Raven The storm I had been building for months had finally broken. But it wasn’t unfolding the way I’d planned.Instead of standing alone at the center of my vengeance, victorious, I was flanked by ghosts—Clark, burdened by the weight of guilt and regret, and Marcus, the puppet master I’d failed to see until it was almost too late. And somewhere in the crowd, Emerson and Lila were watching this unravel with barely-concealed dread. They were no longer my only targets. But they were still part of the game.I stepped down from the stage as murmurs escalated to chaos. Some people were pulling up files on their phones, others whispering frantically to one another. The room was becoming a minefield of shifting alliances and crumbling trust. I could feel Marcus’s eyes boring into my back like daggers.Ava moved beside me like a shadow, calm and sharp.“It’s done,” she said. “The media has the full dossier. Within the hour, this entire room is going to be scorched earth.”I exhaled slowly, b
RavenThe morning after the event, the city was ablaze with speculation. Headlines painted Emerson and Lila as corporate criminals, parasites leeching off a legacy they didn’t deserve. My plan had worked better than I imagined—precisely orchestrated chaos. But even with their reputations unraveling, I couldn’t shake the growing dread clawing at my chest.Marcus was out there.And worse—he was quiet.It’s the silence that comes after the scream you should fear most. The inhale before the blow. That was Marcus’s specialty: not the obvious attack, but the one you never saw coming.I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of my apartment, watching the skyline shift behind a veil of gray clouds. A soft knock came from the door. Ava let herself in without waiting.“He’s not in any of his usual places,” she said, dropping a file on the table. “His old contacts are either lying low or pretending they never knew him.”I didn’t turn around. “He won’t use old routes. He knows we’d be watching.”“H
RavenThe cold wind cut across the bridge, lashing against my coat as I stepped onto the steel framework. The city lights glittered below, blurring against the river like fractured glass. Ten o’clock on the dot, just as the message instructed. No sign of anyone.I hated how my breath came faster. I hated that my heart jumped at every sound. But most of all, I hated that I hadn’t told Ava or even Clark about this meeting’s true risk.They would’ve tried to stop me. But this… this was mine to finish.Footsteps echoed from the far side of the bridge. I shifted, hand near the hidden blade in my boot.Then he stepped out of the shadows.Marcus Greer.No disguise. No mask. Just the man behind it all, his smile easy and calculated, like he already knew the ending to this story.“Raven,” he said, like we were old friends catching up instead of mortal enemies.“You’re bold to come alone,” I replied.“I’m impressed you did.”I didn’t respond. My fingers twitched near the knife.Marcus walked cl
RavenIt was supposed to be the happiest night of my life. A celebration of love, loyalty, and the bond I shared with my mate and husband, Alpha Emerson Blackwood. The one-year anniversary of our marriage had finally arrived, and I had everything planned down to the smallest detail. Lila, my best friend, had been by my side from the beginning, helping me arrange every surprise. We stood together in the living room of our home, the air filled with the scent of fresh roses and the soft glow of candlelight.“He’s going to love this, Raven,” Lila said, adjusting the arrangement of champagne glasses on the table. She grinned at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “The gift you got for him? It’s perfect.”I smiled, my heart swelling with anticipation. “I hope so. It took weeks to find that watch—he’s been eyeing it for months but wouldn’t splurge on it himself. I wanted tonight to be special.”Lila chuckled, placing the bottle of wine beside the glasses. “It will be. I can’t wait to see
Raven“Congratulations, dear friend! You’re getting married today!”Lila’s shrill voice pierced the fog of my deep sleep, jolting me awake. I blinked, disoriented, staring up at the familiar ceiling of my bedroom. Wait… my bedroom?“Lila?” I croaked, my throat dry and voice groggy. I sat up, the blankets slipping from my body. I blinked rapidly, my heart racing as I tried to gather my bearings. My mind struggled to connect the dots. The last thing I remembered was lying on the cold pavement, blood seeping from my body, my vision fading as the life was drained from me.Yet here I was, alive, in my bedroom, Lila standing at the foot of my bed, grinning like a Cheshire cat.“Of course, Lila,” I murmured, rubbing my temples. But then it hit me—this isn’t right. My pulse quickened, panic swelling inside me. I died. I was hit by a car. I was bleeding…I looked around wildly, expecting to see some sign of a nightmare or hallucination. But no, everything seemed normal, exactly as it was befo
RavenI stayed clear of everyone for the rest of the day. As night fell, the thoughts of what I had done earlier—the public humiliation of canceling the wedding—still hung in the air, but I didn’t feel the satisfaction I expected. Instead, a hollow emptiness tugged at me. Had I made the right move?Not wanting to linger on my thoughts, I decided to do something I hadn’t been allowed to do in my past life: have some fun. Emerson had always been so controlling, so hellbent on keeping me locked in a box, the perfect Luna—obedient, proper, and restrained. But tonight, I wasn’t that woman anymore. I was free. Reborn. A new Raven, and this time, I was calling the shots.I grabbed a slinky dress from the back of my closet, one I had never worn because Emerson had said it was too revealing. Well, screw him. I slipped it on, paired it with heels, and headed out into the night.The club was packed, bodies writhing to the beat of loud, pulsating music. I could feel the bass thrumming through my
