Chapter 260
Elle’s POV
‘Come on, I’d have to be living under a rock not to know who she was. But we weren’t exactly close.” he said.
‘Speaking of which,‘ Roy continued, his expression shifting to genuine remorse, I owe you a major apology for my mating ceremony. I was a terrible host- didn’t give you the welcome you deserved. Really sorry about that.”
I shook my head with a smile, surprised by his thoughtfulness. “Are you kidding? You had like a hundred guests to deal with. I totally get why things slipped through the cracks. Besides, I wasn’t mistreated or anything.”
I grinned, feeling more relaxed than I had in‘ days.
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze intent. “So here’s the thing–I’d really like us to be friends, if you’re cool with that. And I mean, no matter what happens
with you and Brad–whether you two stay together or end up going your separate ways–I want to be your friend. What do you say?‘
I felt my expression grow more serious as I considered his words. The weight of his sincerity wasn’t lost on me. After a moment of reflection, I nodded
firmly.
Seeing my agreement, Roy broke into a huge grin. “Awesome! Since we’re officially friends now, let me tell you a secret about what Brad’s actually been up to
these past few days.”
He leaned closer, lowering his voice like he was sharing government secrets. ‘You’re pissed that Brad’s got some side piece somewhere?”
For a moment, I couldn’t find the words to respond.
Roy made a disapproving sound. “Women, I swear–always overthinking everything. And that Alpha’s an idiot too, actually putting on this whole playboy act and letting people snap photos of him with that werewolf singer Skylar. But if you’re buying into any of that bullshit, then you’ve been played hard.”
Suspicion crept into my voice. “Why are you sticking up for him? Oh wait, let me guess. You grew up together–of course you’ve got his back. Did he send
you to talk to me?”
Roy looked genuinely offended, making this hilarious hurt expression. “Seriously? We literally just became friends and you’re already doubting me? I wanted to tell you this myself. Brad doesn’t have jack shit to do with this conversation.”
His dramatic reaction made me smile despite myself. “Okay, okay. I’m listening.”
‘Do you have any idea who he’s been trying to fool with all this crap?” Roy asked.
I shook my head, genuinely lost.
“He’s definitely not trying to fool you–why the hell would he need to trick his own mate? All this playboy bullshit these past few days? It’s one giant performance for two specific people. Bet you can’t guess, but the Rayne family bastard is about to get royally screwed.”
“Wait, what?” I asked, completely confused.
‘Lucas, Roy explained. “This whole damn thing is designed to take him down.”
I stared at Roy, trying to wrap my head around this. “But why would-‘
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Chapter 260
“Look, Brad sucks at expressing feelings,” Roy cut me off. “which is why you’ve been so confused about everything. You’re still mad about him going after the
Blair family business, aren’t you?‘
I didn’t answer, just gripped my water glass tighter, emotions all over the place.
Roy kept going. “Brad attacking the Blair family was pretty reckless, I’ll give you that. But he’s not some hothead who acts without thinking. Impulsive Alphas don’t last five minutes in werewolf politics or business. He earned that CEO chair through actual skill, not because daddy handed it to him.
He paused, reading my expression before continuing. When the Blair family reached out to you, you could’ve been swayed to go back to them at any time. Here’s the thing–nothing stays secret in our world. Your every move was being watched by Brad, and more importantly, by people who actually want to hurt
you.”
‘Brad knew this, so he decided to play dumb and set a trap. He pretended he had no clue about you reconnecting with the Blair family, then started going full aggro on their businesses because he knew damn well you wouldn’t just sit there and watch them burn.”
Roy’s voice got more intense as he laid out the strategy. “You’re way too soft–hearted–of course you’d try to help them. But you don’t have enough cash lying around to bail them out, so you’d have to sell your stock. The second your shares hit the market, all the vultures hiding in the shadows would swoop in. That’s where Brad set his trap–he’s been waiting for them to make their move so he could grab them by the throat and crush them.”
I felt all the blood drain from my face as understanding hit me like a truck.
“These past few days, he’s been putting on quite the show,” Roy continued. “Making everyone think he’d lost interest in his mate, lost his confidence, started hitting up clubs and chasing tail–pure smokescreen. You had to look like you’d fallen from grace before you sell those stocks!”
“If Brad had kept being all lovey–dovey with you, you’d still be the untouchable Alpha’s mate. Why would you ever need to sell your holdings? Only when everything looked perfect for them–when the opposition totally bought the act–would they dare to come out of hiding and try to kick you while you were
down.”
Roy leaned back with this satisfied look. “Today’s the day he springs the trap. If everything went according to plan, most of their money should already be caught in his net. Brad never fights a battle he can’t win. This time, Lucas is completely fucked. The hilarious part is, that bastard probably thinks he’s scored some amazing deal. He has zero clue that Brad’s been playing him this whole time.”
.
My hands were shaking as the full scope of Brad’s manipulation became crystal clear.
‘Rayne family assets controlled by some bastard son? Yeah right,” Roy concluded. “There’s still a little time left. If everything goes smoothly, this whole thing should wrap up in an hour or two.”
I sat there in complete shock, realizing I’d never really understood Brad at all.
Roy, now my friend, asked gently, ‘Since we’re buddies now, can I ask what you’re planning to do about your future? Word is the Blair family’s got some marriage contract with the Carter family.”
I nodded honestly, not trying to dodge the question.
‘I get what you’re asking,” I said after a moment. “I don’t want to break the mate bond with Brad. Obviously, he’s the one I love, and I’m pretty sure I’m the one he loves too. As for the Blair family stuff… I’ll figure something out. But honestly, I don’t have any brilliant solutions right now. I want to find a way to make it right with the Carter family somehow, but not by throwing away my own happiness.”
Roy smiled approvingly. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
Just as our conversation was winding down, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen–Sophia.
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Chapter 260
“Elle!‘ came Sophia’s voice through the speaker, sounding totally wiped out.
I couldn’t help but mess with her. “What’s up? Finally decided to rejoin the land of the living?”
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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.
