Chapter 71
Aria’s POV
There was a brief silence-
Then someone screamed.
Delilah stumbled back in panic and collapsed to the ground. She clutched her chest before vomiting all over the floor.
“Throwing up at the sight of a little blood. And you thought you could lead a pack,” Grayson said coldly.
He walked over to me, took my hand, and checked my face. “Are you alright?”
I nodded, still trembling from the shock. “Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.”
That was one hell of a surprise gift.
“W–What the fuck!” Jace stammered, his voice shaking. He looked like he might throw up too. “Are you out of your mind?! Why would you
give me a…a fucking head? Who the hell is this guy anyway?!”
“Take a closer look,” Grayson said. “You might recognize him.”
Jace clenched his jaw and snuck a glance at the severed head on the floor-
Then froze.
“No… no, that’s not possible…” His voice cracked in horror. “That’s… Beta Harold?”
The crowd erupted in murmurs.
Delilah peeked over and screamed as well, “It is! That’s really him! Oh my god, you’re crazy. You killed your own Beta!”
She scrambled to her feet and shouted to the people around her, “Did you see what’s going on here? My brother’s lost his goddamn mind! He killed his own Beta and brought his head here as a gift. Who does that?! How can a lunatic like him lead this pack?”
The crowd stirred uncomfortably. I instinctively looked at Grayson, nervous.
When he gave the order to take Harold away that day, I thought the worst he’d do was throw him in a cell or maybe assign him extra patrol
shifts.
I didn’t think… he’d actually kill Harold.
Because a Beta is like the soul of a pack. Right below the Alpha in importance. They’re chosen by the Alpha and meant to work side by side,
like brothers.
You’re supposed to respect your Beta.
You definitely don’t kill him without a damn good reason.
What was Grayson thinking?
“She’s right,” Jace jumped in, clearly catching on. “Alpha Grayson is unfit to lead. Actually, we should overthrow him right here, right now!
Who’s with me?”
1/4
Chapter 71
He threw his fist in the air, trying to rally the crowd into a revolt.
Mr. and Mrs. Carter quickly responded. They clapped, jumping up and down, acting like their son had already taken over the pack.
But awkwardly… no one else moved.
Everyone stood still, tense and uneasy, all eyes on Grayson.
Suddenly, Grayson laughed.
A low, icy laugh that sent chills down my spine.
“Funny. You actually think you can climb above me?” he said with a dangerous smile.
“W–Why not? You’re a tyrant! We’re doing this for the pack and the members,” Jace growled.
“You want to know why Harold had to die?” Grayson asked.
His steel–gray eyes locked on Jace as he stepped forward.
Jace tried to stand his ground but ended up stumbling backward under the pressure of Grayson’s Alpha aura.
“Because he was disloyal,” Grayson said in a voice like a blade. “He started taking orders from people other than me. He broke the most sacred rule of being a Beta.”
Jace had now backed behind Delilah, using her like a human shield.
I rolled my eyes. Puss.
“You gave Harold orders and had him break into the hospital,” Grayson continued, “kidnap Aria’s grandmother, cut off her meds, and keep her from seeing a doctor. Harold knew I would disapprove and yet he still followed your orders. And kept me in the dark. That betrayal cost
him his life.”
He glared down at the terrified couple. “Disloyalty has consequences.”
Delilah was pale as a ghost, standing protectively in front of Jace.
“So this is about that tramp Aria again, isn’t it?” she spat. “You are just seeking revenge for your whore. You killed your own Beta for her. Everyone, are you really okay with this madness?”
She looked around desperately, searching for someone–anyone–to agree with her. But the crowd just frowned back.
Then the jewelry designer Lady Sabrina raised her voice:
“With all due respect, Lady Delilah, but this clearly isn’t just about Miss Collins. The issue is that Beta Harold acted behind Alpha Grayson’s back. He can no longer be trusted.”
“Behind his back?!” Jace’s mother suddenly shouted. That woman really had the guts to speak in a pack meeting. “He was following orders from Delilah and my son. They’re part of the Hart family too! They have rights to lead!”
