Chapter 4

Everyone stared at me, murmuring among themselves.

An elderly gardener with white hair, wearing a straw hat and work clothes, looked at me with pity.

He spoke carefully to Celeste: "Ma'am, she's so young. She probably just made a mistake in judgment."

"Since you recovered the item and she's learned her lesson, perhaps you could show mercy?"

"Are you questioning my judgment?"

Celeste's voice turned ice-cold.

"Show mercy?" Celeste's voice suddenly rose, sharp and piercing. "Who do you think you are? How dare you tell me what to do? Looking to lose your job?"

Several maids immediately rushed to flatter her:

"Old Thompson, mind your own business! Assistant Celeste is ridding the pack of a criminal!"

"Exactly! Ungrateful trash like this deserves harsh treatment! Otherwise she'd think the Alpha is a pushover!"

Celeste basked in the flattery, glaring at me with malice before grinning wickedly: "That's right! String her up! Hang her from that tree so everyone can see!"

A maid named Mrs. Walker nodded eagerly: "The Alpha's household has too many servants from all walks of life. Assistant Celeste, if you ask me, just tying her up isn't enough. She should be strung up as an example of what happens to thieves!"

"This is the perfect opportunity to send a message to everyone."

These maids knew that Celeste held considerable sway with my brother. She had made countless mistakes before but was never dismissed.

In truth, they looked down on this former Omega, yet their eagerness to curry favor with Celeste made me sick.

Celeste looked at me with venom, sneering: "Yes, tie this bitch's hands and string her up."

She had the Deltas drag me from where I lay crumpled.

Then they found a hemp rope, bound my hands, and hung me from a tall, leafy ornamental tree.

I swayed gently in the breeze.

Bright red blood dripped from my ankles to the ground below.

I no longer had the strength to even whimper.

Old Thompson saw the situation spiraling out of control and feared it would go too far. He quietly slipped away to the mansion to alert my brother and the important guests.

My brother, having received word, approached with two silver-haired elders.

The Alpha King accompanied them.

He and my brother had met on the battlefield, back when neither had inherited their positions.

Without Rex, my brother never would have survived the war to claim his title.

"Adrian!"

"What's keeping you? We've been waiting over an hour."

"Why haven't you brought Rex to see us old friends?"

One of the elders, whose surname was Morrison, called out good-naturedly.

Beside him walked a distinguished middle-aged man—the current Alpha King.

My brother had always had me call him Uncle Morrison.

Uncle Morrison spoke warmly: "Back on the battlefield, Rex sensed the enemy's trap and kept me from walking into it."

"Without Rex, I wouldn't be here today."

Elder Morrison also sighed: "More than ten years ago, Rex used his paws to dig out over a hundred survivors from the rubble."

"He's our old friend, our hero."

The Alpha King supported his father, smiling: "Adrian, if it weren't to see Rex one more time, my father wouldn't have made this journey from the Alpha Council at his age."

My brother replied: "Rex has been under the weather lately. I had my sister go tend to him. After dinner, we can all visit him."

The Alpha King nodded: "Very well. If Rex weren't so devoted to you, I would have brought him to the Alpha Council long ago to live in luxury."

Then he looked at my brother curiously: "Adrian, instead of dining, why did you bring us out here?"

My brother shook his head: "Just now, old Thompson told me that my assistant Celeste caught a thief."

"He wanted me to come see..."

My brother's words died in his throat.

His gaze fell on me.