Chapter 169
Chapter 169:
On the screen was a high-definition photograph taken three years ago at a notorious Rogue-run underground party in Ibiza. In the center of the frame, bathed in neon light, stood Kira Parrish. She was pressed intimately against Zack Rutledge, her hand resting possessively on the back of his neck — a deeply territorial gesture in our world.
“Kira claimed she discovered him last week in Vienna,” I whispered, watching the color drain violently from Jase’s face. “She lied to you, Jase. You are defending a woman who is playing you for a fool p>
His Alpha pride shattered. The undeniable proof of his fiancée’s intimate past with a Rogue gutted him. He stared at the screen, his jaw trembling, before he turned and practically fled my office without another word.
Jase POV
The hallway outside Adelina’s office felt like a suffocating vacuum. I leaned heavily against the wall, my chest heaving as the metallic ozone of my scent curdled into pure humiliation.
My hands shook as I pulled out my phone and dialed Kira.
“Jase, baby?” Her cloying jasmine scent seemed to ooze through the speaker, sickeningly sweet. “Did you put that wolfless bitch in her place p>
“Kira,” I rasped, my throat tight. “Did you know Zack Rutledge before Vienna p>
A tiny, almost imperceptible pause hung on the line. Then she let out a light, dismissive laugh. “Of course not, baby. Why would you even ask that? It’s strictly professional p>
The lie landed like a bucket of ice water. My Inner Wolf let out a visceral, agonizing howl of betrayal. She was using me. I hung up, the screen cracking under the crushing grip of my fist.
Adelina POV
Dо𝘄𝗇𝗹𝗼𝘢𝗱аb𝗅𝗲 р𝗗𝖥ѕ о𝗇
The silence in my office was finally broken by the soft chime of my email inbox.
I glanced at the screen. The sender was Leo Vance, a young Beta guest from a neutral Pack. The subject line read: I think I caught something on my thermal camera.
My heart skipped a beat. I clicked the attached video file.
Leo explained in the body of the email that he had left his new thermal time-lapse camera clamped to the second-floor gallery railing overnight. The video preview loaded — a thermal view of the service stairs, timestamped exactly five minutes after the alleged theft.
A glowing, werewolf-shaped thermal signature emerged from the stairwell. It was Zack. In his hands, he carried a small, pitch-black rectangle — a violin case that emitted absolutely zero heat. He quickly shoved it into a laundry cart. In the background, another familiar thermal signature — Vincent Parrish — was frantically typing at the security terminal, looping the camera feeds.
My breath caught in my throat. It was the smoking gun.
I didn’t waste a single second. I shoved my chair back and sprinted toward the heavy mahogany doors. I had to find Leo Vance on the executive floor and secure that camera before Vincent realized his treason had been recorded.
Adelina POV
I sprinted down the plush red carpet of the executive corridor, my heart hammering against my ribs. Up ahead, near the elevator banks, stood Leo Vance. He held the small thermal camera in his hands, glancing around nervously.
Before I could call out his name, a heavy figure lunged from the shadows of an alcove.