Chapter 42
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Heat rushed to my face, humiliation burning my ears and neck. I kept my back to him, unwilling to let him see how his words still had power to hurt me. Turning away from the closet, I continued searching for my design tools and sketches, focusing on steady breaths to calm my racing heart.
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In the study, I found some of my design supplies and a few sketches. Relief washed over me, momentarily easing the knot in my stomach. But as I searched further, dread began pooling inside me. My main portfolio–years of work, hundreds of hours of creativity–was missing.
“Where’s my portfolio?” I turned to William, unable to keep my voice from wavering.
“Oh, that. He pretended to consider for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin. His eyes gleamed with pleasure at my distress. ‘I
burned it.”
“What?” The word escaped as barely a whisper, my lungs seeming to collapse. A cold numbness spread from my chest outward, my vision darkening at the edges.
“That was my response to your betrayal,” he shrugged, watching my face intently, drinking in my reaction. “You deserved it.”
Something snapped inside me. “You evil bastard!” The scream felt torn from someplace deep and primal. My vision blurred, hot tears spilling down my cheeks. My hands shook violently as the full impact hit me. “Those were my only copies of years of work!”
“You disrespected our mate bond. Consider it justified punishment,” William said, his lips curling upward as he watched my pain, savoring it. “I’ll make sure you can’t establish yourself in this city, Rebecca. No one will hire you, no one will help you.”
What happened next occurred so fast I barely processed it. Raymond moved with lightning speed, his fist connecting with William’s jaw. The sound was sickening–wet and solid. William stumbled backward, eyes wide with shock as he crashed into the wall and slid to the floor.
“You dare- William sputtered, blood trickling from his split lip. His eyes shifted color, amber replacing brown as his teeth elongated. His fingers transformed partially into claws, scraping against the hardwood floor as he pushed himself up. A low growl built in his throat, the sound raising the hair on my arms.
Raymond didn’t flinch, positioning himself between William and me. I pressed myself against the wall, heart hammering so hard I felt dizzy.
“Think carefully before your next move, Moretti,” Raymond’s voice was cold, lethal. “I stand here representing Dominic Sterling. Are you certain you want to challenge that?”
The name struck William visibly. He froze mid–movement, uncertainty flickering in his amber eyes. His gaze darted between Raymond and me, calculation replacing rage,
“Sterling?” William’s voice had lost its arrogance, the wolf features slowly receding. “What does Sterling have to do with her?”
Raymond nodded curtly. ‘Miss Brown is now Mr. Sterling’s personal assistant. She is under his protection.”
William stared at me, then suddenly erupted into mocking laughter. The sound cut through me, familiar in its cruelty. Blood still trickled from his lip as he wiped it with the back of his hand, staining his expensive shirt cuff.
“A personal assistant‘? Is that what they’re calling it now?‘ His eyes narrowed, gleaming with vicious satisfaction. “You’re nothing but a whore, Rebecca. You cheated on me the night before our wedding, and now you’ve crawled into the future Alpha’s bed.
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12:04 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 42
The accusation struck me hard, stealing my breath. My face burned with shame despite knowing the falseness of his words.
William stepped forward, his voice dropping to a malicious whisper. “If I had been more powerful, you would have stripped naked and climbed into my bed too, wouldn’t you? It’s all about status and money with you. Tell me I’m wrong.”
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12:05 Mon, Sep 22
Mated by Contract to the Alpha
