44

Chapter 44

Bella’s POV

The glass shattered before it even registered in my mind that I had thrown it. It hit the far wall with a sharp, violent crack, wine splattering like blood across the pale surface.

I stood frozen for a second, my chest rising and falling too fast, my fingers trembling, and then came the anger. Not the quiet, simmering kind I wore like perfume in public, but the raw, ugly rage I kept buried.

“It didn’t work…” I whispered, my voice thin, disbelieving as my lips curled.

“It didn’t work,” I muttered out loud again as I turned abruptly, pacing the room like a caged predator, heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.

Everything had been perfect, yes, everything: the accusation, the pressure, and the timing. Livia was supposed to crumble, she was supposed to fall and Zach… I hissed as my jaw tightened.

“Zach was supposed to walk away,” I said aloud, but he didn’t. Instead, he did the exact opposite of what I thought he would do.

My hands clenched into fists. “He’s watching her,” I muttered, my voice dropping into something dark. “Even when there’s no reason, no obligation, no right as he’s still watching her.”

My chest burned. “And the worst part?” I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “He pushed the luncheon forward.”

That piece of information had felt like a slap to my face. Zach is manipulating the council, accelerating the multi-pack gathering, and forcing everyone into one place. “For what?” I asked no one in particular as I laced up.

My eyes darkened. “For her.” I nodded to myself as the realization made my stomach twist violently.

“He couldn’t wait,” I spat. “Couldn’t stay away.”

I stopped pacing after a while, staring at my reflection in the mirror across the room. Perfect, untouched, composed but my eyes… my eyes betrayed everything.

“He wants to see her that badly?” I whispered, almost incredulous. “After everything?”

My reflection didn’t answer as it only stared back at me, cracked beneath the surface.

A sharp knock came at the door, but I didn’t respond. My mind had already shifted to something worse.

To something that had been eating at me since the morning. 

Perry, my expression hardened instantly as I walked toward the desk, pulling open the drawer I had carefully returned to its exact position hours ago. 

Inside, nothing looked out of place because I had made sure of it. My fingers brushed against the memory of what I had seen. Documents, notes, names, and investigations.

My lips parted slightly. “He’s digging,” I whispered, not casually, not passively.

Relentlessly, my nails dug into my palm. “And he didn’t tell me.”

The betrayal stung more than I expected. Slowly, my anger twisted into something deeper, something sharper.

“I’m your Luna,” I said to the empty room, my voice low and dangerous. “You don’t move behind my back.”

My breathing grew uneven. “And you don’t…” I swallowed, my voice tightening, “you don’t try to save her.”

The word her came out like poison, Livia.

Livia is always at the center, always the one people were willing to protect.

My vision blurred for a second, not with tears but with fury. “He’s trying to prove she’s innocent,” I whispered, disbelief laced with venom. 

“He’s actually trying to clear her name.” A hollow laugh escaped me.

“Perry, my dear, loyal Perry,” I murmured, my head tilted slightly. “Or so I thought.”

I reached for my phone, my fingers hovered over his contact for only a second before I pressed it.

The call rang once, twice, three times before he finally picked up “Bella.” His voice was calm, and that alone irritated me.

“Where are you?” I asked sharply and there was a pause. “In my study,” he replied coldly.

“Good,” I said immediately, already turning toward the door. “Don’t move,” I ordered as I ended the call before he could respond.

The walk to his study felt longer than usual, or maybe it was the storm inside me, as I didn’t knock before opening the door.

The door slammed open with force, and Perry looked up from his desk, his expression unreadable but his eyes flickered briefly with something I couldn’t quite place. Annoyance?

Guilt?

“Bella,” he said evenly, setting his pen down. “To what do I owe…”

“Don’t,” I cut in sharply, stepping inside and shutting the door behind me. “Don’t pretend,” I said immediately.

His brows drew together slightly. “I’m not in the mood for games, Perry,” I added, and silence stretched between us at that moment. It was heavy, tense and then “What’s wrong?” he asked.

The question snapped something in me. “What’s wrong?” I repeated, my voice rising. 

“What’s wrong is that my own mate is sneaking around behind my back!” His expression hardened slightly.

“I’m not sneaking,” he replied calmly.

“Really?” I laughed bitterly, stepping closer to his desk. “Because going through files, conducting investigations, and not telling your me, what exactly would you call that?” I asked.

His jaw tightened. “It’s not your concern.” The words hit me like a slap, and I went still.

“Not my concern?” I repeated, my voice dropping dangerously low.

Perry didn’t flinch. “This is Alpha business,” he said, and my eyes widened slightly.

“Alpha business,” I echoed, my lips curling. 

“So that’s it? You follow Zach’s orders blindly now?” I asked, surprised at his response.

“I follow my Alpha,” he said firmly. “Like I always have.”

My laugh was sharp and humorless. “Even if it means protecting another woman over your own mate?” I asked.

That got a reaction and flicker in his eyes.

“You are twisting things,” he said.

“No,” I snapped, slamming my hand on his desk. “I’m seeing things clearly,” I said as he leaned in closer.

“Tell me, Perry, what exactly are you investigating?” I asked.

He was silent. “Say it.” I ordered.

He held her gaze. “The incident at the manor.”

Her lips curved slowly.

“And?” I asked 

“And what?” he snapped.

My voice dropped to a whisper. “Are you trying to prove Livia didn’t steal?” I asked.

The tension in the room spiked instantly as Perry didn’t answer but he didn’t need to.

My smile vanished. “You are,” I breathed, my voice shaking now, not with weakness, but with restrained fury. “You actually are.”

“It’s my duty to fi

nd the truth,” he said.

“The truth?” I snapped. “Or her innocence?”

“They are the same if she didn’t do it,” he replied.