Sabrina gave her a disgusted look. “Only the Alpha has the authority to command a Beta. Your son’s just some freeloading brat with zero power.”
The crowd burst into mocking laughter, People nodded in agreement.
Jace’s face turned bright red from humiliation. “So Harold made one tiny mistake. And it deserved death? That’s fucking brutall
Chapter 71
“You’re damn right I’m brutal,” Grayson said Icily. “That means I don’t show mercy to anyone. Not even my own family.
His eyes moved slowly between Delilah and Jace.
“So I’ll ask you one question. Who gave Harold the orders to act behind my back?” he demanded.
They froze.
Delilah clenched her skirt so hard her long manicured nails looked like they might snap.
“What difference does it make? We’re mar
We’re in this together.” she snapped.
gets a harsher punishment,” Grayson said, staring straight into his sister’s eyes. “So, was it you?
“It makes all the difference. The mastermin
Delilah hesitated.
That’s when I noticed Jace quietly tugging on her elbow, his face pale and nervous.
“Yes, it was me! So what?!” Delilah suddenly spanned. “I’m your sister. What are you gonna do? Exile me? Kill me? Go ahead, Grayson! That would make you a devil in the world’s eyes
Grayson tilted his head, studying her panicked face.
“You’re right. Your bloodline saved your life. So no, I won’t kill you.” he said calmly. “But I will strip you of your inheritance and your title.”
What???
I gasped. And so did everyone else around me.
Delilah Hart… stripped of her title?
But she was one of the most famous socialites in the world. From the day she was born, she lived with the finest clothes, jewelry, and luxury. Her beauty, her power, her reputation–it was all because she was the Hart family heiress.
And now… Grayson was taking it all away?
To Delilah, that might be worse than death.
“What?! No… NO!!”
She screamed. Her whole body trembled as she cried:
“You can’t do that. You don’t have the right! I was born with that title! You can’t just take it from me!”
“Oh, but I can.”
Grayson pulled a paper from inside his jacket and held it up for her to see. “This is a formal order to revoke your privileges. Lawyers had reviewed it. The entire Elder Council signed it. just have to say one word–and it becomes official.”
“No… no…” Delilah sobbed, shaking her head like a broken doll.
“And you know what that means,” Grayson said, his voice cold and merciless. “Tomorrow, you move out of the Hart Estate. You take nothing. No jewelry, no designer clothes, no credit cards. Everything will be frozen. You’ll have to get a job, rent your own place, buy your own clothes, shop for discount goods.”
He paused, then let out a cold chuckle.
Chapter 71
*Though I wonder what kind of job you could get. Seeing as the only thing you’ve ever learned over the years is host to spend money.
Delilah looked like she was about to faint in fear. “Stop it, Grayson, pleate… this can’t be real…
* I’ll ask one last time. Were you the one who ordered Harold?” he asked,
She trembled all over. And then broke down,
NO! It wasn’t me! It was…It was Jace!!” she screamed.
“Delilah!” Jace shouted in outrage. But that didn’t stop her.
“It was him. It was all his ideal He made me go after Aria’s grandmother to get back at her. I didn’t even want to–but he forced me! And even before that, he was the one who framed Aria at work, said she lost the client and got her fired. Because he didn’t want his ex–girlfriend working with him in the same company. The truth is–Aria did nothing wrong. She was actually one of the best employees…
She burst into tears, crumbling to the ground with her face in her hands.
“I can’t lose my title and my money… please don’t take it from me, Grayson…” she sobbed.
I clenched my fists, my body trembling slightly.
Finally.
After the darkest year of my life, after losing everything, after being called a slut again and again-
They finally told the truth.
God knows how long I’ve waited for this moment.
“So, it’s Jace Carter.”
Grayson’s voice was low and dark, like the stillness before a storm. He fixed his gaze upon Jace.
Jace looked like he was about to faint. Delilah cried out in a panic, “But he’s still my husband. And he’s not a bad person. He hasn’t hurt too many people, besides Aria. Please don’t hurt-”
“Jace Carter shall be chopped off his wolf claws and expelled from this pack to be a street wolf.”