Raven The next morning arrived with a whirlwind of nerves and tension. I stood in front of the mirror, dressed in my wedding gown, the fabric too tight, too suffocating for what I had planned. The silk flowed around me, delicate lace crawling up my arms like the chains of a life I’d left behind. Or should have left behind. But here I was, standing at the altar with Emerson again, going through the motions as if the betrayal hadn’t happened, as if I wasn’t already plotting his downfall.The ceremony was a blur, words spoken but not truly heard. I kept my face neutral, my gaze fixed on the officiant, not daring to meet Emerson’s eyes. When it came time for the kiss, I hesitated, my heart beating faster than I wanted it to. The officiant looked at me expectantly, as did the guests, waiting for the traditional seal to our vows.But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to let him kiss me. The thought of his lips on mine after everything made my stomach churn. I turned my face at the
RavenEmerson’s arrival in my room late that night was the last thing I needed. After taking a long, refreshing bath and meticulously going through my skincare routine, I was ready to collapse into bed. I deserved peace, especially after everything that had happened. I had endured enough. But, of course, Emerson couldn’t let me have that. Not tonight.I didn’t even turn to face him when I heard the door creak open. The scent of him—the same cologne he always wore—instantly filled the room, making me tense. There was a time I found comfort in it, but now it only filled me with disgust. I could sense his eyes on me as he shut the door, the audacity of it all infuriating me.“What do you want?” I snapped, still not looking at him, my voice cold and hard.He hesitated. “Raven, we’re supposed to… consummate our marriage tonight.”I turned sharply, meeting his gaze. His words sounded almost ridiculous now. My marriage to Emerson was a farce. A hollow lie. And the fact that he expected me to
RavenThe cold wind cut across the bridge, lashing against my coat as I stepped onto the steel framework. The city lights glittered below, blurring against the river like fractured glass. Ten o’clock on the dot, just as the message instructed. No sign of anyone.I hated how my breath came faster. I hated that my heart jumped at every sound. But most of all, I hated that I hadn’t told Ava or even Clark about this meeting’s true risk.They would’ve tried to stop me. But this… this was mine to finish.Footsteps echoed from the far side of the bridge. I shifted, hand near the hidden blade in my boot.Then he stepped out of the shadows.Marcus Greer.No disguise. No mask. Just the man behind it all, his smile easy and calculated, like he already knew the ending to this story.“Raven,” he said, like we were old friends catching up instead of mortal enemies.“You’re bold to come alone,” I replied.“I’m impressed you did.”I didn’t respond. My fingers twitched near the knife.Marcus walked cl
RavenThe morning after the event, the city was ablaze with speculation. Headlines painted Emerson and Lila as corporate criminals, parasites leeching off a legacy they didn’t deserve. My plan had worked better than I imagined—precisely orchestrated chaos. But even with their reputations unraveling, I couldn’t shake the growing dread clawing at my chest.Marcus was out there.And worse—he was quiet.It’s the silence that comes after the scream you should fear most. The inhale before the blow. That was Marcus’s specialty: not the obvious attack, but the one you never saw coming.I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of my apartment, watching the skyline shift behind a veil of gray clouds. A soft knock came from the door. Ava let herself in without waiting.“He’s not in any of his usual places,” she said, dropping a file on the table. “His old contacts are either lying low or pretending they never knew him.”I didn’t turn around. “He won’t use old routes. He knows we’d be watching.”“H
Raven The storm I had been building for months had finally broken. But it wasn’t unfolding the way I’d planned.Instead of standing alone at the center of my vengeance, victorious, I was flanked by ghosts—Clark, burdened by the weight of guilt and regret, and Marcus, the puppet master I’d failed to see until it was almost too late. And somewhere in the crowd, Emerson and Lila were watching this unravel with barely-concealed dread. They were no longer my only targets. But they were still part of the game.I stepped down from the stage as murmurs escalated to chaos. Some people were pulling up files on their phones, others whispering frantically to one another. The room was becoming a minefield of shifting alliances and crumbling trust. I could feel Marcus’s eyes boring into my back like daggers.Ava moved beside me like a shadow, calm and sharp.“It’s done,” she said. “The media has the full dossier. Within the hour, this entire room is going to be scorched earth.”I exhaled slowly, b
