While Ainsley confronted Gary, Eloise was jolted awake by a sudden, biting splash of cold water. The shock sent shivers down her spine, her body convulsing against the freezing sensation.A dim, flickering lamp swung overhead, its weak light casting distorted shadows on the cracked concrete walls. The air smelled of damp wood, rust, and rotten.Eloise's vision blurred as she blinked away, the water stinging her eyes. She instinctively tried to lift her hand to shield herself from the harsh light, but the sharp pull of ropes biting into her wrists stopped her. Her hands were bound tightly behind her back, her ankles secured to the legs of a wooden chair.A slow, mocking voice cut through the silence.“You’ve finally woken up.”Eloise turned her head and met a pair of furious eyes. Then, she laughed.It wasn’t a soft chuckle or an amused giggle. It was hollow. Cold. Almost cruel.Alex’s expression darkened instantly. “How the fuck are you still laughing?!” he snapped, his voice filled w
Eloise thought nothing could shock her anymore. But she was wrong. Today, Alex stood before her, his eyes dark with cruelty, and said without a trace of remorse.“I killed my sister and then framed you.”The words hit her like a blade to the chest.Three years of suffering. Three years of being accused, imprisoned, hated. She had endured it all, but now, now she needed to know why.Alex wouldn’t have done this just to frame her. That made no sense.“Why?” she repeated, searching his face.Alex smirked, a wicked, soulless grin. “Ask the Moon Goddess after you die.”Eloise’s stomach twisted. That look in his eyes, he was going to kill her.“Wait!” she shouted, her voice rough, edged with desperation. “Alex, whatever you want to do, wait a moment." I’ll tell you Aura’s secret. In exchange, tell me why you killed her.”Her mind was racing. She knew she wouldn't leave this place alive. But she refuses to die without knowing the truth.Alex paused. His expression flickered with interest.He
Eloise had grown up with her grandfather, while Harry preferred to stay with his parents.Once, her grandfather gave her a ruby. She was delighted, she loved shiny things. Holding the gem up to the sunlight, she admired the way it glowed. But before she could fully enjoy it, Harry tried to snatch it away. Reflexively, she pushed him back. She hadn’t used much force, yet he still fell to the ground.A maid witnessed the scene and immediately scolded her.“You spoiled little girl with no parents! How could you push Harry like that?”Eloise was stunned. The words stung, but more than that, she didn’t understand.She looked up at the maid and asked, “I have a father and a mother. Why would you say that?”The maid seemed just as startled by her own words. She pursed her lips before hurriedly responding, “You’ve always been with your grandfather. You’re not close to Alpha Gary and Luna Pamela. I was just worried when I saw Harry fall and said something foolish. Eloise, don’t tell your grand
Although they were prepared, Eloise and Rachael were scared and closed their eyes unconsciously.Time seemed to stand still. Eloise felt no pain. She felt something warm dripping on her face, and she opened her eyes in confusion.The next second, her eyes widened in horror.“The dagger is made of silver. "Don’t you feel pain?” Eloise stared at the hand blocking Alex’s dagger. Ainsley’s blood dripped down her face.Ainsley's face was ashen. He pursed his lips tightly and stared at Eloise for a long moment. Only when he confirmed that she was safe did he feel his heart start beating again.Ainsley held back Adrian, who was about to go crazy.She turned around and glared at Alex, whose face was pale. Before she could say anything, Alex had fallen to the ground.Alex's lips were bloodless. He said quietly, "I want to avenge Aura! Aura died because of you. Why is Eloise still alive?"Alex's voice grew louder as he stared at Eloise, who was lying on the ground with hatred in her eyes.Racha
Suddenly, Rachael realized something. She slowly stretched out her arms and hugged Eloise. Then, reluctantly, she asked, "Have you made up your mind yet?""Yes… And I’m sorry," Eloise said guiltily."You don’t have to apologize. You’ve already figured out what really happened back then, and there’s no more misunderstanding between you and Alpha Ainsley. "But why do you still want to leave?" Rachael was puzzled.Eloise shook her head and smiled bitterly. "The grudge between him and me will forever be there. Since he rejected me and mercilessly sent me to the werewolf prison, we can no longer reconcile.""But the misunderstanding has been resolved!" Rachael emphasized again."Sometimes, we women are foolish. I want to deceive myself too, but I can't. Every day and night, the wounds on my body continue to hurt constantly. They reminded me of what happened in the past. "I can't deceive myself into thinking it's all over." Eloise's tone was sad but firm.Besides… he doesn’t trust me. Just
