Chapter 432
Four hundred and thirty-four
Charlie POV
The digital feed on my desk held steady. I sat in the monitoring room of the estate, watching Emma emerge through the vault’s open iron gates, black bars framing her as she stepped back into the estate.
She thought she was slick with her excuse of log sheets while I sat upstairs like a fool.
I had watched every second of it on camera. She stood in front of the empty filing cabinet, panic rising on her face when she realized Alpha Edward’s trial dossier wasn’t there.
I leaned back in my chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose as the pieces started clicking into place.
Nobody requests archive clearance for a border tax audit. Emma was hunting for evidence to clear Alexander, the bastard rogue currently sitting in Iron Wells prison.
It made my stomach turn. I had known Emma for years. She was practically allergic to chaos. People like that don’t just up and get pregnant with an “unknown” father. They don’t risk their entire reputation on random hookups.
Two days ago, Zachary had called me with a warning. He told me Emma had been spotted at the prison, using Wesley’s clearance to get inside. At the time, I had laughed it off. I told Zachary he was out of his mind. Why would Emma have any business with a condemned criminal?
Now, watching her drive away from my estate, I realized Zachary hadn’t been lying.
I picked up my desk phone and punched in Zachary’s private line. As Alphas of neighboring territories, our alliance was built on pack harmony and border security, but right now, this was personal.
“Charlie,” Zachary’s voice drawled through the speaker. “To what do I owe the call p>
“Let’s cut the games, Zachary,” I said. “You mentioned before that Emma was seen at the prison through Wesley’s clearance p>
“Based on the reports I pulled from the gate guards, she wasn’t just dropping by. She seemed quite intimate with the rogue. It seems Alexander has a real knack for charming high-born women p>
The words hit me hard.
Why was Emma intimate with a filthy animal who had murdered his own father?
“She just left my estate,” I muttered. “She pulled a fake accounting excuse to break into my father’s archives. She was looking for your father’s dossier p>
Zachary went quiet on the other end. When he spoke again, his voice dropped into a cold register.
“Then you better warn your little girl to back off. Alexander is a patricide and a rogue. If Emma keeps playing games with him, she’s going to get caught in the crossfire. You need to lock her down before she ruins her entire family name p>
“Emma isn’t stupid,” I ground out, defending her out of sheer instinct even as my stomach churned.” She’s just being manipulated by someone. These rogues have a knack for sinking their hooks into high-
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+15 Bonus
status women, playing the victim to get what they want. I’ll handle it p>
he’s going to ruin her life for a killer. You need to lock down her movements, and I’ll make sure security around Alexander is tightened so she can’t feed him any more intel p>
“Please do. Tighten the grip on him. I will handle Emma p>
I slammed the phone down.
Emma thought I was a fool. She thought she could play me while secretly bleeding out her loyalty for a rogue. But I wasn’t going to let her self-destruct. If she was carrying that bastard’s child, she was walking blind into a trap that would hang her right beside him.
I needed answers, and I needed them now.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Anita’s number. It rang four times before going to voicemail. I called right back.
On the second ring, she clicked over. “Charlie, I’m right in the middle of something. I’ll call you back later p>
“Don’t hang up,” I snapped, standing up from my desk. “Is the rogue the father of Emma’s baby p>
Silence hissed through the line.
“What are you talking about?” Anita fired back, her voice jumping an octave too high. “Are you out of your mind p>
“Answer me, Anita. The answer is a yes or no p>
“You’re being completely paranoid, Charlie. What is this sudden obsession with Emma? If you had actually paid attention to her when she wanted you, maybe you wouldn’t be sitting around inventing crazy conspiracy theories about her love life p>
“Stop lying,” I cut her off. “You’re covering for her. You know she went to see him in jail while forging a pass from Wesley, right p>
“I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re playing p>
“Do you have any idea what happens when the council finds out an Alpha’s niece is carrying a convicted rogue’s pup?” I shouted, pacing across the room. “They’ll strip her name and destroy her for life! And you are helping her walk right into the gallows p>
Anita’s defensive rebuttal on the other end of the line was all the confirmation I needed. She knew. They had all been lying to me.
“We’re done playing games,” I said, grabbing my car keys off the desk. “I’m coming over to your place right now. You, me, Emma, and Wesley are going to sit down and clear this up before I take it straight to the pack elders p>
“Charlie, wait p>
I hung up and checked my pocket to make sure my keys and sign-offs were secure. As I hurried out
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*156onut
toward my car, I pulled up my group contact list. I needed an emergency meeting. Wesley. We were going to put all the cards on the table tonight, and make Emma confess the truth.
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.