After One Night with the Alpha
Chapter 234
Elle’s POV
I slid into the passenger seat of Brad’s car, my hands still trembling from what had just happened.
“Elle.” Brad asked me. “What really happened in there?”
I looked up to find his eyes on me, golden and intense. There was no point in trying to hide everything – Brad would find out eventually. He was too thorough, too protective, and frankly, too possessive to let this go uninvestigated.
Before I could answer, I felt something warm and sticky on my neck. I touched the spot and my fingers came away red.
“Fuck,” I whispered, staring at the blood.
Brad’s reaction was immediate and terrifying. The temperature in the car seemed to drop as his Alpha dominance filled the small space. When he spoke, his voice was deadly quiet.
“Who did this to you?”
I pressed my hand against the wound, feeling the sting more acutely now. The scratches weren’t deep, but they were unmistakably claw marks. There was no hiding this.
“It was Calista,” I said softly.
The silence that followed was worse than any explosion. I could practically feel Brad’s rage building, controlled but volcanic. When he finally spoke, his voice
was ice–cold.
なし
“That fucking bitch. I should have known.” He pulled out his phone with one hand while keeping the other on the steering wheel. “Alex, change of plans. Tell Victoria that Elle was injured and I’m taking her home to get medical attention.”
“Brad, please,” I said, reaching for his arm. “Don’t let this damage the relationship between our families. The Hamilton alliance is too important.”
He looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “You’re bleeding, Elle. She could have hurt the baby.‘
“But she didn’t,” I said firmly. “And starting a war over this will only give Lucas and his supporters more ammunition against you. Please, just… handle this quietly.”
Brad’s jaw was tight with barely controlled fury, but after a long moment, he nodded. ‘Fine I’ll handle it my way. But you don’t go anywhere near that psychotic bitch again, understood?”
I nodded, though I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was far from over.
The next few days passed in a blur of self–imposed isolation. I used my pregnancy as an excuse to decline every invitation that came my way, claiming fatigue and morning sickness. In truth, I just needed time to process everything that had happened and to stay out of the line of fire while Brad… handled things.
Alex kept me informed of Brad’s methods, and I had to admit they were both creative and ruthless. Instead of direct confrontation, he’d gone straight for
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Chapter 234
Calista’s weaknesses.
049
“He’s prepared a list of potential suitors for Miss Hamilton,” Alex reported during one of our check–ins. ‘She’s required to attend no fewer than three dates per day, sometimes as many as six. And she’s not allowed to refuse any of them.”
That’s diabolical,” I said, though I couldn’t help but feel a savage satisfaction.
“It gets better,” Alex continued. “He’s also arranged for Peter to be sent on an extended business trip – something about establishing new partnerships in
Germany. He’ll be gone for at least six months.”
I winced at that. Separating Calista from Peter was probably the kindest thing Brad could have done for both of them, but I knew it would feel like torture to Calista. Her brother complex had been the driving force behind all her actions.
“Sometimes the cruelest punishments don’t involve bloodshed,” I murmured.
That afternoon, as I was settling in for another quiet day at home, Martha approached me with a package.
“This arrived for you, Mrs. Rayne,” she said, setting down a carefully wrapped box. “I’ve already checked it for security concerns
I opened the package carefully, and my expression must have been quite something because Martha immediately leaned in to look.
no prohibited items.”
Inside were the plants Peter had given me from his conservatory, carefully packaged and obviously tended with great care during transport.
“Oh my, Martha breathed. “These flowers are beautifully maintained. And look at this – these are grafted specimens. This orchid here has been crossed with elements from red spider lily plants, which is why the blooms have such an unusual, almost ethereal quality.”
One of the younger maids, who had been helping to rearrange the sitting room, looked up with interest. Red spider lilies? Aren’t those supposed to be the flowers that grow along the path to the afterlife? They’re said to connect the world of the living with the world of the dead.” She stopped abruptly, seeming to realize the morbid implications of her words.
I stared at the flowers, understanding dawning. Peter hadn’t just sent me a gift – he’d sent me a message. These plants, beautiful as they were, represented his connection to Dakota. Through me, he was trying to maintain some link to the woman he’d lost.
‘Set them up wherever you think they’ll thrive,” I said finally.
That evening, I retreated to my room earlier than usual, claiming exhaustion. I was settling in for the night when my phone rang. The caller ID showed
Peter’s number.
I stared at it for several rings, debating whether to answer. Finally, curiosity won out.
‘What is it?” I asked, my voice carefully neutral.
“I wanted to apologize,” Peter’s voice was rough, as if he’d been crying. “For everything that happened. I know it doesn’t change anything, but I needed you to know how sorry I am. I never wanted there to be any… distance between us because of that incident.”
I closed my eyes, feeling a familiar exhaustion settle over me. “Are you apologizing to me, Peter? Or are you apologizing to Dakota? If you’re apologizing to
me,
then you should know it’s unnecessary. I won’t tell anyone what happened – hot for your sake, but for the sake of both our families. And if you’re trying
to apologize to Dakota through me, well… that’s pointless, because I’m not her.“!
The silence stretched between us.
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Chapter 234
“If you don’t have anything else to say, I continued, then I’d prefer if you didn’t contact me again. Regardless of how innocent our interactions might be, Calista clearly doesn’t see it that way.”
“I swear to you, Peter said suddenly, his voice intense with desperate sincerity, “I will never let Calista hurt you again. I swear on my life that I’ll protect you, whether you want me to or not. It doesn’t matter if you never forgive me-
I hung up without another word.
Ugh, I’m getting sick of this.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
