Carina’s POVI took a deep breath as I stood outside the boardroom. My heart was still racing from the conversation with my boys, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. This meeting had to go well. Investors were here, and everything was riding on our next project.I pushed the door open and stepped in. Every head turned to me. The room was full—board members, department heads, and, of course, the investors. They all looked sharp in their suits and polished expressions, except for one man in the corner who seemed more interested in his coffee than the meeting.“Apologies for being late,” I said with a small smile. “Thank you all for your patience.”One of the investors, Mr. Roberts, a man in his sixties with a salt-and-pepper beard, raised an eyebrow. “We were just about to start without you, Ms. Carter.”“I wouldn’t blame you,” I said as I took my seat at the head of the table. “But I promise to make up for lost time. Let’s dive right in, shall we?”There were a few murmurs of agree
Carina’s POVI sat in my office, staring blankly at the desk in front of me. My mind raced with thoughts I couldn’t quiet. How could this happen? The investors were from my stepfather’s company. It didn’t make sense. Did he know it was me? Or worse, did his sons know?The very thought of them made my stomach twist. I didn’t want to see them—ever. I gripped the edge of my desk, my knuckles turning white.“What are the chances?” I muttered under my breath. “Of all the companies in the world…”A sharp cough broke through my thoughts. Startled, I looked up to see Lisa standing at the door.“Lisa! I didn’t hear you come in,” I said, my voice shaky.She gave me a knowing smile. “That’s because you were miles away, boss. Are you okay?”“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied, forcing a smile. “What’s up?”“I just came to let you know the driver has taken the boys home. Your meeting ran long, so I figured it was best to get them settled.”I exhaled a small sigh of relief. “Thanks, Lisa. I appreciate that.”
Carina’s POVThe car hummed softly as we made our way home. I sat in the back, my phone in hand, scrolling through the Kowalski Group’s website. My mind wouldn’t stop racing. Why now? Why my company? After all these years, I had done everything to leave them behind. My stepbrothers, their cruel jokes, the endless torment—and my mother, who never stood up for me.I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment. Even thinking about it made my chest feel tight. Sure, I missed my mom sometimes, but leaving was the best decision I’d ever made. Still, today had been a whirlwind, and my nerves were shot.“Long day, ma’am?” my driver, Alex, asked suddenly, his voice breaking through my thoughts.I looked up at him in the rearview mirror. He had a warm smile, his eyes filled with kindness.“You could say that,” I replied with a small smile. “How about you? The boys didn’t give you too much trouble, did they?”Alex laughed, shaking his head. “Trouble? Those two are the definition of trouble! Liam woul
Carina’s POVI walked into the bar at the corner of my parlor, my footsteps heavy with exhaustion. My hands reached for the bottle of whiskey almost instinctively. Pouring myself a glass, I felt a moment of calm, but it didn’t last long. My mind was racing too fast for any drink to keep up.As I raised the glass to my lips, I heard footsteps on the stairs. I turned just in time to see Ethan coming down, his face flushed, hair slightly messy. “Whew!” he said, plopping onto the nearest stool. “Those kids are a handful. Leo tried to climb onto my shoulders while Liam declared himself king of the living room.”I laughed, reaching for another glass. “You’re their official play partner, Ethan. You signed up for this,” I teased, pouring him a drink and sliding it across the counter.“Yeah, yeah,” he replied with a chuckle, taking a sip. “But seriously, you look wiped out. What’s going on? Work giving you trouble?”I let out a heavy sigh, swirling the whiskey in my glass. “You could say that.
Carina’s POVThe D day to meet my stepfather came, I stepped into the office, my heels clicking against the polished floor. The usual buzz of my team greeted me, but my nerves were on edge. Today wasn’t just another workday. Today, I was supposed to meet him.I clutched my coffee cup a little tighter, its warmth barely soothing my racing heart. I tried to remind myself to breathe. This wasn’t the same Kowalski I grew up knowing—or so I hoped.Lisa met me by my office door, her tablet in hand and her expression brighter than mine. “Good morning, Ms. Carter. You ready for the big meeting?”“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, forcing a smile.Lisa frowned slightly. “You okay? You look… tense.”“Just a lot on my mind,” I admitted, brushing past her and setting my bag down on my desk.“Well, don’t worry. You’ve got this. And Mr. Kowalski is already in the conference room waiting for you. He arrived early, by the way.”“Great,” I muttered under my breath, taking a long sip of coffee.Lisa t
Carina’s POV“Lisa,” I called out as I walked back into my office. My voice was sharp, and I didn’t care if it showed how tense I felt.She looked up from her laptop, eyebrows raised. “Yes, Carina?”“I need you to reschedule the meeting with the marketing team,” I said, pacing. “Move it to tomorrow. Also, draft an email to the investors thanking them for today’s session. Make it professional, but warm.”Lisa nodded, already typing. “Got it. Anything else?”“Yes. Forward me the budget report. I’ll review it later tonight.” I stopped pacing and looked at her. “And… hold my calls for the rest of the day.”Lisa’s fingers paused on the keyboard. She looked at me with concern. “Carina, are you okay?”I forced a smile. “I’m fine. Just need to step out for a bit. Clear my head.”She hesitated, then nodded. “Alright. Let me know if you need anything.”“Thanks, Lisa.” I grabbed my bag and headed out before she could ask any more questions.I didn’t plan to end up at the bar, but my feet seemed