Ellison and Ainsley lay on the ground, panting, their bodies covered in wounds. The fight had left them exhausted, but neither had backed down.When Elijah arrived with a group of warriors, he found the two still locked in their brutal struggle.Ellison's subordinates stood back, no movement, their eyes locked on the scene. Elijah understood immediately, this was a one-on-one battle. Interfering would be an insult to Ainsley as an Alpha.The tension in the air was suffocating. Both sides stood their ground, their muscles coiled, ready for action, yet no one moved. This was Ellison and Ainsley’s fight.Then suddenly, the sharp ring of a phone cut through the silence. Ellison, breathing heavily, reached into his pocket, pressed the answer button, and listened. A slow, satisfied smirk curled across his lips.He struggled to his feet, his steps unsteady. Standing over Ainsley, who was still on the ground, he sneered, “I had fun, but I’m done with you today. Goodbye.”Ainsley narrowed his
Regret clawed at his chest. He couldn't even blame Eloise's flawless act, it was his own fault for being blind. He should have known better.He hadn’t forgotten the way she had looked at him that night. She was full of hatred, her blade was against his throat.He had thought that if they had a child together, it would be enough to make her stay.But Eloise had never given up on escaping.Ainsley’s eyes snapped open, burning with desperate determination. He roared, “Go after her!”If he had to chase her to the ends of the earth, he would. If she was destined to leave, then he would rather die at her hands than let her slip away.Eloise was just as determined as him. This was her only chance, and she wouldn’t trade it for anything.She paid the driver extra to speed up, arriving at the airport within an hour and a half. While still in the taxi, she bought a ticket to Las Vegas.With Ainsley’s skill, he'll track this taxi soon. He’ll know where I went. She thought and she was damm right.
The taxi driver was friendly, and Eloise chatted happily with him along the way. The rhythmic hum of the car on the road made her feel momentarily at peace, like she was drifting into an unknown world, away from everything.Suddenly, Eloise realized she was just trying to escape, but she didn't know what she would do after arriving in Hawaii. The thought gnawed at her, but she kept pushing it aside, unwilling to acknowledge the uncertainty that came with her decision.“I have plenty of time to think about it,” Eloise told herself, feeling a small sense of relief that she had sold the jewelry for a large sum of money. She had at least secured her future, no matter how uncertain everything else felt.“This is my first time in Hawaii, and I want to stay in a quiet hotel. "Do you have any suggestions?” Eloise asked, hoping the driver had a recommendation that would provide her with the solitude she craved.“A quiet hotel? Why? Most people choose crowded places, and you want a remote one.
"Ainsley WIlliams! Damn you! "You promised me!” Eloise’s eyes blazed red with fury, veins visible on her temples as her body shook violently.Her scream echoed so loudly throughout the room that the light on the ceiling trembled from the force of her rage. She kicked at the bed frame, sending it crashing against the wall with a loud bang. The curtains flapped wildly in the air from the force of her movements, as if they too were disturbed by the storm erupting within her.The pain that flashed through Ainsley's eyes nearly froze him in place. His breath caught, but he focused hard on what he was doing, refusing to waver, even though guilt was clawing through his chest.Then her voice ripped through the room, raw and shattering, “Ainsley! I hate you!”Ainsley's eyes were filled with unbearable pain, the kind that didn’t show in blood but hurt worse than any wound. He clenched his jaw and abruptly lowered his head. Without a word, he pressed his lips to the scar on the back of her waist
The fall of the Anthony Group was no longer just a rumor, it had become a harsh, bitter truth echoing through every corner of Metrocity’s high society. Stock prices had started to tremble, investors were pulling out like rats from a sinking ship, and tonight’s extravagant banquet couldn’t mask the rot eating away at the core of a once-mighty empire. The air was thick with tension and forced laughter, the scent of overpriced wine failing to disguise the underlying stench of desperation.Michael Eliot leaned against a marble column; he stood silently at the edge of the lavish banquet, his tall frame cloaked in a sleek black suit that matched his mood. His fingers played with the rim of a half-empty glass of red, untouched wine since it was poured. On his other hand, a cigarette smoldered, forgotten and the ash dangling dangerously. He looked detached, like a man who had accidentally walked into the wrong life. He hated these gatherings. The fake smiles, the hollow toasts, the false cama
