CHAPTER 45: THE WOLF, THE WITCH, AND THE MAFIA PRINCE

(Rowan’s POV—Later, Inside Theo’s Car)

The laptop dinged.

Then—"BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!"

An anchor’s frantic voice burst through the speakers, shaky with disbelief, adrenaline, and the thrill of scandal.

"We have just received a video from an anonymous source, and in the footage—Kael Valtore appears to be... perfectly healthy. Walking, talking, sipping wine—with no visible injuries."

Theo Vinter leaned back, folding one leg over the other as the screen began displaying the footage I had recorded.

Kael laughing.

Kael drinking.

Kael pacing the room like a bored prince.

A man who was supposed to be dying. Theo smirked, slow and devilish.

"And..." he murmured, eyes gleaming, "the real show begins."

I allowed myself a rare smile.

"Yes," I replied quietly. "The real show has just begun."

This was exactly what Miss wanted.

Expose Kael Valtore. Strip him of his armor. Make the world turn its eyes toward him—and watch him choke under their gaze.

She knew Kael was dangerous. But she also knew something far more important: Arrogant men are easiest to trap when they believe they’ve already won.

So she let him believe it. She let him breathe. Relax. Celebrate. Unaware of the blade sliding toward his throat.

Theo closed the laptop with a soft click.

"You know your next steps," he said, gaze shifting toward me—sharp, dark, and commanding.

I nodded. "Yes."

His smirk widened, his voice dropping into velvet-coated danger.

"Good. Because now..." He leaned back, tapping his ring against the armrest. "...it’s my turn to enter the game."

The car slowed, pulling toward the side of the road. The city lights cast streaks of gold across the windows as we rolled to a stop.

Theo’s men stepped out of the shadows of the alley ahead—more than before. Armed. Prepared. Waiting for orders.

"My people will be in position shortly," he said.

I stepped out, straightening my disguise as I adjusted my breathing—back to mission mode.

I nodded once. "Understood."

Because from here on, Kael Valtore needed to disappear.

Not killed. Not harmed yet.

No.

Kidnapped. Delivered. Presented to Miss Evelina herself.

Theo flicked his cigarette out of the car, watching the ember die on the pavement.

"Don’t let him slip," he said, voice low.

I looked over my shoulder, expression cold, certain.

"He won’t."

Theo raised a brow. "And why’s that?"

"Because," I tightened my gloves, my tone sharp as glass, "Madam isn’t letting Kael Valtore escape her hand again."

A beat.

A breath.

A silent promise.

"This time," I finished, "there will be no mercy for anyone who tries to harm her."

I shut the car door behind me.

The engine growled. Theo’s smirk flashed through the window one last time before the car vanished into the night.

And I stood there—prepared.

Focused.

Ready.

Because my mission wasn’t over; it was just beginning.

***

(Evelina’s POV—Interrogation Room, Continuation)

The way they ran out...

The panic in their voices. The trembling urgency in their footsteps. The sheer chaos erupting beyond this filthy door—it means only one thing.

Rowan has done his job.

Perfectly.

I may be locked in this cramped, foul-smelling room...but I don’t need walls or windows to understand what’s happening outside.

I can feel it.

The shift in the air. The crack spreading through their false confidence. The scent of panic slipping under the door like a frightened animal.

The police station is drowning in noise. Phones ringing. Officers screaming. News alerts exploding like fireworks.

A perfect soundtrack.

To the fall of Kael Valtore.

I crossed my legs slowly, deliberately—letting the cuffs clink as if I were adjusting jewelry.A queen adjusting her crown. The CCTV camera blinked above me—still recording, still active.

I smiled.

Softly. Elegantly.

Like someone blowing out a candle.

Ah...The beauty of predictable men. They crumble the moment you take away their illusion of control. Pull one thread, and the whole tapestry collapses at their feet.

I tapped my finger against the metal table—slow, rhythmic, a poised little metronome marking the countdown to their humiliation.

Kael bought two police officers. Which meant he intended to finish me today. Neatly. Quietly.Like I was an errand to be erased.

How adorable.

The door creaked open.

Officer Rhea stepped inside.

But she wasn’t the sharp-tongued, chest-thrust-forward predator from earlier.

No—Her spine was rigid with anxiety. Her eyes weren’t cold anymore. They were darting, calculating, and nervous.

She stepped closer, clearing her throat.

"W-We need to... uncuff you," she said, her voice unusually polite. "Please extend your hands, Miss Hartgrave."

Miss Hartgrave.

Not "suspect."Not "criminal."Not "villainess."

How quickly fear reshapes vocabulary.

I smirked, lifting my wrists a fraction.

"My, my..." I murmured, letting my voice glide like silk dipped in poison. "Did something interesting happen, Officer?"