Carina’s POVI quickly picked up my phone to dial Ethan’s number, but it wasn’t going through.“God!” I muttered under my breath, standing on the busy street. My hands trembled as I stared at the screen, trying again. Still nothing. Panic was settling in, like an unwanted guest. My mind raced.“Lisa! Lisa!” I said, scrolling furiously through my contacts. After what felt like forever, I finally tapped her name. The phone rang once. Twice. Three times.“Hello, ma’am,” Lisa’s calm voice answered.“Lisa, contact my driver and have him pick me up at this location. I’ll send you the address now,” I barked, already typing.“Okay, ma’am. On it,” she replied and hung up.I sent her the address and exhaled deeply. My hands were still shaking. What is happening? My life was perfect. So why does everything feel like it’s crumbling now, especially after what I’ve discovered? Something from my past… something I thought was buried.The car arrived sooner than I expected. I jumped in and slammed the
Carina’s POVThe message blinked on my phone screen, bright and menacing: "You think you’re smart, right????"My stomach dropped. Before I could process it, another notification popped up. With trembling fingers, I scrolled down."You think the police will save you from all this... If you want your children, Liam and Leo, to be safe, meet me at the abandoned cathedral yard by 11 PM tonight. Or your sons and your so-called friend Ethan will die."The phone slipped from my hand, clattering to the floor. My heart raced, pounding in my ears. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.“Carina!” Ethan’s voice snapped me out of my panic. He was at my side in an instant, his hands on my shoulders, steadying me. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”I shook my head quickly and snatched up the phone, holding it close. “Nothing,” I said, forcing my voice to sound calm. “I’m fine.”His eyes narrowed. “Carina, you’re shaking. Don’t tell me it’s nothing.”“I’m just... overwhelmed,” I said, plastering on a fake smil
Carina’s POV A few months back, my dad’s shipments were being raided by rogue wolves. It was getting too much. He told me and my brothers, and we swung into action. We made sure we traced where these rogue wolves were from, and when we found them, we attacked. Eliminating every living person in their pack.The Black Moon Pack.Like every single person.I knew we weren’t supposed to. Just those that raided my dad's shipment were meant to be gone. But… nah. I couldn’t stop. Out of anger, me and my brothers did this. Now, I think they are back.I was very surprised. Or did any of them survive?Is Henry one of them?All these questions just filled my head. For them to even have an idea to follow us, to keep track of Carina, to kidnap our kids… this person must be really good. Really calculated.I was so angry and pissed that, even as I drove, my wolf almost took over because of the rage. I just had to keep on suppressing it. My grip on the steering wheel was so tight, my fingers were goi
Carina’s POV I didn’t know why I had such a strong rage when I heard the news. It was like fire had been set loose in my veins, burning everything in its path. The fury inside me was so high as I sped in my Benz, heading straight to my father’s pack. It had been a long time since I felt this kind of rage.All in my head now was Henry. I had to find him. And when I did, I was going to use my own hands and snuff the life out of him. My grip on the steering wheel was tight, my knuckles turning white as the thoughts in my head grew darker.Ever since I met those kids, I felt something different, something I couldn’t explain. A connection that ran deeper than just Carina’s kids. I didn’t know why. Maybe I did, but I just didn’t want to say it out loud. Carina had never told us who their father was. She avoided the topic like the plague, dodging every question, every hint. But deep down, I knew the truth. We all did.They were ours. Mine, Miguel’s, Antonio’s. Our blood, our heirs.And I wo
Carina’s POVMy voice was shaking, my whole body trembling. My legs felt weak, like I was going to collapse.The driver groaned. “Black… van… masked men…” He gasped for air. “I… I couldn’t…”I didn’t wait. I shot up and ran toward the car. Maybe they were hiding. Maybe it was some cruel joke. I pulled open the back door so fast, my hands hurt.Empty.No backpacks. No lunch boxes. No tiny shoes. Nothing.They were gone.I let out a scream. A loud, painful scream that shook through my entire body. I felt like something had just been ripped out of my soul.“No… no… NO!!!”Ethan was behind me in an instant. “Carina, listen to me, we’ll find them.”I turned on him, eyes wild. “FIND THEM?! ETHAN, MY KIDS WERE TAKEN! SOMEONE TOOK MY BABIES! DO YOU GET THAT?! DO YOU?!”Ethan grabbed my shoulders. “Carina, look at me. LOOK AT ME.”I was breathing too fast. My chest was tight. I felt like I was going to pass out.“I swear to you,” Ethan said, voice firm. “We will get them back. But you have to
