bChapter /bb133/bb: /bbThe Trap /b

bChapter /bb133/b: bThe /bbTrap /b

b(/bbElena /bckwood’s bPOV/b)

Marcus bhad /btruly fallen in love with me. When this realization formed in my mind, I wanted tough bbitterly/b.

The love I had desperately bsought /bwas now his, but only after I had given up. I withdrew my bhand /bfrom his embrace and said indifferently, b“/bbIt’s /btime to go back.”

bI /bwalked past Marcus toward the car, feeling his golden eyes burning into my back.

(Marcus ckwood’s POV)

I stood there, lips pressed thin, having anticipated her cold attitude. After all, wasn’t this exactly how I had

treated her back then?

Iughed bitterly at myself, then looked toward the car. It no longer mattered who was in her heart before.

What mattered was that I would make sure I upied her heart from now on.

(Elena ckwood’s POV)

After Professor Theodore Ashworth entrusted the advanced healing research project entirely to me, I became

extremely busy. I spent mornings at the Northern Territory Central Healing Institute and afternoons at Shadowspire Tower for experiments.

Shadowspire Tower was the Northern Territory’s top medical technologypany. They had recentlyunched supernatural healing enhancement projects with excellent pack response.

The partnering medical institute had established an independent emergency healing department. Pack

members only needed to input personal information, medical history, and symptoms for enhanced healing

monitoring systems to track vital signs.

The system would then send information to the emergency department. For critical cases, it would transfer

calls to human healers.

While technology couldn’tpletely rece night–shift healing staff, it significantly reduced their workload.

I observed technicians cultivating moonlight herb strains in the sterile chamber, taking detailed notes. The precision required for this research was extraordinary.

Whenparison results came out, I was about to leave when I saw Hugo Ashworth and his assistant standing outside the observation window.

After exiting through the purification chamber and buffer zone, I met Hugo. He asked about my first day of observation. ollir. /li/ol

C

b“/bIt was fine,” I replied. “Professor Theodore mentioned you were involved in the project, which makes me feel reassured.”

…

P

He seemed momentarily stunned before responding with a slight nod.

bо /b

a

S

bO /b

“Would you like to eat at the cafeteria?” I invited.

bHe /bagreed without hesitation.

E

bTheir interaction /bbwas /bbwitnessed /bby me bfrom /bbacross /bbthe corridor/b. My bface /bbturned pale as /bI bwatched /bbthem /b

btogether/b.

I bwas /bbshocked /bbto /bsee Hug

bwith /bElena. Was bhe /bbthe /bwolf who had taken Elena bfrom /bbthe /bbprivate /bbdining /bsuite

bbefore/bb? /b

My expression darkened as I realized I now had ba /bperfect way to deal with Elena.

(Elena ckwood’s POV)

At the cafeteria, I noticed Hugo only bought bread and water. Someone with his particr sensitivities

wouldn’t touch public food.

“I apologize for not considering your condition,” I said, feeling guilty.

When I curiously asked about his aversion, wondering if he had experienced something traumatic, he paused.

“It was childhood psychological trauma,” he said quietly.

I unconsciously thought of the young wolves from my past k********g experience: When I exined my curiosity, he remarked, “A mated she–wolf being curious about my affairs isn’t appropriate.”

His words left me speechless.

That evening, I received a message from Marcus saying he had urgent pack matters and couldn’t pick me up.

He asked me to report my safe arrival home.

Lsimply replied “okay.”

A car stopped in front of me. An unfamiliar driver said Hugo had sent him to drive me home.

Seeing it was indeed Hugo’s license te, I got in. Though I remained cautious and asked where he was.

“Professor Ashworth had family matters and left with his assistant first,” the driver exined.

During the ride, I messaged Hugo to thank him for arranging the ride. However, I soon noticed the car wasn’t heading toward my residence.

“This isn’t the right route,” I questioned.

*

14

市

4

H

F F

+

14 #

3

The driver revealed that “Mrs. Ashworth” wanted to see me – Hugo’s mother, Evelyn Ashworth.

The car drove into a secluded road lined with blooming silver birch trees. We arrived at a remote abandoned

moonlight wine distillery that looked more like a derelict warehouse.

#

#

H

16

H

A

1

A

225

よ

-7

41

As soon as the car unlocked, I tried ito /iescape but was blocked by two rogues.

#

D

4

4

19

P

“We’re just following orders,” they imed.

4

=

3

?

#

#

”

???

M

F

th

#

4

+ +

My phone rang – it was Hugo calling. Just as I answered, the driver snatched my phone.

北 *

2

J

H

5

#

H

I screamed for help before being gagged. I bit my captor’s hand and hit him with my bag, running toward the road.

But I was caught by my hair and dragged back to the distillery. The iron gate was locked behind me.

Inside the deste, weed–covered courtyard, Sophia emerged from the shadows with two rogues.

“Surprised to see me?” she sneered, revealing she was behind the bk/bb********/bg. “Mrs. Ashworth is on my side

214

Chapter 133 The Trap

btoo/bb. /b

bShe /bbpped /bbme /bbhard /bbacross the /bface. b“/bbBoth you /bband /bbyour /bbfamily /bbare /bbeyesores/bb./bb” /b

bI pped /bher back bimmediately/bb, /benraging her bfurther/b.

b“/bbRestrain /bher!” Sophia ordered her rogues.

They grabbed my arms as Sophia pulled out ba /bsilver dagger. The metal gleamed menacingly in the dim light.

b“/bHow can you perform healing without your right hand?” she threatened, raising the de.

Despite my defiant silence, Sophia stabbed through my hand with the silver de. Excruciating pain shot through my entire body as bthe /bsilver burned my werewolf healing abilities.

I screamed as the poisonous metal seared my flesh.

As Iy bleeding and trembling from the silver poisoning, Sophia revealed a horrifying secret.

“I did catch your mother when she fell from the building,” she said coldly. “But I deliberately let go.”

My blood ran cold at her confession.

“She overheard something she shouldn’t have,” Sophia continued. “And Nathan was partially responsible for your brother and father’s deaths too.”

However, I was stunned not by this revtion, but by seeing a crescent–shaped birthmark on Sophia’s wrist.

The same mark my mother had described on her lost daughter.

Just as Sophia was about to leave, I grabbed her ankle with my uninjured hand.

“You’ll regret this someday,” I promised through my pain.

Sophia kicked me away and left with her rogues. She believed I would die from silver poisoning before being

discovered.

However, as they exited the distillery, they encountered Marcus and his pack guards.

He found my phone in the bushes and kicked down the locked door. Seeing me copsed and bleeding from

silver poisoning, he rushed to hold me.

Iy barely conscious with dry lips and heavy eyelids.

(Marcus ckwood’s POV)

When Sophia tried to flee, she was blocked by my elite guards.

Kneeling and grabbing my clothes, she desperately imed, “Everything was Mrs. Ashworth’s idea! I was

forced into it!”

”

H

TE

# H ulli/li/ul

T

I stood motionless, holding Elena tightly in my arms. After a moment, I looked down at Sophia with cold, vicious golden eyes that seemed to pierce through her soul.

3

+

1

2

#

C

40

M

#

モザ

“My greatest regret was indulging you,” I dered. “But I will no longer tolerate your actions.”

My voice turned deadly. “You hurt her hand with silver, so you should pay with yours.”

As guards dragged the panicked Sophia away, she screamed desperately, “Marcus! You can’t do this to me! Have you forgotten what you promised me!”