Chapter 8
Lucas slouched back into his seat, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His voice was low and tight, as if he were trying to convince himself more than anyone else.
“But… she’s never been like this before. Lately… she’s just… different. It’s like she’s not the person I knew. I’m afraid she might…”
Sophia’s calm finally cracked, and tears streamed down her face. “So you still care about her?”
“I don’t care!” Lucas snapped, raking a hand through his hair in frustration.
He tried to push down the anxiety clawing at his chest, telling himself over and over that
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this was just another one of Emily’s games. A test. A tantrum. She’d always come back. She always had.
But this time… something felt different.
Meanwhile, on the flight to the southern pack alliance, I sat quietly by the window, champagne glass in hand, my eyes lost in the vastness of the sky.
A flight attendant passed by, offering me a brief smile. I nodded back politely.
Beside me, a friendly young mother glanced my way, curiosity in her eyes. “Traveling alone?”
I gently stirred my champagne before taking a long sip, draining the glass in one go. “No,” I said with a calm smile. “I left. Starting
fresh.”
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As the plane climbed through the clouds, I pulled out my phone, scrolling through the photos from the night before–Lucas and Sophia tangled together, completely unaware of the eyes on them.
A cold smirk tugged at my lips.
“Alpha Lucas, the game’s just getting started.”
I turned off the screen, leaned back in my seat, and closed my eyes, savoring what felt like the most peaceful moment I’d had in
years.
As the plane began its descent, Lucas’s phone rang, a barrage of calls from his betas, one after another.
His stomach twisted, a sense of dread
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creeping up as he answered the phone, his voice tight, his heart pounding.
Lucas’s heart plummeted when he heard the beta’s trembling voice.
“Alpha, it’s bad… really bad. You need to check the pack news. It’s about you and Ms. Sophia…”
A chill ran down his spine. He ended the call in a panic and rushed to check the news.
There it was–headlines across all the major news platforms:
[Golden Crescent Pack Alpha and Widow Sister–in–Law’s Affair Exposed]
[The Ugly Truth Behind the “Platonic Mate Relationship“]
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[Exposing the Secret Tunnel Between Alpha’s Bedroom and Sister–in–Law’s Room]
Each headline more devastating than the last, accompanied by crystal–clear photos -him and Sophia tangled in bed, along with images of the hidden tunnel connecting their homes.
“This… this can’t be happening,” Lucas muttered in disbelief, his voice barely
audible. His fingers trembled as he scrolled. “This can’t have leaked! No one should
know!”
Before he could process any further, Sophia grabbed the phone from him, her face pale as she flipped through the photos.
“Lucas… we’re done for. It’s her. It must’ve been Emily. She’s getting revenge on us.”
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The certainty in her voice–too sharp, too rehearsed–sent a jolt through Lucas’s mind.
He narrowed his eyes. “How do you know it was Emily? What are you hiding from me?”
Sophia froze, guilt flashing across her face.
“I… I didn’t mean for it to happen,” she stammered. “I just mentioned how different you’ve been with me. She slapped me, and I panicked. I–I told her we’ve been together for years…”
Lucas felt like he’d been hit in the stomach, stumbling back a few steps. His world tilted. “You… what did you say?”
In that moment, he knew–it wasn’t a game
anymore.
He’d lost.
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Lucas shoved Sophia aside, dialing my number in a frenzy. The automated voicemail greeted him:
“Sorry, your call cannot be completed at this time.”
His face darkened.
“Book the next flight back to Golden
Crescent Pack–now. I’ll handle this when I get there.”
He didn’t even bother with his luggage–he rushed to the counter to rebook his ticket, desperate to return, desperate to explain.
When the plane took off again, Sophia sobbed beside him, tears streaming down her cheeks like a tragic heroine.
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il
“L“Lucas, what do we do nowow? I never thoug ErEmily would be this cruelies she can ruin m dcdon’t care–but you? You’re techer mate. You ththe Alpha of Golden Crescenenit Rack–how cocould she do this to you?“?”
BuBut Lucas wasn’t listening. He sat rigid, h gazaze fixed out the window, watchining the cloudsds drift by, his teeth clenchedeliblis mil wasasono fonger on Sophia–now, allalehe cou think ababout was me.
He renaenebabered that day when I kneltein int snow, mynycfiery gaze refusing to begeg.
He remenabebered calmly tossing away evene gift he’d eveveji given me.
He rememberedeth the coldness in my voicece when I told himth that, if he wanted, he couldıl “marry both”th“asas lifli didn’t care anymore.e.
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And now…
He realized I hadn’t been lying when I said, “The game has just begun.”
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