Chapter 95
Fleur’s chest ached with a heavy, hollow weight as she thought about Christian.
A full week had bled by since she last saw him. He hadn’t called, nor had he acknowledged any of her texts. She despised the way her own soul seemed to mourn his absence, especially knowing the ruthless world he ruled.
Her mind fiercely tried to convince her that he was incapable of true devotion, but the memory of his low, desperate love confession kept echoing like a phantom howl in her ears.
She scolded herself for being so weak, for letting his words penetrate her defenses. Her rational mind reminded her that the lethal leader was a master of deception and entirely self-serving. Yet, her heart rebelled, fiercely resisting the cold reality of their fractured bond.
With a sharp exhale, Fleur forced her gaze back to the blueprints spread across her office desk. She needed to purge Christian from her mind. He was a threat to her sanity and a danger to her family.
Yet, the ghost of his presence lingered in the way Chloe and Gabriel still moped around the house, desperately missing their father figure. She cursed the fleeting moment of naivety that had made her believe they could ever forge a peaceful pack together.
Determined to drown out her thoughts, Fleur grabbed a red pen and focused on the interior layout she was designing for a high-profile client.
“Fleur!” Lea suddenly burst into the office, slamming the door back against the wall.
Fleur flinched, dropping her pen. Her breath caught at the absolute terror painting Lea’s face. The woman looked entirely drained of color, her skin a ghostly white.
“What’s wrong, Lea?” Fleur demanded, instantly rounding the desk.
“Fleur… it’s Raphael,” Lea panted, her voice cracking with pure panic.
“What happened to him?” Fleur asked urgently, grabbing Lea’s trembling hands as the woman began to sob. “Sit down. Breathe.” She guided Lea to a chair and tried to hand her a glass of water, but Lea pushed it away, her chest heaving.
“Okay, talk to me. What happened?” Fleur kept her voice steady, but inside, a cold dread was clawing at her throat. Lea’s frantic state pointed to something catastrophic.
“I was trying to reach him, but his assistant kept giving me the runaround. It smelled completely wrong,” Lea choked out, her eyes brimming with tears. “So I drove straight to his hotel. When I got to his suite, the police were already there, questioning his staff. Fleur… Raphael was taken. He’s been missing for over twenty-four hours p>
“What?” Fleur gasped, her mind spinning out of control. Who would dare abduct a high-profile public figure?
A terrifying realization slammed into her, rendering every other theory useless.
Christian.
The Alpha had been furious with Raphael’s proximity to his mate and pups. In this world, Christian had the absolute power to make a man vanish into thin air without a trace. As the Alpha of the region’s dominant pack, he was entirely capable of a silent execution.
A searing wave of fury burned through her fear. Raphael was in grave danger, and it was entirely her fault. “I know exactly where he is,” Fleur muttered, her voice tightening with lethal certainty. She grabbed her keys and purse and bolted out the door.
She tore through the city streets, her car engine roaring as she pushed the vehicle to its limits. Within minutes, she screeched to a halt outside Christian’s private penthouse. To her dark satisfaction, the Alpha was just stepping out of his door, dressed for the day. He froze, his striking blue eyes blowing wide with sheer shock at her sudden appearance on his threshold.
“Christian!” Fleur snarled, marching straight up to him like a storm cloud. “Who the hell do you think you are p>
Christian’s brow furrowed, his wolf stirring instantly at the intoxicating scent of his mate. It had been a grueling week of self-imposed exile, and only he knew the sheer agony it had taken to stay away from her.
“What is wrong, baby?” he asked softly, tilting his head as he drank in her presence, even as she stomped toward him with eyes blazing like wildfire.
“Drop the innocent act! I know what you did!” Fleur yelled, stopping mere inches from his chest.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he replied, genuinely blindsided.
“You abducted Raphael!” she accused, her throat tightening as terror for the actor threatened to choke her. She prayed to the heavens that Raphael was still breathing. “Where are you keeping him? What did you do to him? Did you She panted, unable to even voice the word kill. Her heart nearly stopped at the thought of Christian ripping Raphael apart out of primitive jealousy.
“Raphael?” Christian’s eyes instantly narrowed to dangerous slits at the mention of the male. “What about him p>
“He’s been missing for over a day!” Fleur fiercely countered, her chest heaving.
Christian’s lips parted in sudden, stark comprehension. “Fleur, I swear to you on my honor, I had absolutely nothing to do with this,” he vowed, his voice dropping into a desperate, earnest pitch.
But Fleur’s expression remained frozen in bitter disdain. She refused to let his silver tongue sway her again. “Don’t lie to me! I know exactly what you are capable of, Christian. I swear to God, if a single hair on Raphael’s head is harmed, I will never look at you again. Never!” she shrieked, her voice trembling with raw emotion.
“Fleur Christian let out a ragged sigh, looking down at her with a profound, shattered ache in his eyes. The accusation cut deeper than any silver blade.
“Please, trust me. I did not take him. Does he truly mean so much to you that you would throw such a monstrous accusation at me without a shred of proof?” His voice cracked with disbelief and profound hurt.
“I know how you operate,” Fleur mocked, her voice dripping with bitterness. “You had a problem with him, and everyone in this city knows how the Alpha King handles his problems.” She stepped back, her gaze cold enough to freeze the air between them. “I am warning you—Raphael had better return safely by the end of the day, or you will never see my face, or your children’s faces, ever again p>
The threat hit Christian like a physical blow, causing the powerful leader to visibly flinch.
He fell entirely silent, his features locking behind an unreadable, stoic mask. Fleur stared at him for one final, agonizing second before turning on her heel and storming down the corridor.
But as she slammed her car door shut and started the engine, her hands were shaking violently. She desperately prayed that her instincts were wrong—that Christian wasn’t the monster behind the disappearance. Yet, deep in her gut, every single clue pointed right back to the merciless Alpha.