We arrived at the mansion and went inside. Alex and Cassidy were waiting for us in the foyer. Their voices were welcoming, but their expressions were strained.When Alex and I embraced, he whispered, “Stay calm. Victor will understand.”I nodded and moved to greet Cassidy. “It’s good to see you home,” I told her.“It’s good to be home,” she responded.“Let’s go into the living room,” Alex said. “Benson, have all of the staff left yet?”“Only myself and the cook are on your property,” Benson replied. “She won’t leave the kitchen while making dinner, and I’ll stand guard outside the living room door.”“Excellent,” Alex said. “Come, Victor and Daisy, we have much to discuss with you.”Victor took my hand as we walked back the long hallway. “What is going on?” he whispered.“Wait for Alex to explain,” I said. “I don’t know nearly as much as he does.”“You can’t even give me a hint?” he said.I shook my head and put a finger to my lips. Victor would know soon enough.We filed into the livi
My heart was breaking. He still hadn’t come back. What if Victor couldn’t forgive me for not telling him about the passages? I couldn’t imagine my life without him.“Daisy, you didn’t lose Victor,” Diana said. “He and Adam went for a run to clear his head. Can’t you feel it? He’s on his way back, feeling much calmer.”“Thank you,” Diana,” I said. “You’re always there for me when I need you.”“And I always will be,” she assured me. “Ooh, I can feel Adam coming closer. They are almost here. Just be honest with Victor and help him through this trying time. Everything will be fine between the two of you.”I heard footsteps outside the door and knew Diana was right.Victor walked into the living room and straight to me. He pulled me to my feet and held me in his arms for a moment while kissing my forehead.“I understand why you didn’t tell me, sweetheart,” he said. “And keeping it from me was the right thing to do at the time. Stopping the faction is our first priority.”After a brief kiss
I knew who Victor meant before he said their name.“Will Findlay be able to stay safe while on this mission?” I asked. “He is married. Perhaps his husband won’t like it. I wouldn’t want you to be in danger like that.”Ever since getting to know him better, I found I like Findlay. I liked him well enough to be worried about his safety on such a dangerous mission.“Daisy, everybody is in danger until the faction is stopped,” Victor said. “I don’t want Findlay mingling with these murderers, but he is the most loyal employee I have. We’ve been together for years, and I trust him implicitly.”“Call him and ask him to come here,” Alex said. “Tell him it’s important, and you need to speak to him right away.”Victor sent Mickey Findlay a text message, and his loyal assistant was led by Benson into the living room fifteen minutes later.“Findlay, we need your help,” Victor said after his assistant sat beside me. “The Association is in danger of a hostile takeover.”“I’ve suspected this for wee
I almost panicked when Mrs. Park lost consciousness. But then I saw she was still breathing, and I laid my sweater over her.“Hang in there, Mrs. Park,” I said and gently stroked her dark hair. “Help is almost here.” She had to live. Her family needed her.I felt terrible that this poor Beta woman got hurt trying to help me expose the corruption in the admissions system. It was brave of her to meet me here with the documents.She was doing it for her son, but the information she gave me would help many non-Alphas in the future to get the education they deserved.The man who ran into the diner to tell us a woman had been struck by a car approached me.“Is she alive?” he asked. “I can’t believe that driver just hit her and took off like that.”He was still shaking and freaked out from seeing the car hit Mrs. Park. He needed to be calm enough to tell the police what happened. I had to help him calm down and think clearly.“Yes, she is,” I said. “And the ambulance is almost here to take h
“Have you met Shane Ross before this?” Victor asked on our way to the restaurant.“No, but I’ve read all his articles,” I replied. “My Ethics professor arranged for me to meet him tonight. Have you met him?”I was puzzled by Victor’s odd behavior ever since I told him who I was meeting.At first, I thought he was excited to meet Shane, but I sensed he was feeling apprehensive with a tinge of jealousy.But why?“I was introduced to him at Moonglow,” Victor replied. “It was right after his first article on slumlords came out.”“I remember that article,” I said. “Amy brought a copy of it to school.”“That article forced Alex to create new laws for landlords,” Victor told me.“Good. New laws were long overdue,” I argued. “All tenants should have basic necessities like heat and plumbing in rental properties.”“But then the landlords raised the rents,” Victor reminded me.“And Shane wrote another article that inspired Alex to start a rent supplementation program,” I said. “Shane is doing wh
Victor was quiet when we got into his car and began the drive back to his apartment.I could still sense his anxiety and jealousy and understood why he felt this way. But I was determined to work with Shane on the story, so we needed to talk about it.“You don’t want me doing the story with Shane,” I said, breaking the silence in the car.“Does it matter if I don’t?” he asked.“You always matter to me,” I replied. “But I don’t know why you don’t trust me.”“I didn’t say I don’t trust you,” he insisted.“I can feel your jealousy,” I said. “We can’t hide our feelings from each other.”“Maybe I am a little jealous,” Victor admitted. “You are a special and beautiful woman. So, of course, I am uneasy with you working closely with an attractive, charming man like Shane.”“You are attractive and charming,” I reminded him. “Like most women, I think you are the hottest man alive, and I love you. We are fated mates. I want to marry you after I graduate and have your children.”“I know deep dow
I contemplated texting Findlay to ask him to meet me somewhere, but I decided to go to The Association to lure him out in case the faction could intercept his messages.After Amy agreed to help me, I picked her up at the manor, and we drove to The Association Complex and parked in a lot near the front of the main entrance.At the door, I saw Rodney Wells, the head of the complex security, speaking with another security guard.“Just go with whatever I say,” I told Amy. “Although this guy gives me bad vibes, I’m going to ask him for help. I don’t want to seem like I suspect anything.”“Don’t worry,” Amy said. “I’ll follow your lead.”I took a deep breath, and we walked over to the security guards.“Hi,” I said with a faux giggle. “Rodney, right?”He tapped his name tag.“Oh, yeah.” I giggled again. “I was hoping you could help us. I need to talk to Victor’s personal assistant, Findlay, without Victor knowing about it.”Rodney’s eyes narrowed. “Why?” The suspicious vibes he was giving of
Findlay tried to call his husband again with the same result. “Daisy, we need to go back right away.”“Amy, I don’t think you should go with us,” I said. “I don’t know what’s going on at The Association, and it might be safer for you to stay here.”“Sure. I’ll visit with Dad and have Justin pick me up.” Amy jumped out of the car. “Hey, Why don’t you take Dad’s pickup back to The Association? It might be better if the faction doesn't see you coming.”“What do you think?” I asked Findlay.Findlay nodded. “If the faction knows I am a spy, it would help if they didn’t know I was returning for Tony.”“The keys are under the floor mat,” Amy said. “Good luck, Findlay. I hope Tony is okay.”“Thanks, Amy,” Findlay replied as he jumped into the passenger seat of Elliot Gray’s old pickup. He was shaking with fear for his mate. “Please hurry, Daisy.”The truck started easily, and the controls were similar to my car. And it was kind of fun to be behind the wheel of something so high from the groun