Chapter 23
At the same time, in the boardroom, Leopold sat at the head of the long conference table, listening to his executives‘ reports, fingers
absently stroking the phone screen.
On the screen was a screenshot he’d received the night before–Clarisse standing on the beach, staring out over the horizon, her silhouette so thin and fragile it looked like the sea breeze might blow her away at any moment.
“Leopold? Regarding the acquisition-”
“Postpone it.” He stood up abruptly. “Get the car ready. I’m going to the airport.”
His Beta blinked. “But the board-”
“I said now.”
At the tarmac, the moment his private jet touched down, Leopold stormed down the steps.
It had been three days. Three days without her, and it had driven him mad.
“Alpha Leopold, the gifts are all ready,” his Beta reported as he rushed after him, holding a stack of exquisite boxes. “The blue
diamond necklace you requested, and the Luna’s favorite—”
“Where is she?” Leopold cut him off.
“She’s in… the master bedroom…”
The servant’s hesitant tone made Leopold’s chest tighten.
His expression darkened suddenly. He broke into a run toward the wolf castle.
The door to the master bedroom burst open.
Clarisse sat at the edge of the bed, a deep cut slashed across her wrist, blood dripping steadily to the carpet below, blooming into a dark
red stain.
Leopold’s pupils shrank. He dashed forward, grabbing her wrist in a panic.
“If you dare die, I’ll bury the entire Noctelle Pack with you.”
Clarisse looked up at him, her pale face twisted in a sneer.
“What do I have to do for you to let me go?!”
“Say you love me.”
“In your dreams!”
Leopold stared at her for a long moment. Then, suddenly, he smiled.
That smile made a chill run down her spine.
He let her go and turned to his Beta. “Connect me to the global media. Now.‘
The Beta froze. “Leopold… do you mean-?”
“Livestream,” Leopold said word by word. “I’m going to live–stream my Mating Ceremony with Clarisse.”
Ten minutes later, the camera focused on the floor–to–ceiling window of the master bedroom.
Leopold had changed into a black suit. Clarisse had been forced back into her wedding gown, the ribbon on her wrist carefully covering
the bloodied wound beneath.
“Begin.”
Chapter 23
11.06%
R
eRomance–Romance
4.7 ★ FREE
Google Play
INSTALL
Your daily dose of fast, free drama
The moment the livestream signal connected, major media homepages across the world lit up simultaneously with the breaking broadcast of the sudden “The Mating Ceremony.”
Leopold wrapped his arm around Clarisse’s waist and leaned down to kiss her.
She struggled violently, biting into his lip until blood welled up and dripped onto her wedding dress.
The livestream cut off abruptly but it was already too late.
It broke the internet.
“Leopold!” Clarisse shoved him back, her lips stained with his blood. “You’ve lost your mind!”
Leopold wiped the blood away with his thumb, laughing softly.
“Now the whole world knows you’re mine.”
Clarisse stared at him, and for the first time, he felt like a stranger.
This obsessive, deranged man was this really the Leopold she once loved?
Clarisse learned to play along on the twenty–seventh day of captivity.
She stopped resisting, stopped starving herself, and even began to smile at him on occasion.
At first, Leopold was wary. But little by little, he started to believe she had truly surrendered.
“What do you want to eat today?” he asked one morning, standing at her bedside while adjusting his tie.
2
Clarisse leaned against the headboard, her long hair falling gently over her shoulders. Her voice was calm. “I want to eat something you
made.”
Leopold froze, eyes flickering with surprise–then smiled. “Alright.”
He turned and headed toward the kitchen, his posture finally relaxed.
Clarisse watched him disappear through the doorway. Then she threw off the covers immediately and pulled a miniature computer
from beneath the mattress.
She had stolen it from his study a week ago.
Her fingers flew across the keys, entering code after code with precise efficiency.
Quietly and invisibly, the island’s security system was breached. A single, encrypted distress signal was sent out.
Chapter 23 dekat d