Carina’s POV I won’t lie… at this point, I was really pissed. The main reason I left my stepbrothers and my mom was because I wanted to be away from them. I fucking literally saw these guys a few hours back before I left my mom’s house. Like, how the fuck do they just want to come into my life by force? Can’t they just leave me alone?All these thoughts were swirling in my head, making my blood boil. I just wanted to be calm, to not overthink it. So, I sat down, trying to steady my breath.Ethan, being Ethan, got up and walked over to the kitchen. I could hear him moving things around, then he came back with a glass of water, sitting beside me. He handed it to me, his voice gentle.“Drink up.”I looked at him, then at the glass, then back at him. “No.”He sighed, shaking his head dramatically. “Carina, you need to hydrate. You look like you’re about to combust.”“I don’t need water, Ethan. I need peace.”“You need water more.”“I’m not drinking it.”“Wow.” He leaned back, studying me
Carina’s POV "Welcome, ma'am," Lina said as I pulled up to my house.I'm finally home. As I drove in, that feeling of comfort just filled me up. The fact that Lina was here shocked me. I thought she would have already left. I parked my car where I always do and got out to stretch my tired muscles. Lina came up to me with a smile on her face. "Hi, Lina. "How are you?" I asked, shutting my car door. "I'm fine, ma'am," she answered sweetly. "Welcome home, ma'am." "Thanks," I said, giving her a small smile. "What brings you here this early? I wasn’t expecting you." "Ohh… nothing serious," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "Sir Ethan said you would be coming back this morning, so I thought I should come and greet you personally." "Aww… that’s really sweet. Thank you so much," I said truly as we started walking towards the house. Lina followed closely, and as we stepped inside, I turned to her. "So, how was work?" She instantly brightened up, her eyes sparkling with joy. "It’s b
CHAPTER 84Chapter 84: My Bullies, my Stepbrothers, My MatesCarina’s POVI just stayed quiet and walked out of the house. My bag’s wheels thudded against the ground as I made my way to my car. I wasn't going to allow any of them to change my mind on this. "I’m done," I said aloud, my voice strong even as I pressed the key to pop the trunk open.The sound of the car beeping gave me a small sense of pleasure. At least something in my life still worked as expected. I threw my bag into the trunk with more force than necessary, then slammed it shut. Climbing into the driver’s seat, I sighed deeply. My hands shook slightly as I gripped the driving wheel. I wasn’t worried. No, this was excitement. I was doing the right thing. I had to tell myself of that. As I put the key into the ignition, my eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror. There she was. My mum. Standing on the balcony, her arms crossed tightly across her chest, her face a mask of forced calm. But I could see it—the sadness in h
CHAPTER 83Chapter 83: My Bullies, my Stepbrothers, My MatesCarina’s POVI'm off now," I said, even as I rolled my bag down the stairs. The sound of the wheels bumping against each step was the only thing keeping me from totally losing it."Wow, so you were serious," my stepdad said, his fork stopping halfway to his mouth. He was sitting at the kitchen table, a plate of pancakes and syrup in front of him. He looked amused—or maybe angry, I couldn’t tell."Yeah, I have to leave. Liam and Leo have really missed me, and I have work to attend to," I said sharply, directing the last part at my mum as she appeared at the top of the stairs.Her face was a mixture of anger and worry. "What is your problem?" she snapped, descending the steps quickly. "Do you have any idea what kind of danger you’re going into? Your dad is an Alpha! Let him tell you the best way you can stay safe!""Mum!" I shouted, my voice shaking with a mix of anger and disbelief. "I will be fine. Don't act like you care ri
Carina’s POVI entered my room and sat down on the bed, my hands shaking as I attempted to gather my thoughts. I was trying to get organized. In all honesty, I had no idea why all of this was taking place. My life had been great, or at least as near to perfect as I could make it, until just a few days ago. I had a secure career, a small family of my own whom I really adored, and I was at peace. And what about now? It was all because I had come to attend my mother's party that everything began to spin out of control.My chest tightened as I stared at the wardrobe that was hanging on the wall, and memories began to come back to me. That closet was more than simply a piece of furniture. It was a representation of the grief and loneliness that I had been harbouring for many years. I could still hear Mum’s voice, icy and piercing, as she shut me inside for hours. She had termed it punishment. I had termed it torture. “Funny how life works,” I mumbled sadly. “One day, you’re a scared littl
Carina’s POV“I have put the necessary security in place,” he said, his dark eyes“I have security all around the premises now. I will make sure this doesn’t happen again.”I nodded, unable to muster anything more enthusiastic. “That’s really thoughtful of you, but honestly… I just came back to honor my mum’s request. I don’t belong here anymore.”“Don’t say that,” Mr. Kowalski replied, stepping closer. “This is your home. Why would you want to leave?”“Because I need to,” I said, my voice steady and calm. “I have made up my mind. This place is not mine anymore.”He frowned slightly, clearly not understanding. “Is it because of your company in the other city?” “No, that’s not it,” I said. “I’ve built a life there since I ran away. I love it there. I want to stay there.”Mum stepped forward, looking between us. “Carina, please. We want you to stay. We can work things out together. You and the boys have a family here.”I took a deep breath, pushing back the frustration. “No, Mum. You do