Episode 9
Seraphina’s POV
“And she stole the Carnival City project! We can’t let her rob us blind!” Althea’s voice rang with righteous indignation, her gaze sweeping the room as though rallying an army. “I think she should be expelled immediately, and she shouldn’t be allowed to take a single asset from the pack!”
I locked eyes with her, a steely defiance igniting within me.
So, this was her plan—to brand me a thief and strip me of my dowry and the project I had poured my soul into. Sneaky little snake.
“How can I steal something that already belongs to me?” I snapped.
Damon’s expression darkened as he narrowed his eyes. “Don’t be stupid, Seraphina. Throwing together a few spreadsheets doesn’t make you the boss. Nearly a hundred employees worked on this project from the start, and Crimson Hollow Pack paid for everything—their salaries, travel expenses, the office rent. The one footing the bill is the boss.”
His words dripped with condescension, and my sarcasm rose to match it.
He truly had no clue.
Wordlessly, I pulled out my phone, scrolling until I found the bank transfer records I needed. I held the screen up for everyone to see. “Here’s last month’s payroll, paid directly from my personal account. Crimson Hollow Pack hasn’t contributed a single penny to this project since the beginning.”
A collective gasp rippled through the room.
“That’s impossible!” Damon barked, his shock evident.
“I applied for funding a year ago,” I replied icily, my disappointment palpable. “But you turned me down, remember? You called it a ‘stupid idea’ and said I was wasting pack resources. I had no choice but to fund it myself.”
Damon’s face twisted, no doubt recalling the exact conversation I had referenced. His silence spoke volumes.
“If you doubt me, feel free to audit my accounts. Everything I’ve said is true,” I added coldly.
“But what about the personnel?!” Althea interjected, her desperation seeping through her polished façade. “Surely all the employees are Damon’s people. That makes the project his!”
“Not quite,” I retorted. “Eighty percent of them aren’t from Crimson Hollow Pack. I had to hire externally because there weren’t enough qualified locals. Again, you can check the personnel records if you’d like.”
The awkward silence that followed was delicious. Their attempt to brand me a thief had backfired spectacularly.
“WAIT!” Althea’s voice cut through the tension, her panic evident. “What about the partnership with Obsidian Crest Pack? You must have leveraged Crimson Hollow’s international influence to secure it! Without your title as Luna, you’d have nothing to offer!”
I barely suppressed a laugh. Her accusation was beyond ridiculous.
But before I could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed behind me. I turned to see Caden, Alexander, and several of my employees striding confidently into the council hall. Their arrival silenced the room instantly.
“Alpha Caden!” Damon shot to his feet, clearly caught off guard. “What brings you here?”
“To clear up some misunderstandings,” Caden replied, his tone as icy as his gaze. “Alexander?”
Alexander stepped forward, his authoritative voice carrying through the hall. “Miss Seraphina never mentioned being Alpha Damon’s Luna when she approached me.”
“Impossible!” Althea snapped, her composure cracking as she trembled with disbelief. “That’s her only advantage! She wouldn’t have anything else to offer!”
Alexander’s expression remained impassive as he continued. “She presented an exceptional business proposal. I chose to work with her because of her talent—not because of her marital status.”
Althea’s face drained of color, as though she’d been physically struck.
Caden slid his hands into his pockets, his smirk sharp and unrelenting. “Your mistress has a grossly inflated sense of this pack’s importance. Crimson Hollow Pack doesn’t hold nearly as much international influence as she seems to think. Honestly, it’s embarrassing how ignorant she is.”
Althea stiffened, her indignation rising. “I have a degree in Economics—”
Before she could finish, Damon clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing her outburst. His expression was tight with frustration as he turned back to Caden. “My sincerest apologies, Alpha Caden. Please allow me some time to rectify this situation—”
“You said the same thing last night,” Caden interrupted coolly. “And yet, things have only worsened.”
Caden’s tone sharpened, his patience visibly thinning. “There are plenty of packs with empty lands eager for development. I could easily walk away and take this project elsewhere.”
Damon’s breathing quickened, his desperation barely concealed. “Please, don’t do that. Tell me how I can fix this.”
Caden’s gaze shifted to Althea, his expression hard and unforgiving. “Kick this foolish woman out of the pack and agree to partner with Emerald Howl Pack. Only then will I consider moving forward.”
Althea’s Desperation
Althea staggered back as though struck, her face twisted with horror. Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she clung to Damon’s arm like a lifeline.
“No…NO!” she cried, her voice trembling. “I’m your future Luna! I deserve to manage all of Crimson Hollow’s projects. Don’t let them bully me like this. Please, Damon—you have to help me!”
Her tearful pleas filled the room, but the once-confident mask she wore had been shattered. I stood silently, watching the scene unfold with a quiet satisfaction. Damon’s indecision was written all over his face as he glanced between Althea and Caden, trapped by his own poor choices.