Ainsley returned to work after resting for a few more days. When Jacob called him……………Ainsley didn’t hesitate. He glanced at Ellison, who looked back at him curiously.“You don’t mind, do you?” Ainsley asked, already picking up the phone before Ellison could even respond. But Ainsley knew this call wasn’t from Jacob.His chest tightened. His voice remained calm, but every nerve in his body stood on edge, waiting and wanting.Then……..“Let the Anthony Group go,” 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 hadn’t 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, “Are you begging me now, Eloise? Or is that just your way of dressing up pride in pretty words?”Ellison'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.“Ainsley,” one of the shareholders snapped, almost too quickly. “It’s done. Step down from your position. You’re no longer CEO of the Williams Group.”Another chimed in, his voice tremulous but thrilled, “Yes. You heard the board, get the hell out of the building.”Chairs 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.“Who 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.”The room fell into a shocked hush, people’s heads snapped toward the source. Gasps rippled across the boardroom. Faces turned pale.Ellison’s brows
Eloise’s 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.“Aren’t you worried? "Don’t you care what could’ve happened to him?” he snapped, his eyes burning into her face.Eloise turned her head away. “I didn’t ask him to.”Jacob stood. His voice was firm, serious. “No, you didn’t. But maybe you should’ve. You could hate him, you could curse his name. But don’t act like you don’t care. Because when you collapse, your body answers what your mouth refuses to say. The only treatment you responded to was his touch.”She clenched her jaw. “He locked me in that place. I don’t care how long he sat by my bed.”Jacob stared at her. “Then tell him that. Not to me. "You keep telling everyone you don’t care, but your hands were shaking when he touched you.”She didn’t answer.“During the years you were gone, Ainsley searched for you like a possessed man,” 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.“Don’t move,” Jacob snapped from the front seat, spinning around. His voice cut through the air like a blade. “You scared the hell out of me, Ainsley. What the fuck were you thinking?”Ainsley winced. His hand reached for the door handle, but it slipped off weakly. His head dropped back, the world spinning.“I passed out again, didn’t I?” he muttered.Jacob’s hands clenched the steering wheel, so tightly his knuckles turned white. “You did more than that. You nearly fucking died. You collapsed in front of a hundred people like your damn soul left your body.”He turned fully to face him, his eyes blazing like fire. “Do you understand what that looked like? Yo
Suddenly, Ellison stood up and pushed Ainsley hard. He said, “Let her go. You’re so selfish! Didn’t you hear her? Eloise has no intention of going with you!”Ainsley, 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 people’s eyes widened in shock. Even the air seemed to stand still.Jacob’s face darkened. Without hesitation, he rushed forward and knelt beside Ainsley. “Ainsley, are you okay?” 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.“What is this?” 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. “Alpha Ainsley?”Eloise’s 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. He’d come down to stop Ainsley, to intervene, but when he saw the fire in Eloise’s eyes, the way she held herself back from launching another object, he couldn't move. Not yet.Ainsley’s cold voice echoed through the tension-filled room. “What else do you want to throw at me? I’ll get it for you.”Ellison stepped forward, breaking the thick silence. “No need to bother you, Ainsley. I’m free right now, and I’ll help her.”Hank 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.“Ma’am, here you go.”Eloise looked at the broom, then at him, her brows furrowed in confusion. “A broom?”He nodded once, the corner of his lips lifting in a crooked smile.“Ma'am, flu
Lucian, unfazed, threw his jacket to the ground in front of Ainsley. “Fine. Let’s see what happens,” he said before he turned and left.Ainsley stayed where he was, watching Lucian’s departure with steely eyes. The tension still hung in the air, thick and unresolved.“We’re going to Waikiki Beach this afternoon,” Ainsley said after a long pause. “I’m sure she’s there. I need to find her.”Meanwhile, 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 can’t 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 didn’t 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