Chapter 4 - The Maid Who Lied
997 Words
(Cole's Point of View)
“Your scent still haunts me, Elara,” I whispered as my men returned to the bedroom. I stood by the window, staring out at the ink-black night, my wolf restless beneath my skin.
“Sir,” one of the guards said cautiously. “We've searched the entire villa and checked the cameras. There's no sign of Luna Elara. But we found this.”
He handed me a tablet. The screen showed a blurry clip, movement near Elara's bedroom. It was a woman, one of the maids.
I clenched my jaw as the guard continued:
“We've arrested the woman in the footage. Her name is Sandra Keith. Here's her background.”
The file slid from his hand to mine. Sandra. The elderly maid who had served in this house for years. She was loyal, quiet, and modest.
Minutes later, I was in her room. The small room smelled of dust. She shuddered as my men entered, twisting her arms behind her back.
“The footage shows you near Luna Elara's bedroom ten minutes before the items disappeared,” one of the guards said in a dry voice.
Sandra stammered something, her pulse so fast I could hear it. My wolf pushed against my skin, demanding control, wanting to show its fangs.
“Where is she?” it growled in my head. “Where did they take her?”
I stepped forward and the air changed instantly. My presence filled the room with alpha energy.
“Enough,” I murmured. “Let her go.”
The guards obeyed instantly.
Sandra exhaled shakily, probably thinking the worst was over. But she didn't understand. I wasn't angry about the missing items.
I didn't give a damn about the jewelry or the papers. What mattered was the scent that still lingered in Elara's room.
I crouched down in front of her and whispered,
“Tell me... did he come back?”
Her pupils dilated. Her heart raced. The lies formed before her lips moved.
“I don't know what you're talking about, Alpha. I haven't seen anyone tonight.”
I tilted my head, studying her trembling hands. My wolf growled softly inside me. She was lying. I could smell it, her fear and guilt floating in the air like smoke.
“Sandra,” I said softly, almost as if it were a conversation, “you have a daughter in Sunnyville, don't you?”
Her breath caught.
“They've been married for five years and are expecting their first child. Her husband finally got a promotion after six years at that small company.” I smiled slightly, but my tone cut like a knife. “What do you think will happen to them when I end his career tomorrow morning? When your daughter loses the life she's built because you weren't able to tell me the truth?”
Her lips parted in surprise and her eyes widened in disbelief. I straightened slowly, letting the weight of my words crush the air between us.
“Your daughter's happiness... or your silence, choose.” I let my gaze pierce through her.
A soft moan escaped her lips. The room reeked of fear, her fear.
“Please...” she stammered. “Don't hurt my daughter. I'll tell you everything.”
My wolf's growl softened, and a dark satisfaction swirled in my chest.
“Where is Elara?” I asked, my voice little more than a whisper.
“Did you help her leave?”
Now the tears flowed freely. She nodded and gave me details of what had happened.
Elara had returned and taken some of her valuables.
When Sandra finished, she collapsed on the floor, her sobs echoing faintly in the hallway. I stood there, watching her tremble and plead.
“I've told you everything,” she cried hoarsely. “Please, Alpha, don't hurt Luna Elara.
She's suffered enough...”
I felt my jaw tighten. She'd suffered enough?
My lips curled into a cold, humorless sneer.
“Wasn't it enough for her to be my wife?” I growled in a deep, dangerous voice.
“Does she want to run away from me? Fine. Let's see how far she gets.”
I turned and left. The security team also withdrew.
Moments later, I was in my study. My beta stood by the door, hesitant. I could smell his unease.
“Alpha Cole,” he began cautiously, “should we... bring Luna Elara back?”
I turned my gaze to him. My eyes glowed with my wolf's fury.
“It's not necessary. I've changed my mind,” I said, waving my hand to dismiss the idea.
“If she wants to run away, let her. Freeze her accounts, her cards, every penny she has.
I want to see how long she survives without me.”
A sharp snap broke the silence: the pen in my hand had snapped in two. Ink spilled over my fingers like black poison.
“She'll come crawling back,” I muttered. “Begging.”
Finn hesitated, his voice cautious.
“But, sir... Sandra said Luna Elara has nothing. If we leave her completely destitute, how will she manage? Where will she stay tonight?”
I turned sharply toward him, my eyes slightly bright.
“What, do you feel sorry for her?” The growl escaped me before I could stop it. “No food, no shelter, no help... that's her choice. Since when is pity part of your job, Finn?”
He flinched.
“No, sir. I just thought that maybe... it might be too harsh.”
I laughed, a hollow, brittle sound that even my wolf didn't recognize.
“Hard?” I moved closer, the air rippling slightly with my aura.
“When she sold my company's secrets to the Croft Group, did she think about how it
would destroy me? Did she think about the lives that depended on my leadership? She
made her choices, Finn. Now she'll have to live with them.”
- Writer
