Chapter 26
Ethan’s POV
When my phone rang and my father’s name flashed on the screen, I gritted my teeth. I quickly swiped to answer, trying to sound composed.
“Dad p>
Lawrence Sterling’s voice boomed from the speaker, making me wince. “Ethan! What the hell are you doing, bringing shame to the Northstream Pack every single day? Can’t that mate of yours behave herself? If Scarlett can’t control herself, divorce her and kick her out of our territory p>
I stood there stunned, my brain scrambling to catch up. “Dad, what happened p>
“You have the nerve to ask? Go check online, you self-appointed outlaw! But I’m warning you, if Northstream’s reputation takes a hit because of this, you can consider yourself banished from this pack! The Sutton family will be stripped of their rank too—they don’t deserve to be my betas p>
The call ended abruptly. Beside me, Scarlett lowered her phone, face pale. Clearly, she’d received similar treatment from her father.
“What’s going on?” I asked, anxiety clawing at my chest.
Scarlett looked genuinely confused. “I don’t know. My father just called and tore me apart. He said Sutton Industries’ stock is plummeting p>
My fingers trembled slightly as I opened my phone’s browser to check the trending topics. Scarlett’s name dominated the list:
#ScarlettSuttonAboveWerewolfLaw
#ScarlettAttemptedMurderNoRemorse
#ScarlettExposed
The comments below were merciless:
“Is this Scarlett Sutton for real? Attempting murder and bragging about getting away with it? Do rich people really think they’re above the law? What happened to equality before the law p>
“First time seeing someone so shameless. Avoiding all Sutton products from now on. Who knows how many bodies are buried under their success p>
“Isn’t she the one who stole Ethan from his girlfriend? Is that the same person she tried to kill p>
“Did you hear the recording? She actually said she needed to kill her so Ethan would forget his ex-girlfriend. Sounds like Ethan still loves the ex and doesn’t love Scarlett at all p>
“Scarlett is really something, thinking she’s above the law. If anything happened to that girl, we’d know who to blame. Can’t believe I once admired her lifestyle. I was so blind p>
“If Scarlett gets away with this, what’s the point of having laws? Do they only apply to ordinary people like us p>
My stomach dropped when I clicked on a video and heard Scarlett’s voice from her earlier confrontation with Victoria. My face immediately darkened.
Scarlett’s eyes flashed with fury as she heard her own words being played back. Her wolf, usually hidden beneath her human facade, was clearly struggling to surface, symbolically baring her teeth at Victoria.
“Victoria, you calculating bitch!” she roared. “You’re the one who’s truly scheming, using such underhanded methods p>
Victoria just wore that infuriatingly calm smile. “Those were your words, not mine. What’s wrong? Brave enough to say it to my face but not to the world? Didn’t you say you weren’t afraid of people knowing? Now everyone knows. You’re welcome p>
I could feel my wolf Jasper snarling anxiously within me. Everything was going exactly according to Victoria’s plan. She had orchestrated this from the very beginning.
“Victoria! I’m going to kill you!” Scarlett screamed, lunging forward.
Before she could get anywhere near Victoria, a powerful kick sent her crashing to the floor. My mate hit the ground in a humiliating position, her designer clothes now covered in dirt.
When Scarlett looked up, I saw the source of her latest humiliation—my half-brother Damian standing protectively beside Victoria, his smoky cedar scent mingling with her sweet fragrance, making my wolf snarl with jealousy.
“Well, Ethan, your mate seems quite unstable,” Damian drawled. “Perhaps she needs a psychiatric evaluation? I’d be happy to recommend a good facility p>
His condescending tone made me clench my fists so tight my knuckles went white. Always Damian. Always interfering.
“Damian, this is my family business. What’s it to you?” I growled.
His smile widened. “Your family business? Which family exactly p>
I fell silent, trapped by my own words. I wanted to tell him to stay out of Sterling family affairs, but he was also a Sterling—and the eldest son, much as I wished otherwise.
“My poor half-brother,” he continued, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. “Your mother taught you how to climb the social ladder but forgot to teach you basic decency. Like mother, like son, I suppose. Two snakes from the same nest p>
Victoria actually laughed at this, the sound cutting deeper than I cared to admit.
I could no longer control my rage. My fist swung toward Damian’s face, my entire body trembling with fury.
“Who do you think you are? What right do you have?” I roared.
But just like Scarlett before me, I never reached him. A kick to my leg sent me to my knees before him, pain shooting through my thigh making me gasp.
“Look at that,” Damian commented casually. “The mates even fall in the same position. Though it’s a bit early for New Year kowtows to your elder brother, isn’t it p>
The pain in my leg brought me down, and I glared up at him. “Don’t be so smug p>
Damian raised an eyebrow. “Smug? No, little brother, this isn’t smugness. This is pure mockery. You make yourself a laughingstock and then get angry when people laugh? How amusing p>
Both my wolf and I were frustrated—not just with Damian, but with my inability to maintain our position in the pack hierarchy.
Victoria stood there watching it all unfold, that calculating gleam in her eyes a painful reminder of what I’d lost—not just a girlfriend, but an intelligent, formidable woman who had clearly been playing a much deeper game than I’d ever realized.
My nose caught a hint of her sweet scent, memories I was desperately trying to hold onto, those sweet moments that had once belonged to us.