Chapter 178
Chapter 178
Riley’s POV
Finished
From that moment on, everything unfolded just the way they had planned–like a spell perfectly cast, dark, twisted, and horrifyingly seamless.
Elira Blackthorn survived the transplant.
And not only that–her daughter, Scarlett, the child she had with Caden Blackthorn, was brought into the Ebonclaw household by Alaric himself, right under Zara’s broken heart and blind trust.
Caden, unable to bear being apart from the daughter he and Elira had created in secret, changed his surname to Blackthorn, claiming to be Elira’s younger brother.
Elira, ever the skilled manipulator, introduced him to Alaric with a perfect mix of motherly concern and calculated charm.
“I just worry so much about Scarlett,” she had said, her voice trembling with practiced fear. “She’s still so young. I’m afraid she’ll be mistreated in this unfamiliar home. My brother, Caden, has always been protective of her. If he could work for the Ebonclaw estate, maybe as her driver it would give me peace of mind p>
And Alaric, the so–called Alpha, nodded without hesitation, never questioning the story, never seeing the truth.
And just like that, Caden was brought into the pack.
Every day, he picked up and dropped off Scarlett from the Halston Academy,
Every day, he stood at Elira’s side.
Every day, he played the role of the devoted uncle, the ever–loyal driver.
But the truth was–they were a family.
A true family.
And they were living happily under the roof of the very woman they had all helped destroy.
Elira’s health stabilized, her career soared, and her place by Alaric’s side was secured.
And not long after, she got pregnant again – this time with a boy.
That child is now twenty, studying overseas under a new name, protected and pampered, receiving millions in monthly “allowance from the man who still believed him to be his only biological son.
Alaric had no idea that the boy bore no trace of his blood
That none of the children he raised as his heirs were his own
That the woman he thought he’d conquered had belonged to another man all along.
And worst of
The only five minutes he ever had to offer her in bed–Elira had mocked behind his back for years.
The longer I stared at the documents, the more twisted the story became
But I couldn’t look away
The truth was like blood–I needed to see every drop spalled, every lie uncovered
This wasn’t just setgeaner
was justur
astemp p.
Chapter 178
Alaric, you thought you had won.
That you had outplayed Zara, Kael, and me.
That you had rewritten your place in this pack’s history with lies, betrayal, and cruelty.
But look at you now,
Your one and only son sits rotting in a prison cell, framed by your own hand,
All the wealth you siphoned off over the years–gone. Hidden under the name of a
Your legs, broken. Your name, disgraced.
a woman who never
loved
you.
Finished
You deserve it.
You deserve every second of your downfall.
The satisfaction that surged in my chest was so intense it bordered on euphoria.
One moment, I laughed–uncontrollably, breathlessly–relishing the image of Alaric being reduced to a pathetic, humiliated. shell of a man.
But then the laughter twisted, tangled with pain.
A tightness gripped my heart, and I remembered everything Zara had lost–her mate, her father, her daughters.
I remembered the coldness of the Rogue caves, the hunger, the humiliation.
The way Scarlett used to smirk when the guards kicked me down, the way Elira’s hand lingered too long on Alaric’s shoulder.
Tears blurred my vision. My knees buckled.
I would have hit the floor if not for someone catching me.
Familiar hands
Steady, warm, and strong
Hooked up
Lucien
His deep green eyes were filled with concern, the kind of w
“Tmn fine.” I whispered, forcing a shaky smile.
I wasn’t
But I would l
Because now I had the truth
And the truth was a weapon
that made my throat tighten.
Once I steadied myself, I met Lucien’s gaze again, this time with a spark of cold resolve
I want to go to the infirmary” I said quietly. “I want to see Zara
He didn’t ask why. He didn’t need to
be to let her
Chapter 178
The full truth
About Scarlett. About Alaric. About everything.
Let her taste the betrayal.
Let her look into her mirror and see the ghosts of every wrong she ever overlooked.
Lucien opened his mouth to speak, but just then, his comm crystal pulsed to life–a message from the Council
The Eastern Borderlands Expansion Plan was being reviewed again.
They needed him. Urgently
I could see the apology in his eyes before he even said a word.
“I can’t go with you,” he muttered, jaw clenched. “They want me in the council tower now p>
“I’ll be fine.” I said, my voice calmer now.
He turned to Caelum–who had remained quiet until now, leaning against the wall like a silent sentinel.
“Caelum.” Lucien ordered, from this moment forward, you’re her shadow. You don’t let her out of your sight p>
Caelum didn’t even flinch.
He simply nodded.
And with that, the tides turned
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