Share

Chapter 26

Author: A. Leilani
last update Last Updated: 2025-07-31 17:19:02

Chapter 26

ISABELLA

My heart broke at the guilt in his voice. He was punishing himself, thinking that he was responsible for me and I didn't like that one bit. I had to do something.

"Lucas, sweetheart, come here," I said, patting the bed beside me with my good arm.

He climbed up carefully, his little face was filled with remorse.

"If I hadn't run away to get the apple, the wolf wouldn't have found us. And I should have protected you instead of letting you get hurt."

"Lucas, look at me," I said firmly, cupping his face gently with my good hand so he could meet my eyes.

"This is not your fault. Not even a little bit. Do you understand?"

"But—"

"No buts," I interrupted him shaking my head. He shouldn't think that he needed to be my knight. I was the one who wanted to save him and I'll do it over and over again.

"You did something incredibly brave today, and I want you to know that I am proud of you. When you saw that wolf threatening me, you didn't run away. You stood up to it. You t
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Latest chapter

  • Accidental Surrogate For The Cruel Alpha CEO   Chapter 207

    Chapter 207 JANICEI felt nothing looking at him. No guilt, no hesitation, no maternal instinct that might make me reconsider. He was an obstacle. A complication. A connection to Isabella that needed to be severed."Aren't they adorable?" one of the maids said, watching the boys with fond amusement. "All dressed up for the ceremony. Lucas is so excited to officially have brothers. He's been talking about it nonstop all week.""Very sweet," I said, my voice hollow even to my own ears.As the afternoon progressed, I continued playing my role. Helpful friend. Supportive presence. Someone who genuinely wanted this ceremony to succeed.I watched Isabella emerge from changing, back in casual clothes but still glowing with happiness. Watched her interact with Damon when he returned from whatever pack business he'd been handling—the way he looked at her, the gentle way he touched her, the obvious love in every gesture.It made me sick.But it also strengthened my resolve. This wasn't just a

  • Accidental Surrogate For The Cruel Alpha CEO   Chapter 206

    Chapter 206JANICE "You look like a Luna," Clara said firmly from her position at Isabella's feet. "Like you were made for this role.""Clara's right," another maid chimed in. "Alpha Rodriguez is going to lose his mind when he sees you in this.""In a good way," someone else added quickly, which made everyone laugh.Isabella noticed me then, standing just inside the doorway with Elena. Something flickered across her face—uncertainty, maybe, or awareness of the tension that still existed between us despite my attempts at reconciliation."Janice," she said carefully. "I didn't know you were here.""Just arrived," I said, forcing warmth into my voice. "Elena put me to work immediately. But I had to stop and see—wow, Isabella. You look amazing. That dress is absolutely stunning on you."The compliment wasn't entirely false. She did look stunning. Which was going to make her death all the more tragic, all the more shocking when people found her body in that beautiful dress, stained with b

  • Accidental Surrogate For The Cruel Alpha CEO   Chapter 205

    Chapter 205JANICE I pulled into the Rodriguez estate driveway, my hands still trembling slightly from the adrenaline of my meeting with Cassandra. Everything was in place. Everything was ready. In just a few hours, Isabella would be dead, Lucas would be eliminated, and my path to Damon would finally be clear.I took a deep breath, forcing my expression into something neutral and pleasant before stepping out of the car. I needed to be careful now, needed to play my role perfectly. As far as anyone here knew, I was just Janice—Damon's old friend who'd graciously agreed to help with last-minute ceremony preparations despite our recent awkwardness. Not a threat. Not an enemy. Just someone who wanted to support Damon on his important day.The moment I walked through the front door, I was hit by a wave of chaos.The entire house was in motion. Staff members rushed past carrying flowers, linens, decorative elements I couldn't even identify. The air smelled like a combination of jasmine, ro

  • Accidental Surrogate For The Cruel Alpha CEO   Chapter 204

    Chapter 204JANICE"Perfect," I said. "Once you have access, you'll need to dose the wine with this." I slid the vial of wolfsbane across the table. "Three drops in each glass—enough to incapacitate without being immediately fatal. We want them helpless, not dead. Not yet."Cassandra pocketed the vial smoothly. "And the rogues? When do they strike?""Thirty minutes into the ceremony," I said. "That gives enough time for Damon and Isabella to drink the wine, for the wolfsbane to take effect, for security to be focused on the ritual itself rather than potential external threats. The rogues will come in from four different directions simultaneously—north, south, east, west. Maximum chaos, minimal time for organized response.""And you?" Cassandra asked. "Where will you be during all this?""In the forest," I said. "Close enough to watch, to make sure everything goes according to plan. To step in personally if needed. And once Isabella and Lucas are dead, once the rogues have been driven

  • Accidental Surrogate For The Cruel Alpha CEO   Chapter 203

    Chapter 203JANICE "You're talking about killing a child," Cassandra said, but there was no judgment in her voice. Just flat statement of fact. "A five-year-old boy who happens to be the son of a Prime Alpha. That's not going to be easy.""Nothing worth doing is easy," I said. "But yes, Lucas has to die. It's unfortunate, but necessary. And honestly, he's so attached to Isabella that leaving him alive would just complicate everything. He'd never accept me as a maternal figure, would probably spend years trying to sabotage any relationship I built with Damon.""Fair point," Cassandra conceded. "What about Tommy and Sean? My sons—well, Max's sons technically, though I raised them. Are they targets too?""They can live," I said. "In fact, killing them would be counterproductive. Once Isabella is dead, once Lucas is eliminated, you and Max can reclaim the twins. Use Damon's devastation and distraction to push through the custody challenge. He won't have the emotional energy to fight you

  • Accidental Surrogate For The Cruel Alpha CEO   Chapter 202

    Chapter 202JANICE I sat in the dimly lit café on the edge of neutral territory, my fingers drumming impatiently against the scarred wooden table. The location was deliberately chosen—far enough from any major pack's territory that we wouldn't be immediately detected, rundown enough that supernatural beings conducting questionable business wouldn't stand out among the other patrons who clearly had their own secrets to hide.I'd been waiting for twenty minutes, nursing a coffee that had gone cold, when she finally walked in.Cassandra Henderson moved through the café like she owned it, her designer outfit somehow managing to look elegant even in this dump of an establishment. She was beautiful in that sharp, calculated way that came from years of using her appearance as a weapon. Cool blonde hair, ice-blue eyes, a figure maintained through rigid discipline rather than natural genetics.She was also, from everything I'd learned about her, a complete bitch.Perfect. We'd get along wonde

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status