Chapter 3

Katherine

As I spoke to Aiden, my father's beta, waiting to hear my father's verdict at the small restaurant downtown which he made us go to, my heart was in my throat.

I knew that I had been framed and even though I was yet to find out who was responsible, I knew that it was only a matter of time before the person showed his or her hand and going back to the pack was very dangerous.

"Your father has said that he would not force you to come back if you are not ready to but the only option he has is for you to become the general manager of the pack business, Imperial group." Aiden said and when he looked at me, I see that there was something that he had not said.

"I don't have a choice in the matter, do I?" I asked and when he nodded, my entire body froze.

"What is he going to do if I don't take up this position that he has asked of me."

Aiden's face was serious as he looked at me before he answered

"He will attack the Shadow pack."

Swallowing hard, I nodded, letting him know that I had gotten his message. And I knew without a doubt that my father was going to attack because he was a man of his word not once had he ever not done what he said he was going to do.

Three years ago, when he had found me after years of being missing only to find out that my mate had someone else in his heart, a girlfriend that he loved, he had put his foot down in disagreement to my getting married to Conrad and wanted to bring me back home to where I belonged as the daughter of the Alpha until I had made that one bet that had kept his hand.

Because even if I had wanted to do as he asked and dissolve my marriage to Conrad, I could not forget the promise that I made to my mate's father as a show of gratitude for him saving my life all those years ago when I was missing.

I had sworn to protect the Shadow pack and all of her interests to Conrad's father and now that the old man, who was like a father to me was gone, I could not find it in my heart to suddenly break that promise, no matter that Conrad didn't seem to care about keeping his vows to me.

But right now as Aiden waited for my answer to send back to my father, my hands were tied. Because if I didn't accept this offer to be the general manager, I would be intentionally putting the shadow pack in danger, in direct line of my father's wrath.

And that was the last thing that I wanted to do.

I had no choice but to sign the contract.

Packing up my dark hair into a loose ponytail as sweat crawled down my neck anxiously, I looked at Aiden and nodded again.

"I'll sign the contract."

"Your father would be most pleased to hear of this." He told me and handed me the pen and the contract.

We said our goodbyes and I headed back home, I could not help but realize that this card had changed my status from poor to rich overnight.

Not thinking too much about that, I was just about to enter the villa when Lina, Conrad's mother and who I would like to call the bane of my existence stopped me with a sneer.

I didn't understand why she never actually liked me. She could not ever give a single reason why, always saying that she hated that I was low born. But now that even I knew that I wasn't, but daughter to the Alpha of a powerful pack, she still looked at me with disdain.

"Look who the wind blew in. It's the riffraff that my son was forced to marry. And where are you coming from? Did you go out to spread your legs like a prostitute that you are? Because certainly your type of women are never ever satisfied with one dick. Am I right?"

"Mother, please stop," I voiced out, with my eyes still lowered at her.

"Who are you calling mother? Don't you dare even in your next life. Do I in any way look like the whore that gave birth to you?"

"Just stop it!" I growled at her immediately, unable to take anymore of her nonsense.

Lina's eyes widened in shock at my reaction, it was the last thing that she had expected me to do.

Ever since Conrad's father took me in, I made sure I paid due respect to her, knowing fully well that she did not like me. But it was obvious that she was not going to change.

"Now let me warn you," my arms were crossed as I looked straight into her eyes, "you should never in your life, raise your voice to me or you will not like the consequences."

"You dare talk to me like that?" Her right palm was raised, about coming straight at my face, but I held back.

"No, no... Don't make any mistake that you will regret," I sighed at her, then dropped her hands back.

"Katherine, Did... Did you just do that? To me?" She stuttered.

"Do you see anyone else around here who probably held your hands?" I sneered, with my actions causing her to look like she was seeing a ghost.

I, on the other hand, didn't care any longer about trying to make her like me. It was a lost cause.

"I'm warning you now. Don't mess with me again, or you're going to receive exactly the same thing right back, do you understand?" I said and when she scoffed, I knew that she was already preparing her comeback words.

"I think you forget your place so soon, Katherine. If you speak to me like that again, I'm not going to hesitate to tell Conrad to file for divorce. After all, he doesn't deserve to be married to someone like you."

Her words hit below the belt but I smiled, I didn't let her see just how much she affected me with her response.

Well, it was the only thing she always used as a threat all the time, that I even lost my freedom to speak in my marital home.

"Don't worry about it, I have already decided to end the marriage with your son."

She threw her head back and laughed.

"Finally. I knew my son was smarter than you, silly girl."

"No, I chose to leave your son because I don't want to stay here any longer, living with people who make me feel nothing but disgust and absolute hatred."

Before she could respond, I walked into the villa that I shared with Conrad, ready to pack my things and get this over with. I could feel the glares of her eyes piercing my skin as I walked away, but I did not give a care about her.

Walking into the villa, the last person I expected to see lounging on the chair of the living room was Clara. But she was there, sitting like she owned the place.

Our eyes met and I inhaled.

Perhaps I could understand why any man would be attracted to someone like her because of her shiny blonde hair, baby blue eyes and innocent smile.

It was the same Clara that my husband could not get over. The same Clara that was the reason why I was now ready to leave my marriage because I understood that Conrad would never love me.

She rose to her feet and smirked at me.

"Look who the cat dragged in. If it isn't little miss goody two shoes." She said to me and I fought the urge to cross the space between us and slap her for her audacity.

Not that it would change anything unfortunately about my situation.

"I'm not in the mood for your games." I answered and was about to head to the bedroom to start packing when she closed the distance between us and grabbed me by the arm, digging her fingers into my skin.

"Games? Oh, you mean the part where your husband is thirsting after me even though he is with you? Or the fact that you cannot even keep a man? Is that what you're calling games, sweetheart?" She said and when I growled, she opened her mouth to say something before her face suddenly changed, the sneer turning to sadness as she suddenly fell to the ground.

I looked at her in shock, wondering what the sudden display was about.

And I realized a little too late that it was an act. That the new face she put up was because someone else had entered the house.

Indeed, there was a furious sound behind me, "What the fuck are you doing?"