The Betrayer’s Mask

Chapter 5

Angelina was sitting in Sophia's office, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. She kept thinking about what had happened recently—Marcus telling her something important, his unexpected death, and a scary message about Dylan. Her brother was no longer alive, and he took secrets with him that might have made a big difference. But his last words haunted her: “Dylan isn’t who you think he is… stay away from him.”

She had always thought she was good at understanding people, seeing through their false fronts. But now, she wondered if she had been mistaken about Dylan. Marcus's warning was a mystery she couldn't just brush aside, especially with Christiana Bale still hiding in the background.

Sophia handed her a thick folder. "This has all the information we have about Christiana Bale’s connections," she explained. "It’s not a lot, but it’s a beginning."

Angelina picked up the folder and started going through the pages, feeling more and more worried. Christiana knew important people— politicians, top business executives, and even some shady characters that made Angelina feel really scared. But it wasn't just Christiana's connections that bothered her; it was the unknown parts, the missing pieces that suggested something even bigger was going on.

"Marcus was right," Angelina whispered to herself, more than to Sophia. "We're dealing with something much bigger than we thought."

“Sophia”, Angelina called out, “Take a look at what her biography says.”

Sophia seemed unsure, her eyes showing her worry as she came over to the computer.

“Look at the writing that looks like werewolf hieroglyphics... I'm not sure what it means, but I'm sure it is important. Quickly, find something to help us understand what it says.” Angelina instructed.

“Yes, ma’am!” Sophia replied and grabbed her iPad.

Angelina leaned back in her chair, and thought about how and why she and Christiana Bale had so much power.

Angelina leaned back in her chair, and remembered how and why her and Christiana Bale have so much power in the first place..the werewolf Clan.

“We need to find out what Marcus knew, what he was too afraid to say. Start with Dylan. I want every detail—his past, his connections, anything that might explain why Marcus would warn me against him."

Sophia nodded, looking determined. "I'll start on it immediately."

As Sophia exited the room, Angelina focused again on the folder. The more she read, the more obvious it became that Christiana wasn't just after her business; she aimed to ruin everything Angelina cared about. The question remained, why? What was fueling Christiana's grudge? Could it be related to their werewolf history?

Her phone vibrated, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from Dylan: *Meet me at the safe house. There’s something you need to see.*

Angelina's heart raced. Dylan was among the few she trusted, though not entirely. There was still uncertainty about his true identity, a warning from her late brother.

If he was contacting her like this, it meant something significant had happened. She grabbed her coat and left, her mind swirling with possibilities. She also saw this as a chance to uncover what Dylan was hiding from her.

The safe house was a nondescript building on the outskirts of the city, far from prying eyes. When Angelina arrived, she noticed Dylan standing near the entrance, looking anxious.

"What’s happening? Who are you?" Angelina inquired as she walked up to him.

Dylan hesitated before responding. He guided her inside, through a cramped corridor, and into a dimly lit room. In the middle of the room was a table with a laptop on it, its screen showing an open video file.

"I discovered this," Dylan murmured. "It was concealed in Marcus’s secret files. I believe he intended for you to find it."

Angelina felt her heart race. She sat down in front of the laptop, her hands shaking a bit as she pressed play.

The video began with a shaky view of Marcus, hurriedly recording himself. His complexion was ashen, and his voice carried a hint of unease.

-

"Angelina," Marcus began, his eyes darting around as if he expected someone to burst in at any moment. "If you’re watching this, then I’m probably dead. There are things I didn’t tell you, things I was too scared to admit. Christiana… she’s not just after you. She’s part of something bigger, something dangerous. And Dylan—" Marcus paused, swallowing hard. "Dylan is part of it too."

Angelina’s heart pounded in her chest. She leaned closer to the screen, barely breathing as Marcus continued.

"I didn’t know at first," Marcus said, his voice cracking. "But I found out… Dylan isn’t who he says he is. He’s been working with Christiana from the beginning, feeding her information about you, about Vadar Enterprise. I don’t know how deep it goes, but it’s bad, Angelina. Really bad."

Angelina felt like the ground was falling out from under her. Dylan, the man she had trusted, the man she had let into her life… he had been a traitor all along?

"I also forgot to mention that they have a plan for you, Elena..." Marcus leaned closer to the screen, his eyes red and intense. "Your werewolf trait is something the government couldn't understand...you have a specific gene that can create literally anything. Christiana knows this and had a doctor take one of your eggs and implant it in her." The audio started to fade and freeze.

"Th- the baby wou-ld be-long to Dy-lan." The audio cut off abruptly, and the video ended, leaving Angelina staring at the screen in shock. She couldn't believe what she had just seen, but the evidence was right there in front of her.

"Angelina?" Dylan’s voice brought her back to reality. "What do we do now?"

For a moment, Angelina was unsure of what to do. Marcus had completely changed her life with his shocking news, and the feeling of being betrayed was overwhelming. But as the initial shock started to fade, she felt a different emotion take over—anger. She realized she had been tricked and controlled by the people she trusted the most. And she was not going to let them get away with it.

"Stay away from me," Angelina said, her voice icy and firm. "You and Christiana have taken everything from me. I’ll ruin everything you’ve built, bit by bit."

Dylan shook his head, his eyes showing his dishonesty. "No, no, Angelina, please listen to me. I don’t work with her, she forced me to do things too. I swear I didn’t know who you were until—"

"Oh, stop lying, Dylan. Just stop!" Angelina interrupted him. "Do you really think I'll believe you after everything? My brother is dead, Dylan, and I think you're partly responsible. Now move out of my way." Her voice reverberated off the cold, stone walls.

But as she reached for the door, her phone vibrated again. It was a message from an unknown number: *You’re next.*

Her blood turned cold. Whoever sent the message knew her location and what she was planning. The danger was closer than she had thought.

Dylan looked at Angelina with determination. "We need to go. Now," he commanded.

The message was clear—Christiana was already ahead, and Angelina had just stepped into her trap. She really didn’t know what to do next.