Episode 14
Seraphina’s POV
The roar of an engine shattered the peaceful stillness. Caden and I turned simultaneously to see a car hurtling toward us, its tires skidding to a halt. Damon and Althea stepped out, their faces twisted with anger.
“Seraphina, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Damon barked as he stormed toward me. “Are you trying to seduce Alpha Caden?”
Althea staggered behind him, her voice shrill and venomous. “I told you she’s a whore! That child she carried three years ago probably wasn’t even yours!”
Her words struck a nerve, unleashing a fury I couldn’t contain. She could insult me all she wanted, but dragging my child into this was unforgivable. I strode up to her and slapped her with every ounce of strength I could muster.
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the air as Althea’s head snapped to the side. A bright red handprint bloomed on her cheek, and she clutched it, staring at me in stunned horror. “Y-you slapped me?!”
“Have you lost your mind, Seraphina?” Damon snarled, shoving me back. “Stay away from Althea!”
Tears of anger blurred my vision as I glared at them both. “She’s lucky I only slapped her once! How dare she lie about me and my child!”
Damon’s face twisted into a sneer. “Maybe she’s not lying. Maybe you really are as easy as she says. I saw you earlier, practically clinging to Alpha Caden! Don’t forget—you’re still my wife until our divorce is finalized.”
Althea hid behind Damon, clutching his arm and sobbing theatrically. “Alpha Caden, is it true? Did she try to seduce you? Is that why she got the Carnival City project? Please wake up! You don’t know how many men she’s been with!”
Damon’s expression darkened as if a realization had dawned on him. “So that’s it! You bribed him with your body, didn’t you, Seraphina?”
My body trembled with humiliation and rage. Althea’s lies were spinning out of control, staining my reputation.
Before I could respond, Caden stepped forward, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. His touch steadied me, his voice ice-cold as he addressed Althea. “You’ll regret every word you’ve said once we’re in court.”
Althea’s smug expression faltered, and her face turned pale. “C-court? Are you serious?” she stammered, her voice quivering.
Caden’s smirk was chilling. “The last person I sued threw themselves off a building. You might want to think about that before you keep running your mouth.”
Althea gasped, her lips trembling as she shrank back in fear. Damon, however, was still seething, his gaze locked on Caden’s hand resting on my shoulder.
“Alpha Caden,” Damon demanded, his tone filled with accusation, “if you’re not fooling around with Seraphina, why bring her here?”
Caden’s calm gaze met his. “We’re here to survey the land.”
I crossed my arms and shot Damon a glare. “And what about you? Are you following me now?”
Damon’s eyes flickered with guilt before he quickly turned to Althea. She stammered, “W-we’re here to check the land too! Don’t forget, we’re part of this project!”
Her lie was as transparent as glass. I stepped closer, fixing her with a sharp stare. “If that’s true, then answer me this—how big is the Carnival City site?”
Althea’s face turned ashen. “A-a few hundred square kilometers?”
“952 square kilometers,” I corrected, my voice steady. “And how many casinos are planned? Nightclubs? When will the first batch of hotels be completed?”
Her eyes darted nervously. “I-I don’t know… Don’t come any closer…”
“244 casinos. Ten major nightclubs. Hotels scheduled for completion in September of the year after next,” I snapped, my tone cutting. “You don’t even know the basics. How can you claim to be part of this project? Stop following me around and do your research!”
Althea burst into tears, turning to Damon for help. “D-Damon, look! Seraphina’s bullying me again!”
But Damon didn’t rush to her side. Instead, he stared at me with an expression I couldn’t quite place—admiration? Regret? I didn’t care.
I turned on my heel and headed back to the car. Caden followed closely behind, pausing only to cast a derisive glance at Damon. “It seems you left Seraphina for a fool,” he remarked with a mocking laugh.
Damon’s face darkened further, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists.
As we drove away, I caught a glimpse of Damon berating Althea in the rearview mirror. Satisfaction welled up inside me. For once, she didn’t escape the consequences of her manipulative tears.
“Clowns,” Caden scoffed, shaking his head.
“And those clowns nearly destroyed my life,” I sighed. After a moment, I added, “Can you drop me off at the military camp on the way back?”
“Of course,” he replied. “If you need soldiers, mine are at your disposal.”
I shook my head. “No, I just need to talk to my people from Emerald Howl Pack. I need their help to reclaim my dowry.”
A Shocking Discovery
Caden dropped me off at the camp’s entrance. As I stepped inside, a sense of unease settled over me. I approached a passing soldier. “Excuse me, do you know where I can find Captain Trent?”
The soldier looked at me quizzically. “Trent? We don’t have anyone by that name here.”
My stomach dropped. “What about…” I rattled off several other names, but the soldier shook his head each time.
Panicking, I rushed to the office and asked to see the roster. The officer on duty recognized me and handed it over without question. My heart pounded as I scanned the list, but the names of my soldiers from Emerald Howl Pack were nowhere to be found.
It was as if they had vanished.
Desperation clawed at my chest. Where were my soldiers?
“Can you check the transfer records?” I asked the officer, my voice trembling. “At least tell me where Trent went.”
The officer frowned. “Trent? Oh, you’ll find him at the garbage dump behind the camp.”
Confused, I hurried to the dump, only to be met with the stench of rot and decay. A garbage truck was parked beside a massive dumpster, and several workers were hauling trash bags into it.
And there, among them, was Trent.
My heart twisted painfully. Trent, once one of the most respected warriors of Emerald Howl Pack, was now reduced to hauling garbage.
“Trent!” I called, rushing toward him.
He turned at the sound of my voice. For a brief moment, his eyes lit up with recognition, but the light quickly faded as he looked away and continued his work.
“Trent, what’s going on? Why are you here?” I demanded, but he ignored me.
“Trent!” I shouted, grabbing his arm. “Tell me what happened!”
He finally turned to me, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m just a lowly garbage worker. I can’t speak to the mighty Luna.”
His words cut deep. We had grown up together, trained side by side under my brother’s guidance. How had it come to this?
“Trent…” My voice cracked, tears welling in my eyes. “Please, just tell me the truth.”
Before he could answer, a supervisor stormed over, wielding a stun baton. “Trent! Get back to work, you lazy piece of shit!” he shouted before jabbing the baton into Trent’s side.
Electricity coursed through Trent’s body, and he collapsed to his knees with a muffled groan.
I stared in horror. “What the hell are you doing?!” I screamed, my voice trembling with rage.
But what shocked me even more was that Trent didn’t fight back.
