Chapter 3

A little while later, my phone suddenly began vibrating like crazy. I picked it up and stared at the screen. The moment I saw the contents of the message, my breath hitched slightly.

Grace had posted a message in the pack's community group chat, along with a photo showing that they had smashed open the gate to the playground.

Grace's words were filled with unconcealed smugness. "Everyone, good news. Thanks to Felix's and my efforts, the playground is now officially open to the public for the sake of fostering unity. Thank you to Mr. Morris for your support."

The moment the message was posted, the group chat buzzed with activity.

"Mrs. Lowell is always thinking of everyone."

"Alpha Felix is doing the entire community a huge favor!"

"I've been dying to get into that playground ever since I saw all those moonflowers. Now, I can finally take my pup there to play."

"Grace, how did you convince Ms. Waldorf? I remember she was pretty adamant about it yesterday."

My fingers trembled as I scrolled down and saw Grace's reply.

She wrote, "Some people think they're special and their pups are too precious, so much so that they think no one else is good enough to set foot in their playground. Too bad. Once someone with real power speaks up, she doesn't have a choice."

I couldn't take it anymore and immediately typed a response. "The playground is my registered private property. What gives you the right to open it without my permission?"

A few seconds later, Grace sent a voice message.

As soon as I pressed play, her shrill voice instantly echoed through the entire living room.

"How dare you still show up here, Selena? Well, I suppose the man you're leeching off isn't exactly in a position to show his face, is he? No wonder your pup is so sickly. She's probably the offspring of some old Alpha from a minor pack.

"One word from my mate is enough to make sure you can't stay in Lunalia. If you know what's good for you, you should back down voluntarily instead of making a scene here."

I gripped my phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white. A chill ran down my spine. Grace wasn't just trying to steal the only safe place Mia had. She was also trying to destroy my reputation.

The other wolves in the group chat began chiming in one after another.

"Oh my gosh! Is that true?"

"I knew it. How else could a she-wolf afford to build such a huge playground?"

"Looks like she really is some Alpha's mistress."

"No wonder she was so defiant yesterday. Turns out she has someone powerful backing her."

I took screenshots of the messages one by one. My fingers became increasingly cold as my heart grew heavier and heavier.

I told myself I couldn't act impulsively. I couldn't reveal Kaiser's identity. He was still dealing with disputes among the packs. I couldn't let this petty mess become a burden to him.

Suppressing the emotions surging inside me, I typed one final message in the group chat. "Grace, this is defamation and trespassing on private property. I've saved screenshots of everything, and I'll submit them to the council for judgment."

Grace immediately fired back, her tone even more arrogant than before. "Judgment? Go ahead. Let's see who would dare offend a member of the Werewolf Council for some suspicious she-wolf with unknown origins!"

Peyton spoke up as well, the intimidation in his words unmistakable. "Ms. Waldorf, if you continue making statements in this group that undermine the community's harmony, we will consider restricting your ability to post messages."

Fury instantly surged through me, and I nearly blurted out Kaiser's name. But just as his name reached my lips, I forced it back down.

I turned off my phone and leaned back against the couch. Closing my eyes, I forced myself to calm down.

The playground I had poured my heart and soul into building for Mia had been taken from me by force. Baseless and vile rumors were spread about my identity. The community manager and the so-called elders were all Grace's accomplices.

Fine. Very well.

I opened my eyes, organized the screenshots of the insults and jeering one by one, and saved them in an encrypted folder. Then, I sent them to Kaiser's Beta.

Just then, a jumble of footsteps suddenly sounded outside the house. It sounded like a group of people heading straight toward my home.

I shot to my feet, and my heart skipped a beat.

Who could possibly be coming to my house this late at night?