MARKED BY THE CURSED ALPHA

CHAPTER 3

Kayda's POV

The cold steel bars slammed shut behind me with a loud clang, echoing through the empty holding cell. For the first time since my arrest, reality finally sank in. I was alone. My trembling fingers instinctively searched my pockets before I let out a bitter laugh. Who was I even trying to call? I had no parents. My mother died when I was twelve, and my father followed two years later. After being betrayed by the people I once called friends in high school, I stopped letting anyone get close to me. Nathan became my entire world. He was my best friend, my family, my home... and now he was the very reason I was sitting behind iron bars. The police had allowed me one phone call. One. I never used it. There was no one left to answer. I slowly sat on the narrow bed, staring at the stained concrete floor as tears rolled silently down my cheeks. Eight years... Eight years of love, sacrifice, and unwavering loyalty had ended with a pair of handcuffs around my wrists. I had worked countless overtime hours without asking for extra pay, invested every penny I had into Sterling Innovations, and stood beside Nathan when everyone else doubted him. I even emptied my savings years ago to keep the company from collapsing during its first financial crisis. Now, I didn't even have enough money to hire a lawyer.

A female officer shoved a plastic tray through the bars. "Dinner." I looked down. A small piece of dry bread. A watery bowl of soup. That was all. My stomach growled, but I barely had the strength to eat. Every bite felt like swallowing broken glass. The food was gone within minutes, yet the hunger remained. Curling up on the hard prison bed, I closed my eyes, hoping sleep would silence the ache in my heart. It didn't. The entire night was filled with memories of Nathan's smile... his promises... and the moment he chose Lila over me. Morning came far too quickly. The cell door creaked open. "Kayda Hart." I slowly stood. "It's time." The handcuffs returned to my wrists as two officers escorted me into a prison transport van. Neither of them spoke during the drive. Neither did I. Within an hour, we arrived at the courthouse. The building was already surrounded by reporters. Camera flashes exploded the moment I stepped out of the van. "Miss Hart! Did you really steal fifty million dollars?" "Do you regret your actions?" "Were you the mastermind?" Every question cut deeper than the last.

Inside the courtroom, I searched the crowd until my eyes landed on Nathan. He wasn't alone. Lila sat beside him, dressed in an expensive designer outfit, her fingers intertwined with his. They looked... Happy. As if my ruined life was nothing more than a celebration. Nathan noticed me staring. Instead of guilt... He smiled. Lila leaned close to whisper something into his ear before both of them laughed. My heart clenched. I had once dreamed of standing beside Nathan in a courthouse to register our marriage. Instead... I stood before a judge as a criminal. The trial lasted less than two hours. Every piece of evidence pointed at me. Every forged signature. Every fake bank transfer. Every document carried my name. I tried to explain. No one believed me. Finally, the judge adjusted his glasses before speaking the words that shattered what little hope I had left. "Miss Kayda Hart, this court finds you guilty of embezzlement of company funds." The courtroom fell silent. "You are hereby sentenced to five years imprisonment."

Five years. The words echoed endlessly inside my head. Before I was led away, I turned around one last time. Nathan never looked back. Lila lifted her hand and gave me a small mocking wave before resting her head on his shoulder. I lowered my eyes. This wasn't the end. It couldn't be. If fate ever gave me another chance... I would make every single one of them regret the day they destroyed my life. The prison gates closed behind me with a deafening bang. My nightmare had only just begun.