Ele’s POV
After hanging up with Brad, I felt a wave of regret wash over me. Damn it, why did I call him? I turned to Sophia, trying to cover my
embarrassment with false bravado.
I want to keep an eye on Mira Collins,‘ I announced, straightening my shoulders. “We need to figure out what kind of deal she has with Eric Ellen. As one of the Rayne Group’s board members, I have every right to-”
Oh, cut the crap, Sophia interrupted, rolling her eyes dramatically. “You don’t need to give me that bullshit excuse. You’re worried about Brad, so you want to dig deeper into this whole mess, right? I’m not an idiot, Elle.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. Fuck. I’d been caught red–handed trying to play it cool when I was anything but.
“I just…” I started, but Sophia was already pulling out her phone as it began ringing.
Her expression immediately shifted to serious when she saw the caller ID. “What’s going on?” she answered sharply.
I could hear crying on the other end, though I couldn’t make out the words. Sophia’s face darkened.
“You’re telling me what now?” Sophia’s voice dropped to a dangerous growl. “Where the fuck is Lester? Why can’t anyone reach the
Alpha?”
More sobbing came through the phone. Whatever was happening back at the pack clearly had everyone rattled.
“Those agreements are classified Frostclaw Pack business!” Sophia snapped, her Beta authority bleeding through every word. “I don’t care who it is–if anyone touches my files, you tear their throat out. I’ll take responsibility for the consequences.”
She paused, listening intently. I could see her jaw clenching as she processed whatever she was hearing.
“Hold the fucking line,‘ she commanded, “Don’t let anyone near those documents.”
When she hung up, Sophia looked torn between fury and worry.
“I’m so sorry, Elle,” she began, reaching out to touch my shoulder.
‘Don’t even start,‘ I cut her off, waving my hand dismissively. “Go handle it. This thing with Mira–we’re just messing around anyway. Real
emergencies come first, always.”
Sophia nodded gratefully, I need to change back into regular clothes and get out of here. But Elle, listen to me carefully–don’t try to
handle Mira on your own. If you want surveillance done, call Brad and have him send some of his subordinates. Don’t go chasing after
trouble yourself, you hear me?”
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Chapter 273
I nodded quickly, just wanting her to get going. “Yeah, yeah, I got it. Now go deal with your crisis.”
But Sophia wasn’t done with her warnings. If anything happens, you call me immediately, okay?”
Jesus Christ, Sophia, just go already! I practically pushed her toward the tent where she’d left her clothes.
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She finally hurried off to change, leaving me standing alone in the filming area. Most of the crew had dispersed after that disaster of a scene with Mira, and the location felt oddly quiet.
I was debating whether to just head back to the estate when I heard the sound of a car approaching fast. A familiar black vehicle pulled up, and my heart did this stupid little skip when I saw Brad climbing out.
How the hell did he get here so quickly? Wasn’t he supposed to be buried in important business?
Brad spotted me from across the lot and headed over with those long, purposeful strides that always made my pulse race.
“So,” he said when he reached me, those amber eyes scanning my face with barely concealed concern, “did you manage to uncover anything useful?”
I felt my cheeks burn again. Here I was, standing here like an idiot after calling him in a panic, and now I had to admit I’d learned basically nothing.
“You… you told me to investigate?” I shot back, lifting my chin defiantly. “I don’t even have an assistant with me here. I was just trying to be helpful by giving you a heads–up, that’s all.”
I had to maintain some dignity here. We were still fighting, still in this cold war, and I couldn’t let this arrogant Alpha think I was desperate to reconnect with him.
Brad glanced around the empty filming location, then looked back at me with what I swear was barely suppressed amusement.
“Well, what a coincidence,” he said, his tone perfectly casual. “I didn’t bring any of my people either. When I heard someone might be betraying pack alliances, I rushed over here without thinking.” He paused, letting his gaze drift toward the horizon. Oops. This is problematic.
“Shit,‘ I muttered. “This is about that Eric Ellen guy, right? He’s one of your board directors?”
Brad nodded grimly. “Eric Ellen isn’t just any board member. He’s the werewolf director overseeing our energy project collaboration with the Carter group.”
“Then we have to keep an eye on them,” I decided. “Two people are definitely better than you trying to handle surveillance alone. I mean, seriously, Brad–you’re the CEO of Rayne Group, you manage hundreds of thousands of employees, tens of thousands of middle management, millions of workers, plus all your werewolf subordinates, and you couldn’t bring even anybody with you?”
Brad actually looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. “I may have been… in a hurry.”
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The way he said it, combined with that almost shy expression, made my chest do something warm and fluttery. Damn it, Elle. You’re supposed to be angry at him.
Before I could overthink it, Brad suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me against his side.
“Mira’s coming, he murmured, his voice low and urgent.
1 immediately pressed closer to him, scanning the area for any sign of her. His Alpha scent wrapped around me like a security blanket, and I hated how right it felt to be this close to him again.
But when I searched everywhere and didn’t see hide nor hair of Mira, I started to get suspicious. I glanced up at Brad, only to find him staring down at me with an intensity that made my breath catch.
Those amber eyes held me captive, and I found myself drowning in their depths. There was something almost hypnotic about them–the way they seemed to see straight through to my soul, the way they made my knees weak and my resolve crumble.
“You… you…” I stammered, my heart hammering against my ribs.
His face was getting closer, and my body seemed to have completely betrayed me. Instead of pulling away like any rational person would do, I found myself leaning into him, drawn by some invisible force I couldn’t fight.
My mouth went dry, and even swallowing became difficult. This was insane. We were supposed to be fighting. We were supposed to be keeping our distance.
But God help me, I wanted him to kiss me.
Just when I thought our lips were about to meet, Brad’s gaze shifted past my ear, and he said in the most casual voice imaginable, “Oh, my mistake. That person really did look like Mira from this distance.”
I stood there frozen for a full minute, my brain struggling to process what had just happened.
That bastard had just played me like a fucking fiddle!
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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.
