Chapter 3

[Oh my god, this is heartbreaking to watch. Felix meant well. How could she treat him like that?]

[Right? He even found the guy a job. He must have put real thought into it.]

[Serena beat Felix. That part's a fact. Let's see her explain that one.]

An Alpha nearby shook his head as he listened.

"That poor boy."

His voice carried just the right amount of sympathy.

Another memory I'd rather forget surfaced in my mind.

Even now, remembering it makes me want to slap him all over again.

"Since your memory's so good, do you happen to remember sending your cousin to work in a mine in the Wastelands?"

Felix's indignant expression froze on his face. The banquet hall went silent for the third time.

Felix shot back, though this time with noticeably less conviction, "I still found him a stable job, didn't I? Sure, the conditions were a little rough, but if he didn't like it, he could've just come home."

People around us nodded, thinking he had a point.

He could've left it alone. The moment he brought it up, my blood started boiling all over again.

"You tricked him into going, then locked him into a five-year contract. He's trapped in the Wastelands because of you. How is that any different from five years of exile?"

For one long moment, the air froze over, still as a glacier that would never thaw.

The only sound was stifled snickering from every corner of the banquet hall.

Some Alphas folded over their tables, shoulders shaking, barely able to hold on to their wine glasses.

Even the camera shots wobbled. The camera operators clearly couldn't hold it in either.

[What did poor Toby ever do to deserve a cousin like Felix?]

[Look on the bright side. Getting shipped to the Wastelands means he escaped that family.]

[See, no beating is ever wasted.]

[My heart goes out to Toby. A moment of silence for Toby.]

I shook my head helplessly. Still, thanks to Felix, this boring summit had gotten a whole lot more entertaining.

The livestream count had rocketed from four million to over ten million, and the numbers were still climbing like crazy.

And for that stellar publicity, I had my dear brother's dignity to thank.

Felix buried his face in his hands.

The tips of his ears were red enough to bleed, and the veins on his neck were faintly bulging.

If it weren't for my bloodline keeping him in check, he would have lunged over and strangled me on the spot.

"How did this get so far from what we agreed on?" he asked under his breath.

He had his plans, and I had mine.

I only wanted Felix to eat some humble pie at the summit and learn that making it on his own wasn't so easy.

That way, he'd come home like a good boy and inherit the Alpha title.

Most importantly, I could finally retire.

Watching his face flush crimson, I knew I'd gotten exactly what I came for.

I was just about to tell him I was hosting the summit when a man in a sharp suit stepped out of the crowd.

My eyes narrowed. One look at that smile told me he was up to no good.

"Actually..." He cleared his throat. "Don't you all feel sorry for Felix?

"Sure, he caused trouble, but did that really warrant a beating? Think of the psychological damage that does to a small child."

He paused, then continued, "You're all busy laughing, but no one has realized that this is a form of... abuse."

The livestream comments split for the first time.

[I think Damon has a point. Felix must have been tiny back then. He didn't know any better. As his older sister, wasn't it her job to teach him?]

[Didn't Serena teach him with a good beating? That's tough love.]

[Forget Felix. The one who actually deserves our sympathy is his cousin.]

[Does anyone here actually care whether Toby lives or dies?]

Damon Cole.

I knew him: the Alpha of a small pack.

He'd come to this summit for one reason: to win me over as the biggest prospective partner in the room.

So of course he wouldn't pass up a chance to grab the spotlight.

I'd only recently taken over as the female Alpha, and only a handful of insiders knew.

So it was understandable that Damon didn't recognize me.

Still, he had the nerve to throw his weight around this brazenly in my own territory.

I wanted to see what he was made of.

I swirled the wine in my glass and quietly watched him perform.