Her jaw tightened—not in hostility, but in restraint.

She didn’t answer.

She simply leaned in, fingers fumbling slightly as she unlocked the cuffs. The metal clicked free, falling away from my skin like a failed attempt.

A symbol of their collapsing authority. Rhea stepped back immediately, almost respectfully.

"Your lawyer has arrived," she said stiffly. "Please... follow me."

Lawyer?

I let out a soft laugh, low and amused.

So that’s what they’re calling him. I rose from the chair, smoothing my sleeves, letting each movement radiate calm dominance.

A slow smile curled across my lips.

Theo Vinter...is here.

***

(Later—Police Station Entrance Hall)

The hallway opened into the main reception area—and every head snapped toward me.

Desperation.Confusion.

The station vibrated with chaos—phones shrieking, papers dropping, and officers running back and forth with the desperate energy of rats trapped in a burning ship.

And right in the middle of that frenzy... The atmosphere shifted.

Heavy.Cold.Predatory.

Like a shadow entered before the man did.

Theo Vinter.

He walked through the glass doors with the slow, unhurried stride of a king returning to a kingdom he owned but never bothered visiting. A black coat draped over broad shoulders. Eyes sharp, amused, and deadly.

Behind him, two of his men flanked him silently.

And beside him—a man in a charcoal three-piece suit, silver tie pinned perfectly, glasses glinting like a blade.

The lawyer.

Not just any lawyer.

A Vinter lawyer.A legal assassin.

Everyone in the lobby froze as the group approached.

The Chief of Police pushed through the crowd, sweat shining on his forehead, trying to regain authority he no longer possessed.

"M-Mr. Vinter," he stuttered, "welcome—"

Theo didn’t even look at him. He brushed past the chief as if he were dust on his coat.

His eyes found mine instantly—and a slow, feral smile curved across his lips. Not polite. Not warm.

Predatory.

"Hello... baby," he murmured, voice low, sinful, dripping with a danger only the Vinter bloodline could produce. "You look quite comfortable. I assume your stay here was... entertaining?"

The entire station gasped.

Me?

Yes. Even I went momentarily silent. Because this—THIS was not in the damn plan.

Baby? Why in the nine hells was I his baby?

Before I could even blink, he stepped closer—too close—his coat brushing against my arm as he leaned in, breath warm near my ear.

"I do hope," he whispered, voice molten ice, "my babe

had a good time here."

I clenched my fist hard enough that my nails bit into my palm.

Alright, Eve. Control. Focus on the plan. Ignore the fact that the Mafia Prince just ad-libbed a relationship into the script.

I forced a calm smile.

"Moderately," I said smoothly. "Though the hospitality could improve."

A visible shiver passed through the observing officers.

Because Theo Vinter wasn’t feared only by criminals. He was feared by judges. By senators. By the people who thought they ran the law.

And now he wrapped an arm around my shoulders—possessive, casual, threatening all in one motion.

He addressed the Chief like he was speaking to a misbehaving dog.

"Chief Harland..." Theo drawled, his voice sliding into a cold, velvet cruelty, "...what exactly am I hearing?"

The chief stiffened.

Theo tilted his head slightly.

"You’re telling me," he continued, each word slower, sharper, "that while I was busy running half this city, you allowed my baby to be treated like some street criminal?"

No one breathed.

Not a single soul.

Chief Harland swallowed so loudly it echoed. "W-We didn’t... know she was—"

Theo cut him off with a lazy, deadly smile.

"You didn’t know?" he repeated. "Frustrating. For a man whose job is literally to know everything."

The room temperature dropped. Theo’s fingers tapped lightly on my shoulder—not affection.

A warning.

To them.

Not to me.

He stepped forward, towering over the Chief, shadows wrapping around him like a crown of fear.

"I’ll make this simple, Chief," he said, his tone dropping into a chilling, emotionless cadence."You laid a hand on someone very precious to me."

Every officer stiffened. My pulse skipped—not from fear. From the sheer absurdity of this man rewriting the script of our relationship in front of a police station.

Theo tilted his head, expression softening into something far more terrifying than anger.

"And now," he continued gently, almost kindly, "a question."

His smile widened—slow, razor-edged.

"Tell me, Chief..." A pause—hanging like a noose in the air. "How would you like to die today?"

The entire station froze as Theo continued, "By drowning?" he asked softly.

"By hanging off a bridge? By being thrown from the top of this very building...?Or would you prefer something simple—like an instant kill from a single bullet?"

Silence. Absolute, bone-deep silence.

It wasn’t a threat. It wasn’t a question. It was Theo Vinter offering a menu. And every officer suddenly understood— There were no right answers.

Only survival.

Or the hope of it.

And I?

I stood there, watching the panic ripple through the station, thinking:

Oh... this is going to be far more entertaining than I expected.