Chapter 143

The morning sun cast golden rays through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Sebastian Blackwood’s penthouse, illuminating the scattered papers on his desk. Lillian stretched lazily in the oversized armchair, her bare feet tucked beneath her as she watched him work. The scent of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the faint trace of his sandalwood cologne, wrapping around her like a comforting embrace.

“You’re staring,” Sebastian murmured without looking up, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

Lillian smirked. “Can’t help it. Watching you brood over financial reports is oddly fascinating.”

He finally lifted his gaze, those piercing silver eyes locking onto hers. “Brooding?”

“Mmm. Very intense. Very Lycan Chairman of you.”

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, and he leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head. The movement pulled his shirt taut across his broad shoulders, and Lillian’s pulse quickened.

“If you’re trying to distract me, little wolf, it’s working.”

She grinned, swinging her legs off the chair and padding over to him. “Good.”

Before she could reach him, the door burst open, and Oliver came barreling in, his dark curls bouncing with every step. “Dad! Lillian! You have to see this!”

Sebastian sighed, rubbing his temple. “Oliver, what did we say about knocking?”

The boy barely registered the reprimand, his excitement too overwhelming. “But it’s important! Look!” He shoved his tablet into Sebastian’s hands, the screen displaying a breaking news headline:

"Darkmoon Pack Announces Alliance with Voss Enterprises—Alpha Maximilian Voss to Challenge Blackwood Holdings."

Lillian’s stomach dropped.

Sebastian’s expression darkened as he scanned the article, his jaw tightening. “So, Levi finally made his move.”

Oliver tugged at his sleeve. “Does this mean we’re in trouble?”

Sebastian ruffled his son’s hair, forcing a reassuring smile. “Not a chance. But it seems we’ll have to cut our vacation short.”

Lillian crossed her arms, her mind racing. “What’s his angle? He wouldn’t make a public challenge unless he was confident.”

Sebastian’s phone buzzed—a message from Marcus Grayson. He read it swiftly before locking the screen. “He’s not just challenging me. He’s targeting you.”

Lillian blinked. “Me?”

“He’s calling into question your legitimacy as my mate. Claims our bond is fabricated for political gain.”

A growl rose in her throat. “That bastard.”

Sebastian stood, his presence suddenly dominating the room. “Pack your things. We leave in an hour.”

Oliver looked between them, wide-eyed. “Are we going to fight?”

Sebastian’s lips curled into a dangerous smile. “Oh, we’re going to do much more than that.”

Lillian met his gaze, her own resolve hardening. The game had just changed.

And she was ready to play.

Victoria rose from the bed, restless and unable to settle. Her fingers itched to do something—anything—to distract herself from the gnawing suspicion in her chest. She wandered over to Donovan’s childhood dresser, pulling open the drawers one by one. Inside, she found only old clothes, likely too small for him now. A sigh escaped her lips as she moved to the nightstand, rifling through its contents with little hope.

A half-empty box of condoms and some over-the-counter painkillers were all she found.

Frustration coiled tight in her stomach as she stepped into the adjoining bathroom. She wasn’t even sure what she was searching for—some trace, some proof that Lillian had been here. The only possible clues were an outdated bottle of shampoo, a brand she knew Donovan would never use, and a stick of lavender-scented deodorant that definitely wasn’t his.

Her pulse quickened. Could these belong to Lillian?

She cursed herself for never paying attention to the small details—what kind of shampoo Lillian preferred, what scent she wore. The bathroom had clearly been scrubbed recently, spotless and devoid of even a single stray hair. Victoria groaned, slamming the door shut behind her as she stormed back into the bedroom.

Then she froze.

A leather strap peeked out from beneath the bed.

Her breath hitched as she crouched down, fingers curling around the strap and tugging. A sleek laptop bag slid into view.

Her brows lifted in surprise.

Donovan had been carrying a laptop earlier—she’d seen him tuck it away somewhere. But why hide it under his childhood bed? Unless… unless he didn’t want her to see what was on it.

Her hands trembled slightly as she hauled the bag onto the mattress and unzipped it. The laptop inside was a high-end model, heavier than she expected. The screen flickered to life when she opened it, and she bit her lip, bracing herself.

A password prompt blinked back at her.

She tried Donovan’s birthday first.

Incorrect.

Her own birthday next.

Incorrect again.

A lump formed in her throat. She typed in the date they’d first met, fingers clumsy with nerves.

Nothing.

Tears blurred her vision as she wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. There was one last date she could try—one she dreaded entering.

With a shaky breath, she typed in Lillian’s birthday.

The screen unlocked.

Victoria’s heart shattered.

Hot tears spilled down her face as she choked back a sob, teeth sinking into her bottom lip to keep herself quiet. The truth was undeniable now—something had been going on between Lillian and Donovan. They had both lied to her.

How could they?

She swiped angrily at her tears, straightening her spine. If they wanted to deceive her, fine. But she would uncover every last secret they’d kept.

Scrolling through Donovan’s files, she found nothing unusual at first—business documents, Alpha-related forms, all perfectly mundane. Then, her cursor hovered over a hidden folder, its label sending a fresh wave of dread through her.

The folder was locked. Victoria's stomach twisted into knots, a sickening dread creeping up her spine. She already knew she wouldn't like what she found inside. With trembling fingers, she typed in Lillian's birthday—and just like before, the file opened instantly.

Her heart splintered into a thousand jagged pieces as the images loaded.

Nudes. Of Lillian.

There she was, sprawled across Donovan's sheets, her body on full display.

A choked sob escaped Victoria's lips as she scrolled through the photos, each one more devastating than the last. In some, Donovan was there too—his lips pressed to Lillian's neck, her arms wrapped around him, her smile radiant.

Bile burned the back of Victoria's throat.

They had been sleeping together.

For how long?

Why had they lied?

Had it started before or after he met her?

The questions swirled in her mind like a storm, making her vision blur. She needed answers—now—before she lost her mind completely.

Desperate, she clicked into Donovan's browser history, scanning his recent searches. Then she saw it—a tab for his social media. She frowned. She already followed one of his accounts, but what if he had others?

Her breath hitched when a completely unfamiliar social media site loaded. A private account, one she never knew existed. His profile picture wasn't even his face—just some obscure symbol. His name was abbreviated, too, making it impossible to recognize unless you already knew.

She wasn't following this account. Normally, she wouldn’t have been able to see anything—but since she was logged in as him, the entire profile unfolded before her.

Photos. So many photos.

Donovan and Lillian, hand in hand.

Donovan and Lillian, kissing.

Lillian had tagged him in posts—but they stopped abruptly around the time he met Victoria.

And then she noticed something else.

Lillian had deactivated her own account.

Victoria kept scrolling, her pulse roaring in her ears—until one caption made her entire world collapse in an instant.

It was under a photo of Lillian and Donovan, her arms around his neck, her smile blinding.

"Spent the day with my fated mate! Couldn’t be happier!! Love you so much, Donovan!"

And beneath it, his reply:

"You and me forever, babe. Love you more."