through their mind link. His voice was sharp, his words clipped with urgency.โDo you know Remmy?โ Ainsley asked, his tone barely contained as anxiety surged through him.Jacobโs voice crackled through the link, his confusion evident. โWhy are you looking for her?โ He didnโt fully understand the gravity of the situation.Ainsleyโs voice hardened, desperation creeping into his words. โShe knows where Eloise is.โJacob didnโt hesitate. โUnderstood,โ he said, his voice steady despite the tense situation. โIโll handle it. Do you need me to book you a flight?โโNo need,โ Ainsley replied immediately, his tone resolute. โIโm heading to the airport now.โAs Ainsley disconnected the link, he pushed the accelerator harder, the engine roaring as he raced back home to grab his ID. Every second felt like an eternity, the pressure mountin
โEllison! "I donโt want to bet anymore!โ Eloise shouted at the stage, her voice rough and hoarse, like a desperate cry.โItโs too late,โ Ellisonโs lips moved, his words like ice. Heโd made a decision. Instead of leaving, he wanted to win the bet. More than that, he wanted her.Memories flooded Eloiseโs mind, sharp and vivid. In her eyes, Ellison at that moment seemed just like her in the past, lost, defiant, and broken.But Ellison didnโt deserve it! Not after everything.She walked toward the center of the stage, her steps deliberate, her heart pounding with emotion. She bent down and picked up the white shirt from the floor. Her fingers brushed against the fabric, and then she reached for Ellisonโs hand, which rested on the zipper of his suit pants. Her voice was low but commanding, โCome with me.โEllison stood frozen, stunned by the sudden seriousness of her expression. His heart skipped a beat.The audience below the stage began to murmur, their annoyance growing louder. โWho are