bChapter /bb191 /b

    ra’s POV

    70b% /b

    +20

    “Lord Roy, you’re denying this, but the man we caught told us everything. He said you hired him. Hired mercenaries to hijack the shipment, and you paid for it. The letter you sent, with your family crest on it–tell them everything,” I demanded, my voice firm despite the tight knot in my stomach.

    The butler’s face twisted. I could feel the tension thick in the air, like the calm before a storm, but Lord Roy? He looked unfazed.

    “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Lady ra,” he snapped, voice as cold as steel.

    For a moment, I wondered if I was making a mistake. I’d known him for years he wasn’t the kind to lie, at least not this tantly. But something felt off. Something deep down told me this wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

    Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I turned to the mercenary kneeling on the ground. His blood–drenched shirt clung to his skin, his eyes wide and frantic. “Tell them what you told me in the car,” I said, my voice unwavering.

    The man trembled. His hands shook as he struggled to speak, and when he did, it was barely above a whisper. “I was hired… 10 grand to hijack the shipment, another 10 grand to bring it to Lord Roy’s mansion. There was a letter. Detailed instructions… The truck’s route, the time it’d arrive…. It even had Lord Roy’s family crest.”

    I nced at the paper in his hand. The letter, crumpled and stained with blood, matched what he said. My eyes flicked back to Lord Roy.

    “Do you still have the letter?” I asked the mercenary. He nodded quickly, pulling it out from his jacket and handing it over.

    The seal on the letter was unmistakable. Lord Roy’s family crest was emzoned on it, confirming everything the mercenary had said.

    I held it up for everyone to see. “This is solid proof,” I said, voice ringing clear.

    Lord Roy scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. “A letter? You think you can convict me with a mere scrap of paper? Anyone could have forged that seal.”

    The mercenary stammered, “I’ve never met my employer. I swear! Just this letter…”

    Lord Roy smirked, his expression dripping with disdain. “There you have it. A forged letter, a hired hand who’s never even met me. You can’t possibly think this proves anything.”

    I wasn’t backing down. “But we found mercenaries in your mansion, Lord Roy. Who let them in?”

    The butler, standing by the door, almost recoiled as if struck. “It wasn’t me! I don’t know who did it, but our Lord is being framed. He’s innocent!*

    “Then why wouldn’t you let me search the house earlier?” I shot back, stepping closer to him.

    “I was protecting mydy!” the butler yelled, his face reddening. “Lady Prince is sick! I was trying to keep strangers from disturbing her!” His voice cracked with desperation.

    I took a moment to process his words. My gut was telling me something was wrong with both the butler and the Roy family, but i had no proof.

    I stood there, biting back the frustration that was wing its way out.

    “Enough,” Cael said, his voicemanding. He pped his hands, silencing the crowd. “The safe’s back. That’s what matters. Let’s call bit /bba /bnight, and pick this up another time.” He tried to ease the tension, but it wasn’t enough. Lord Roy wasn’t backing down,

    “No!” Lord Roy’s voice cut through the air like a whip. “I will not stand for this! You’ve indulged your sister far too much, Alpha Cael. She’s our heroineb. /bbut look at the mess she’s made! Lycans, rogues–she’s invited enemies into our homeb, /band now she’s using us of things we didn’t do. Is this fair?”

    His words hung in the air, and for a split second, the room went silent. The guests shifted ufortably, but their eyes were all on me now, bas /bif they were waiting for me to crack.

    b1/2 /b

    b10:20 /bMon, b18 /bbAug /bo

    I clenched my fists, my anger rising. “The Lycans have no ill intentions! And as for the rogues, we’ve made peace with them!”

    Lord Roy sneered. “Who’s ‘we‘? You can’t make decisions for all of us, ra. The rogues ughtered our people! I’ll never forgive that. Never!”

    b(/bb+20/b)

    Cael stepped forward, his jaw clenched. “You’re missing the point, Lord Roy. I respect your views, but you can’t put the me on ra for inviting her friends here.”

    Lord Roy puffed out his chest, his voice cold. “Then she owes me and my daughter an apology, or my family will no longer support Blood Moon Pack.”

    The words were like a p to my face. The threat was unmistakable. My chest tightened, and my thoughts raced. Cael would back me, I knew he would. But I didn’t want to drag him into this mess.

    I nced at the letter again. There was something gnawing at me, something more than just the mercenary’s testimony. Then, Dorian, ever the unexpected one, broke the tension.

    “Can I have the letter?” he asked, his voice smooth and casual. He raised a brow when I handed it to him. He took a deep sniff and grinned.

    Then, he strolled toward Lady Prince, who stood to the side, watching with wide eyes. “You smell different, Lady Prince,” he said, his voice dripping with charm. “A lovely fragrance, I must say.”

    Prince’s cheeks flushed as she looked down. “It’s my own design,” she murmured shyly. “The only one of its kind.”

    Dorian chuckled, holding up the letter. “Funny,” he said, eyes gleaming. “This letter smells just like you.”

    The crowd gasped in unison. Prince’s face turned white, her smile fading. She stepped back, her voice catching in her throat. “No… that’s impossible.!

    Dorian held the letter up high for all to see. “You said it yourself, Prince. This perfume? It’s the only one like it in the world, right?”

    Prince’s breath came in shallow bursts as her eyes darted around, looking for an escape. “Maybe my maids-” she started, but Vessa interrupted her.

    “Let’s get real,” Vessa said, cutting through the noise. “A maid doesn’t have enough money to hire mercenaries. Twenty grand for amission? That’s more than they’d make in a year.”

    Prince stumbled back, her lip quivering as tears welled up in her eyes.

    “Prince?” Lord Roy said, his voice softer now, but there was still a touch of disbelief. “What is this? Tell me the truth, child. You’ve got nothing to do

    with this, right?”

    She inhaled sharply, her hands shaking. And then, in a moment that shattered everything, her voice broke through the tension.

    “…It’s your fault,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

    “What did you say?” Lord Roy’s face twisted in confusion.

    “I said…” She stood tall now, fury burning in her eyes. “It’s YOUR FAULT!”

    With a swift movement, she pulled a hairpin from her head and lunged forward, the sharp tip aimed at

    Vessa.

    The

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