CHAPTER 134: CHAPTER 134 FIND THE GIRL IN MASQUERADE

Caroline’s POV

Arthur’s face was grim as he revealed what he’d found about Thorne Enterprises.

"Howard is behind everything," Alpha Arthur explained.

My eyes moved to Draven’s face. His jaw was clenched tight, his eyes burning with anger. Something in my chest tightened seeing him like this.

While Arthur kept talking, my mind wandered to places it shouldn’t.I bit my lip, thinking about Ella. Her father was a traitor now. Would this change things? Would the wedding still happen next month?

I shook my head slightly.Why was I even thinking about their wedding? But I couldn’t help it.Goddess help me,I still cared for him more than I should. Ella was carrying his pup, and in three weeks, she’d be his bride. The thought made my chest hurt.

My stomach rolled again, like it had been doing all morning. I reached for Carlos’s tea, taking small sips. The warm herbs helped a little, but I wasn’t sure if it was bad food making me feel sick, or just being so close to Draven while we talked about betrayal.

"I have something else to tell you," Arthur said, "It’s about your parents, Draven."

The room went quiet. This wasn’t about business anymore. I watched Draven’s face change, his violet eyes getting darker.

"What did you find?" His voice was tight.

"We found the investigator Howard bribed. Leo checked him out - guy’s corrupt as they come. Has this huge house, fancy cars, sends his kids to expensive schools. His wife blows through money like there’s no tomorrow. He’s not even smart enough to hide the dirty money. Even takes cash from drug dealers on the side."

Draven’s hands gripped the table so hard his knuckles turned white. I wanted to reach out, to comfort him, but I couldn’t.

"I took this to a friend in Internal Affairs," Arthur went on. "They’re looking into your parents’ case again. It’s a small team, keeping things quiet.They already found out someone made evidence disappear. It’ll take time, but we’ll find the truth."

"Good," Draven said. He took a deep breath, but I could feel anger coming off him in waves.

"One more thing," Arthur said. "Remember those investigators you hired? The ones looking for the woman from the masquerade?They played you. Took money from both sides and lied to you. We reported them,they’ll lose their licenses. You could sue them too. Might help put Howard away longer."

My heart stuttered painfully.The masquerade woman.The mysterious woman he’d been searching for. His fated mate.

"If you think it’s important, let’s do it," Draven agreed.

Arthur mentioned working with Draven’s lawyer, then asked carefully,"I need to know if you want my investigators to look for that woman."

I froze, my eyes fixed on Draven. My heart seemed to stop beating as I waited for his answer.

"No, Arthur, that’s in the past," Draven said with finality.

Relief washed through me, but it was short-lived.

"Actually, no," Draven suddenly changed his mind. "Better investigate, find her. I need to close that Chapter and get answers. She might have gotten pregnant. Find her and discover how she’s doing."

My teacup trembled in my hands.Draven was still looking for his fated mate from three years ago? He still loved her? Where did that leave me? He was about to marry Ella, who carried his child, and yet he was still searching for another woman. Was I just one of his many casual affairs?

The meeting ended, and people started filing out. I was gathering my things when Draven gently caught my arm.

"Caroline, can you stay for a minute?"

Everyone else had left. I reluctantly met his gaze, trying to mask the turmoil inside me.

"You look even paler," he said, concern etched on his face. "I should take you to the hospital."

"It’s not necessary, Draven," I insisted, though my stomach was churning worse than before. "It was just something I ate. I’ll go home to rest."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. What did you want to tell me?"

He guided me back to the couch, and we sat down. My heart raced when he took my hands in his.

"Carrie, I wanted to explain about the masquerade woman," he said softly. "I decided to look for her because I realized she might have gotten pregnant. I’d never considered that possibility until recently, but with everything that’s been happening... I just need to know if I have a child somewhere in the world."

I nodded stiffly. "Yes, that’s the right thing to do."

But inside, my thoughts were racing. Find her and then what? He believed this woman was his destined mate. Would he resist the Moon Goddess’s bond when he found her? If she had his child, what then? Ella was already pregnant with his baby.

My head spun with the drama of it all.Where did I fit in this complicated equation? My heart was breaking into a thousand pieces. My stomach lurched again, and I wasn’t sure if it was emotional pain or physical illness.I needed to get away from here—even his cedar and musk scent, which I usually found so comforting, was making me feel worse.

"That’s all I wanted to say," Draven continued. "I just want to be clear that the only thing that matters is making sure I haven’t left a child out there somewhere. That woman means nothing to me since you came into my life."

His words should have comforted me, but they rang hollow. If she truly meant nothing, why had he spent three years searching for her?

"Thank you for explaining," I managed, forcing a weak smile. "I should go. I’m not feeling well."

"I’ll take you home."

"No need. I’ve already called a cab."

"Stay a little longer?" His voice was gentle, pleading.

"I can’t, Draven!"

Tears welled in my eyes as I pulled away from him.When I turned to leave, he pulled me back and captured my lips in a desperate kiss that tasted of longing and regret. When we separated, I turned and hurried out of his apartment before I could change my mind.

In the elevator, I finally allowed myself to breathe, though each breath felt like glass in my chest.

The cab ride home was a blur of city lights and muffled sounds.I leaned my head against the cool window, trying to sort through my emotions. Just as the cab pulled up to my apartment building, my phone chimed with a notification.

With trembling fingers, I unlocked the screen to find a social media post from Ella Howard. There she was, radiant in a designer wedding gown. The caption read: "The most beautiful bride in the world. Dress successfully purchased. Can’t wait to be Mrs. Thorne! #CountdownToForever #ThorneBride"

The tears I’d been holding back finally spilled over. I huddled against the car door, shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

Rory whimpered inside me, feeling my pain as her own. "It’s okay, girl," I whispered to my wolf. "We’ve survived worse. We’ll survive this too."

I was done.Done letting Draven Thorne break my heart. Done dreaming of impossible futures. Done pretending that what we had was anything more than a brief connection fated to end.

No more heartache over a man who was marrying another woman while searching for yet another.I was done breaking my heart for someone who clearly had no place for me in his.