RavenI stood frozen at the edge of the stage as Marcus’s words thundered through the room like a bomb detonating in slow motion. The folder he handed over looked far too familiar—my reports, my emails, but twisted, doctored, and manipulated to look like I had been undermining the company from the inside. My breath caught in my throat.This was supposed to be my moment. The culmination of months of work, suffering, loss. I had been seconds away from exposing Emerson and Lila, from burning their empire to the ground. And now, in front of the same crowd I meant to dismantle, I was being painted as the villain.Clark was still at the entrance, halfway in the shadows. I saw the panic flicker across his face. I didn’t know if it was guilt, desperation, or something else. But I couldn’t focus on him—not now. I locked eyes with Ava, and she immediately stepped forward, eyes scanning the scene with the sharpness of a strategist.“Stall them,” I mouthed to her.She nodded and moved toward the
RavenMy heart felt like it was cracking apart, piece by jagged piece, as I stormed out of the room, my breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. I couldn’t see straight, couldn’t think straight. Clark. Of all people, Clark—the one person I had let my guard down around, the one person I thought might be different from the rest. He was the reason my sister was dead. The reason my life had turned into this hollow, vengeful existence. And I had trusted him. Loved him.The memory of his confession replayed in my mind, over and over like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. His voice had been tight with guilt, his eyes filled with the kind of regret that made me want to scream. But it didn’t matter. No amount of remorse could fix what had been done. No amount of love could change the fact that he had killed her. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to bury the feelings I had for him so deep that they would never surface again. But the truth was, I was torn apart inside.I stumbled into the nearest
RavenStanding at the edge of the stage, I could feel every nerve in my body humming with anticipation. Tonight was the night. The night I would finally expose Emerson and Lila for the corrupt, scheming monsters they were. Every second had been building to this moment, every sleepless night, every carefully calculated move. And now, it was all about to come crashing down.The crowd in the room shifted restlessly, the low murmur of voices blending with the soft clinking of champagne glasses. I scanned the faces before me, knowing that among them were my enemies, my allies, and those who would fall once this was over. My stomach twisted, but I forced the feeling down, locking it in the pit where I stored all the rage, all the betrayal. I couldn’t afford to feel anything else right now.I glanced over to the side of the stage and caught sight of Emerson, standing tall and smug, his arm casually slung around Lila’s waist. They looked like the perfect power couple—the corporate king and qu
ClarkThe phone rang once, twice, and I could feel my pulse pounding in my throat. I wasn’t sure what I’d say once Raven picked up. I had no plan for this, no clever way to make her understand that everything I’d done—even the worst of it—had been a mistake I was tricked into. How could I even explain that?But then the ringing stopped, and for a second, I thought she’d hung up without answering. I almost dropped the phone in my surprise when I heard her voice.“What do you want, Clark?” Her voice was cold, detached, like I wasn’t even worth her time.I swallowed hard, trying to push past the knot of guilt in my throat. “Raven, I need to talk to you.”She scoffed, and the sound hit me like a punch to the gut. “We don’t have anything left to talk about.”She was right. I had lied to her. Kept the truth from her about the hit-and-run, about the night her world shattered. But I couldn’t let her walk into Marcus’s trap without at least trying to warn her.“I know you hate me right now, an
ClarkThe weight of my plan settled in my chest as I walked out of my apartment, my footsteps feeling heavier with every step. Setting a trap for Marcus wasn’t just about taking him down. It was about protecting Raven. It was about fixing the mistakes I had made—about making sure she didn’t fall into the trap he had laid out for her.I couldn’t shake the feeling that danger was creeping closer. Marcus had been too quiet these last few days, which was never a good sign. Someone like him didn’t stay quiet unless they were plotting something bigger, and my gut told me that he was planning to make his move at the upcoming business event. The same event where Raven had planned her grand reveal against Emerson and Lila.The problem was, I didn’t know how deep Marcus’s play went. All I knew was that it was dangerous, and that if I didn’t stop him, Raven would end up taking the fall. Marcus had always been a master manipulator, and he knew how to twist every situation to his advantage. If I d
ClarkAfter confronting Marcus, my mind was spinning. The weight of everything I had learned sat heavy in my chest, and the truth felt like a ticking time bomb. I couldn’t do this alone. Marcus had too much power, too much influence, and I was just one person—one deeply flawed, guilt-ridden person. If I was going to expose him, I needed help.The first thing I did was reach out to some of the people I thought I could trust in the company, starting with those I had worked closely with over the years. Some of them had been loyal to Emerson and the pack, or at least that’s what I had assumed. I called a few of them in for quiet meetings, avoiding too much attention. But each time, the result was the same.“He’s too powerful, Clark.”“I’ve got a family to think about.”“Marcus has connections everywhere. If you go after him, it’ll be career suicide for all of us.”The excuses kept piling up, and I could see the fear in their eyes. Marcus had wrapped his hands around every throat in this o