CHAPTER 3: Taken By The Billionaire Alpha

***SERENA***

“She had been in an affair all this while with another man.”

Stuart's voice thundered across the venue.

I was still rooted at the same spot even though the crowd had started dispersing.

I could barely hear what they were saying as my entire focus was on that man staring intently at me with his legs crossed over each other.

“Looks like your family isn't aware. Care to explain this, Serena?”

The priest muttered, with a shallow expression on his face.

I swerved immediately, my eyes finding my dad’s face, my stepmom’s, and Shania’s, before they finally shifted to the photos that the groomsmen had provided.

A photo of me in bed with another man, only the man’s face was blurred out.

A photo they must have taken when I was still unconscious from the sedative.

So, my family was going to feign ignorance of the fact that none of this was my fault?

So they could save their heads?

From what?

“Seriously, dad? You—”

I trailed off and he shot me a death glare, one that reminded me that if I said anything outrageous, I wouldn’t have a home to return to.

We all turned when the man that saved me yesterday coughed out and straightened, but from their looks, it seemed they were just noticing his presence.

“Typical Silver and Keaton.”

The man was walking up to us when the groomsmen blocked his way.

“The wedding is over,” one of them said, hand placed on the man's shoulder. “Crucial family matters are being discussed, so I’d have to ask you to leave.”

There was no fear in this man’s eyes, as he stared at the groomsman. He chuckled a bit, and nudged him out of his way.

I stood there, doing nothing else apart from staring.

“Hey dude, we don’t want any trouble unless you do. Leave.”

Another held him by the suit, and for that minute, everyone’s attention was on them.

“I’m not interested in doing much. But I’m going to give you three seconds to let go of my suit, or you’d be short of five fingers,” the man said, with a void expression on his face.

The groomsmen faces dropped.

Coupled with the fact that this man was sinfully hot, his voice had a deep baritone that made the air grow stale.

I watched in surprise as the groomsman let go slowly and the rest parted ways for him to come forward. At that point I thought he must be a strong Alpha, cause how else is a regular person like me supposed to stand up to these strong gammas and still dominate them?

The man nodded with a coy smile etched on his face.

“That’s what I thought.”

As soon as he was close enough to us, he took a seat and crossed his legs like he was seated on a throne.

“Am I disrupting anything?”

He sighed, and Stuart was about to speak when his father tugged his arm and stepped forward.

“Of course not, Mr. Cree.”

There was unease in the atmosphere, and my father had broken out in a cold sweat despite the presence of all the air conditioners.

Stuart’s father wasn’t different either.

That was when it all came back to me—the Cree Family. The most powerful family in the whole of Frostvale, and the only human family at that. They dominated every major business sector both home and abroad. But even that still didn't explain how he managed to subdue powerful gammas… and even my father.

“No, I think I am. After all, my father didn’t get an invite to the wedding,” Mr. Cree said, then continued. “I’m a little glad he didn’t, since you all couldn’t wait for the media to leave before starting your arguments.”

My father's face grew pale, the same as Stuart’s father—Ryan Silver.

Then Mr. Cree continued—

“The headline tomorrow would be great. Heir to the Silvers breaks things up with a Keaton slut.”

The way he spoke to my father made my stomach tighten, but I kept calm because I still felt indebted to him.

“It must have slipped our minds to send your father an invite. Accept our apologies…”

He waved my dad off, shaking his head from side to side.

“Nah, it’s fine,” his eyes flickered to me and a small smile tugged at his lips. “He wouldn’t have wanted to see a hooker at the altar.”

That struck me in the wrong way and I lost it instantly.

“Excuse me. Do you have a problem with me?”

I yanked the veil off my head and tossed it to Ana to look at him properly.

“Serena, keep shut,” my father growled, but I was far more pissed to listen to him at this point.

Ana tugged my wedding dress a bit to stop me from venting, and I was about to heed their silent pleas when the man finally stood up and looked down on me.

“Allow the lady to say what she wants. I’m the one calling her a slut, so she’s eligible to return the favor.”

I bit my lips when he said that because now I wasn’t quite sure if he was on my side or not. He knew exactly what happened yesterday, so why's he so indifferent?

My father cut in, clasping his hands together. “She has no right to talk back to you, my sincere apologies.”

I was disgusted by everything but more curious about the way my dad was answering a man quarter his age with so much dread, almost like he was treading softly so he doesn't piss the guy off.

“But she does have the right. Is that how it runs in your family, Mr. Keaton? Women have no right to speak up?”

My dad swallowed, head locked to the ground.

A long pause of silence ensued, then Mr. Cree continued.

“I think I detest you a thousand more times, but since I’m not here to banter, I’ll get going after knowing when your debts would be paid off.”

“Debts?”

My father swallowed hard and gestured toward Stuart’s father.

Something wasn’t adding up here.

They coaxed the guy to the side, and after speaking to him in low tones, he finally decided to leave.

“Would you just leave like that, Mr. Cree? Perhaps we could treat you to lunch,” Shania giggled softly as she approached him and held his arm softly.

“Hands off me,” he stared at her with an irritated look. “you disgusting sly bitch.”

Her face fell as he walked off, but then he stopped and faced Stuart.

“Instead of being a conniving pussy…” he muttered, taking the pictures from Stuart. “Stand up for what you want and stop playing silly games.

I understood what he meant immediately. Stuart and Shania were really responsible for what happened to me yesterday.

He turned away from Stuart and faced me. “I love how feisty you are,” he stared at me with squinted eyes. “I think I’ve made a choice, Mr. Cree. She would be coming with me and staying until you can pay up.”

My dad responded without any hesitation in his voice. “She’s yours.”

I stared sharply at my dad, but he didn’t say a word.

It was like I was a pawn in whatever chess game they were playing.

“Good choice,” he said, as he dragged me off.