Chapter 2

Half an hour later, the notice hit every inbox in the Red Peak Pack.

The subject line hurt my eyes: Disciplinary Notice: COO Aurora's Embezzlement and Betrayal.

The text listed my "sins." It claimed I maliciously drained the group's core assets and trampled on the pack's sacred loyalty.

I sat quietly in my office, letting the bitter gossip from outside drift into my ears. I was the daughter of a pureblood Alpha. No glass was thick enough to block my hearing.

"I can't believe it. Aurora acted so high and mighty, but she's just a thief."

"Right? Alpha treated her so well. How dare she?"

"Thank the Goddess Lily caught her, or she would have bled our pack dry."

"Serves her right! Traitors should be exiled!"

I took a sip of my coffee. It was bitter, but not as cold as my heart.

The door flew open. No knock.

Lily marched in, waving a document. "Aurora, Finance ran the numbers. With interest, you 'borrowed' exactly five million dollars over the last two years."

She slammed the paper onto my desk, looking down her nose at me.

"Alpha already signed it. You have three days to pay it back. Otherwise, you face an Elder trial."

I picked up the "debt agreement."

They really did the math. They even counted the secret cash I injected to secure the East City land as my "stolen funds."

"Five million." I laughed. "Nice math, Lily."

"Of course," Lily tipped her chin up. "I know you're bitter, Aurora. But you took wealth that isn't yours. Now you pay the price."

"Took?" I dropped the paper and leaned back. "You’re new here. Do you even know who put up the thirty-million-dollar bridge loan last year when we almost went bankrupt?"

Lily blinked, then answered like it was obvious. "Alpha got it. He used his Alpha status to secure the loan!"

"Wrong. I did. I put up my private assets as full collateral." I looked her up and down. "And do you know who pays the six-figure interest on that loan every single month? Me."

"Well... that's your duty as a pack member!" she stammered, still acting tough.

"Do you know whose bank account funded Thorne Industries when it first started?"

"Who cares? It belongs to the Red Peak Pack now!" Lily waved her hand impatiently. "Cut the crap, Aurora. Sign the paper and pay up. This is my office now. Pack your personal junk and get out."

Her office?

An intern was taking over the COO’s office. Fucking wild.

"Sure." I grabbed a pen and signed my name on the agreement. "I'll own this debt."

Lily snatched the paper back, failing to hide her wild grin.

"Glad you're finally acting smart. Oh, by the way. Alpha wants you gone before Monday. Marcus Sterling from the Silver Moon Group is visiting. He told you to get lost so a stain like you doesn't embarrass the pack in front of Mr. Sterling."

"Done."

Lily turned and walked out.

I watched her leave, then pulled out my phone. I opened a secure line and made a call.

"Phoenix? This is Aurora Arkin."

It was the first time I had ever spoken my true last name inside Thorne Industries.

"Yes. I need to consult you on a unilateral breach of secret investment contracts. Evidence? I have it all. Every contract, every wire transfer."

I hung up and opened a hidden wall safe in my office.

Inside were all the investment contracts signed under the "Arkin Trust."

Two years ago, I locked them away for love. Jasper had offered to sign an agreement, but I told him, "No need. We are meant to be mates. What’s mine is yours."

I thought that was trust. Turns out, I was just handing them the knife to stab me in the back.

If they wanted to settle the score, we would settle it down to the last penny.

I stood up and looked through the glass wall.

Lily was already sitting at my desk in the outer office. She was taking selfies in my boss chair and posting them online.

Caption: A new dawn. The future of the Red Peak Pack is in my hands. Let's go!

In the background, I saw the only photo of Jasper and me—a shot of our backs under the moonlight—thrown straight into the trash can.

I hit the "like" button on her post.

Let's go, Lily. Let's see if your new dawn survives the weekend.