Chapter 289
Chapter 289:
Bryan Parrish slammed a thick parchment onto his desk. The blood-red crest of the Continental Pack Council glared up at me, a stark reminder of the nightmare I had barely survived the day before.
“Treason, Kira!” Bryan roared, his usually arrogant coppery scent rancid with absolute panic. “Using silver on a future Luna! Parrish Holdings is bankrupt. Kain Blackwell’s empire shorted our stock into the ground overnight, and Jase’s lawyers just filed the annulment papers. We are going to be stripped to Rogues p>
My Inner Wolf whined, pacing frantically against my ribs. The memory of my ultimate humiliation at the cathedral — Adelina standing untouchable beside the Lycan King while my sins were broadcast to the world — still burned my skin like acid.
“I am not living as a Rogue!” I shrieked, slamming my hands on the desk. “You stole this Alpha title, now use it! Fix this p>
Bryan dragged a trembling hand down his face, his eyes wild. “We need a scapegoat. Someone who acted entirely alone. Someone with a motive p>
My mind raced, sifting through the weak and the disposable. Then a name clicked into place with venomous perfection.
Rеa𝘥 𝗐𝘪t𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪n𝘁𝘦𝗋𝗿𝘶𝗽𝗍𝘪o𝗻𝘴 𝗼ո ѕ.со𝘮
“Chloe Bishop,” I said, a cold smile curving my lips. “The pathetic Omega Adelina fired from the hotel. She had access to the gala’s catering staff. Her motive is flawless — revenge against the new boss who ruined her life p>
A sharp crash shattered the tension.
My mother, Carolyn, stood trembling by the leather sofa. The shattered remains of her porcelain teacup stained the Persian rug like dried blood. Her faded floral scent spiked with absolute, paralyzing terror.
“You are insane,” Carolyn whispered, her voice shaking as she looked at us like we were monsters. “You cannot keep challenging the Lycan King. He will kill us all p>
“Shut up, Carolyn,” Bryan snapped, completely dismissing her terror. He snatched up his phone, his greedy eyes lighting up with a desperate lifeline. “I’m calling the legal team. We need to manufacture a money trail immediately. Offshore accounts linking Chloe to a rival Pack. We make her look like a hired assassin p>
While my father orchestrated the frame-up, I walked to the dark window and pulled out my encrypted phone. I needed my most powerful pawn back on the board.
I dialed Jase’s number. He answered on the fourth ring. His breathing was ragged, his scent likely a mess of broken Alpha pride and self-disgust. I didn’t cry. I didn’t play the weeping victim. I used a weapon far more lethal — a lie designed to salvage his shattered ego.
“Jase, listen to me,” I said, my voice dropping into a chilling, urgent whisper. “We walked into a trap p>
“Don’t,” Jase choked out, his voice cracking. “I saw the video, Kira. I heard her screams p>
“You saw what Kain Blackwell wanted you to see!” I hissed, injecting pure conviction into my words. “Those videos at the reception? They were deep-fakes. Kain used ancient Lycan technology to forge them p>
Jase let out a shaky breath. He didn’t hang up.