~Adrian~It didn't take long for Jessica to resume her confession. She realised it was the end for her, so she might as well divulge everything."Gary and Ruben orchestrated the entire plan. Ruben hired Miley, but she was old enough, and we wouldn't be able to prove anything. I wanted a minor, and she suggested using her sister. I noticed she was a cunning person willing to do anything for money. We agreed and set the plan in motion. I was the one who arranged that party and convinced Jacob to bring Adrian there. Then, at some point, I feigned illness, so Jacob would come to my aid. However, we made it appear as if he was just checking on me and would return to the party. I specifically instructed him not to trouble Adrian about my health, emphasising that Adrian had recently lost his father and might become distressed," she explained, tears streaming down her face."I genuinely didn't anticipate Gary harming the young lady. He claimed he would only intimidate her and give her a beatin
~Justin~To claim that I wasn't repulsed by Jessica's admission would be a falsehood. This woman had committed egregious acts, and her motivations were indefensible. How could she betray her own brother, the man who provided refuge when she had nowhere else to turn, who helped her through the loss of her mate, and stood by her when no one else cared? The betrayal of not only him but also scheming against her nephew, her brother's sole offspring, all driven by sheer greed, left me thoroughly disgusted.While Jessica wasn't under my jurisdiction for punishment, I harboured the hope that Adrian would administer the justice she deserved. I was willing to relieve him of that responsibility to ensure she faced the consequences she merited. Mercy was undeserved, and a second chance was out of the question. The whole situation irked me, and it was evident that even the typically passive Caspian was seething with anger.Stepping into Adrian's shoes, I must applaud his admirable patience and com
~Noah~I hadn't felt this excited in a while. Finally, the pieces were coming together, and it seemed like we were on the verge of making significant progress. Initially, Sebastien and I had expressed the desire to be involved in the investigation, not only to assist Liam but also to experience the excitement.Having completed our education ahead of our peers, we were prone to boredom. Unfortunately, our father hadn't entrusted us with responsibilities, believing we were somewhat unstable and lacked the emotional maturity for significant tasks. Sophia's case provided us with an opportunity to prove ourselves.We hoped our dedication and readiness to serve in this situation would change our father's perspective.A sense of sadness crept in as we neared the resolution of the case, knowing that it also meant getting closer to our return to Mountain.To be honest, neither Sebastien nor I particularly enjoyed being there, but we persevered. Complaining seemed futile. There were moments when
~Justin~The fear in Ruben's eyes as Noah approached gave me hope that he would finally speak. Ruben was right; he would die regardless. He had to pay for his crimes with his life. Despite what Noah had conveyed, I had planned for his demise to be slow and agonising. There was no way he would be granted a quick and easy death."Names and locations," I reiterated, and he composed himself ready to speak. I could see he hoped for a quick death after all."The Agk32 chemist is Austin Smirnov. I believe he's been apprehended. The D3 lab supplying my region is located in Kaizen and Braile. The alphas there are oblivious, but the Network has labs with technicians. Additionally, there's an extensive slave trade network to secure lab test subjects and workers aiding the operation. They've nearly perfected the formula. Gary has more names; he's connected to the Continental Network. I merely work with the western arm," Ruben confessed."Elder Carlos and David are also involved in the Network. Due
~Justin~When we arrived at the house, we found all the residents in the living room. Some were sitting on the couch while others were on the floor, nestled. Josephine was nestled between Liam's legs on the floor, as were Oliver and Elaine. At the same time, Marvin and Layla were cuddled on the couch.They all were eager and excited about our return. I thought they’d be bored, but we had walked in amid a debate. I knew no matter how interesting their discussion might be, we were bound to have better news since we had gone out to get some criminals. I could not wait to open the investigation with what we had learned. My eyes went to Sophia sitting on a single couch while Harper and Charlotte shared the two-seater. The three-seater was left for Marvin and Layla to enjoy.Sophia had on a tight T-shirt and tight shorts. I wondered if the shorts were hers because they fit her so well. They weren't loose like most of her clothes were, but then again, she wore mainly joggers and hoodies; thi
~Jacob~It was hard to think of my problem surrounded by the Volkovs and the Stepanovs. They were a lively group of people to have. I would lie if I said my mother's confession did not gnaw at my soul occasionally. Still, there was always someone with a funny remark to pull me out of the depressive hole I was sinking into, like our eastern Leader, Erik Kozlov Stepanov. I did not know he was funny until now. He had a question for every sentence and every explanation Justin gave. And all his wife did was try to calm him down. It did not click that Noah and Sebastien were their grandchildren until Sebastien answered one of Erik's questions.The twins snickered and chuckled at every question and every answer, even I couldn't help it. I laughed quietly, not wanting to get into the old man's bad books.As funny as he sounded, I knew those were not his intentions. He genuinely was disappointed about the living arrangement as he was trying to create space for himself and his wife.I knew when
~Jewel~Shock is an understatement; dread is more like it. I had opted to come to Lumas to see the place based on the rumours of its beauty and also share the good news with my sister, friends, and cousins.Gemma, though not in support, had promised she wouldn't tell Charlotte of my engagement to David, and judging by Charlotte's reaction, it was safe to say she was learning of it for the first time, and it would have been a wonderful experience if it were for the handsome blond guy standing before me.His woody scent drove Nala crazy, and I did not know what to do.There was hope and eagerness in his eyes, hope that said he wouldn't be rejected. Hope that said he had been waiting for this day, or maybe pleasantly surprised that he had a mate. It was a sudden realisation, too premature for me to act appropriately.His mere existence had destabelised me. Something meant to be a catch-up trip had just turned my life upside down.All I could think about in those months were David and our
~Jewels~Three agonising days passed. The days have never dragged or seemed as long as they did in these three days.I tried to help my mother with the lab, but she refused. Her behaviour hinted that Charlotte might have divulged my predicament to her.She had the I-told-you-so look in her eyes, and it made me angry.The fact that I had the silver bracelet on all the time and had to wear long sleeves did not help matters either.I spent the days avoiding being alone in a room with Jacob, who continued to stare at me intently, wanting to speak to me in private.I knew I was being a bitch, but I was still trying to decide on what to do.Although it was just three days, I could see how well Jacob had blended with my family and friends.With him, we will never be out of place. David was a bit of a snub. My sister hated him, and I knew my cousins, especially Liam, Marvin, Oliver, and Miles, would hate him too. I knew it, and I had spoken to David to tone the attitude down, something he was