Chapter 37
Aria’s POV
No. This can’t be happening.
Why would she do this to me?
“Delilah! This has to be some kind of misunderstanding. Why are you”
“Shut up, you bitch” she snapped. “How many lies are you going to keep telling me? I never should’ve taken you a friend in the first place!”
“I never lied to you! You really were my friend
That just pissed her off even more. Her voice rose in pitch and fury. “Liarl Are you seriously gonna stand there and say you weren’t my husband’s ex? That you never tried to seduce him?”
“Look, I did date Jace, yes. But after we broke up. I never did anything inappropriate with him, I swear!TM”
But she wasn’t listening. She yelled even louder, “And the worst part is, you didn’t just go after Jace. You went after my brother too! How many men do you need whore?“,
“No, Delilah-
“Don’t bother denying it. I’ve got the proof!”
She pointed toward the big screen. The slideshow that had been showing my project suddenly switched to something else.
Photos
of me and Grayson
Photos of us at the villa, him picking me up from work, shots of us in Europe, and even one from a few days ago where I was sitting on his lap in his office. I had no idea how we were even photographed.
Gasps and murmurs erupted from the audience. I felt like the blood in my veins had frozen.
*You knew about us, Delilah,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “You even supported us, remember? What changed?”
She gave me a disgusted look. “That was before I realized you’re a shameless, low–class slut who’ll sleep with anyone to get what she wants. Someone like you doesn’t deserve my brother.”
Her words hit like knives.
They sounded way too familiar,
Like something Jace would say.
“He got to you, didn’t he?” I said sharply. “Jade told you something, didn’t he? He’s manipulating you, Delilah. Do not fall for it.”
“Shut the fuck up. Why would I trust you over my
ry own husband?”
She pressed the clicker again. The screen changed.
Now it was a video,
1/4
Chapter 37
A video of me and Zane at the bar, drinking and standing close together. Then a video of us by his car, his arm around my shoulder
“You all want to know how the landed the project?” Delilah screamed across the ballroom. “it’s simple!”
She pointed at me, voice ringing o
“She let them fuck her. That’s it! The proof is right there on the screen!”
- NO.
No, no, no.
Eworked hard for this.
- s. I stayed up night after night revising that proposal. Maybe i got a bit lucky, but i never slept with Zane.
“That’s not true!” I shouted. “He just gave me a ride home after a couple drinks and that is it! Nothing else happened. I’m not that kind of person–I would never-”
But my words were drowned out by the murmurs in the crowd.
My coworkers downstage stared at me like I was a monster. Just days ago, they were patting me on the back, cheering me on. Now they
looked like they wanted to drag me outside and burn me at the stake.
I heard them whispering
….God, I knew she was a slut…
“Come on, there’s no way she could’ve landed that deal without using her body. Even Jace couldn’t do it.”
“She tried to seduce Alpha Grayson too! That’s fucking disgusting”
The chaos grew louder. Suddenly someone threw something at me a water bottle.
Then came a notebook. A pen. Whatever they could throw. One hit me square in the forehead. I felt blood start to drip.
“Stop! That’s enough” someone shouted, I recognized Gary’s voice. “What the hell are you all doing? This is a shareholder meeting, not a goddamn witch hunt!”
Delilah stood tall on the stage, her voice ice–cold. “This is very much about the company, Gary. She used sex to land a business deal. I’m officially voiding her contract.”
No. She had no right!
Twiped the blood from my face and glared at her. “Everything you’re accusing me of is a lie. And you don’t even have the authority to vold anything. This project benefits Apex. You have no reason to destroy it.”
*I’m not destroying it I’m restarting it. Once your contract’s voided, we’ll have someone more professional handle negotiations with Mr. Elrod. This time, everything will be clean and fair-”
I cut her off. “More professional? You mean your dear husband? Newsflash–he’s a useless puss! When I worked under him, I wrote all his damn proposals”
“LIARI” she shrieked, her face flushed.
“Then call him here,” challenged. “Let’s present our understanding of the project to the shareholders and see who actually knows what they’re talking about.”
Chapter 37
Jace. That fucking coward.
Still hiding behind his wife. Letting her fight all his battles.
Delilah clenched her fists. “I don’t need to bring him here. You’re not even worth his time.”
“Oh really? Or is he just too scared?” I stepped closer, “Because he knows the second he shows his face, I’ll destroy him.”
Delilah looked ready to explode.
But just before she could respond, a deep voice echoed through the room-
“Mrs. Hart would like to speak.”
There’s an instant silence.
Everyone shut their mouth and turned to look.
The Harts still sat there with the grace and poise of royalty, like none of the chaos had touched them.
Their butler stood beside them and announced in a booming
VOICE:
“Arrest Aria Collins.”
A team of guards marched up the stage, twisted my arms, and cuffed me. I was too shocked to even resist.
“What did I do?!” I screamed, “I didn’t break any laws! You can’t arrest me!”
But the former Luna still didn’t look at me. Like I was some kind of insect beneath her notice.
It was the butler who answered for her.
“You offended the Alpha family. And in this world, the Harts are the law. Take her away!”
No.
…Grayson, help me…
Third Person POV
On a private jet heading toward another pack,
Grayson sat on the sofa, eyes locked on the tablet streaming Apex’s shareholder meeting.
His expression was unreadable, but his normally grey eyes were darkening fast–turning into a dangers shade of black.
His Beta Harold sat across from him, nervous, Grayson didn’t lose control often, but when he did, it was terrifying
And this time Harold could tell—it was going to be bad.
“Call Nora. Tell her to stabilize the situation.” Grayson said, his voice cold and quiet.
“Yes, Alpha.” Harold hesitated. “But… are you sure you want to waste your time saving that girl? You saw the video with her and Zane. In my opinion, she doesn’t exactly seem all that innocent-
Chapter 37
CRUNCH.
The tablet in Grayson’s hand shattered like a piece of tin foil
He slowly looked up at Harold, his eyes pure black.
Harold stiffened instantly and shut his mouth.
“Tum this damn plane around,” Grayson growled.
“Yes Alpha!”
