Semua Bab The Contract between two Alphas : Bab 11 - Bab 20

Serena flipped open the file Gina had handed her. The first page held a photo of the girl—barely eighteen, with sharp eyes that didn’t match the softness of her youth. Her name was Clara. She had been adopted by a couple with two kids. Prominent philanthropists in their late fifties with no biological children. Three weeks after she entered their home, the entire house exploded in what was reported as a gas leak.Serena skimmed the incident report. It didn’t sit right. The gas explosion was too precise. Clara had been out during the time to buy some groceries. Clars said she would have died too but was just lucky.“Where is Clara now?” Serena asked Gina without looking up.“She’s staying at a temporary shelter.”Serena closed the file and tapped her pen on the desk. “We’ll take the case.”Gina’s eyes widened. “We?”“I’ll need Rose for this. And you’ll assist us.”Gina hesitated and then nodded as if denying yet accepting. “Yes, ma’am.”“Good. Leave the file here. I’ll call Rose.”Whe

They had arrived at the hospital and the faint hum of machines and the antiseptic scent filled the air, but Serena barely noticed. Her mind was a storm of restless thoughts and unanswered questions.She followed Rose through the narrow corridor, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. The weight of Clara’s death pressed heavily on her chest, a grim reminder that the truth was still out there buried beneath layers of lies and silence.At the end of the hall, a heavy steel door creaked open. Inside, the scene was stark and clinical. At the center of the room lay Clara’s body on a cold metal table, covered by a crisp white sheet. The only warmth in the room was the presence of one man Dope.His back was to them, shoulders hunched in concentration as he examined medical charts spread out on a nearby counter. Serena’s breath caught for a moment. It had been years since she’d seen him last the man who had once been her first love, the brilliant forensic doctor whose mind was

Serena’s breath hitched as she stepped cautiously through the threshold, Dope just behind her. The air smelled of damp and neglect, mingled with the faintest trace of something metallic, a scent that made her stomach churn.Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the faded furniture, the torn curtains swaying gently in the stale breeze from a cracked window. But it was the collage on the far wall that pinned her in place dozens of photographs of her. Some recent, others older, but all unmistakably Serena. Captured moments from meetings, private moments in her office, even shots from outside her apartment building.A cold shiver ran down Serena’s spine. Cruz hadn’t just been watching Clara — he had been watching her. And for a long time.Dope’s footsteps echoed behind her as he stepped closer. “This is worse than we thought,” he muttered, voice low.Serena’s eyes flicked over the photos again. “How? How could he have gotten this close without us knowing?”“We underestimated him,” Dope sai

The alley fell into a tense, uneasy silence. Serena’s breath still came fast, but not from the chase anymore. Dominic stood too close, calm and commanding. Dope’s glare, however, was pure fire.Dominic turned slightly toward Serena, his hand gently brushing her elbow. “Come on. You need to get off the streets.”But before she could respond, Dope stepped forward and grabbed her hand, tugging her back toward him.“She’s not going anywhere with you,” he said, voice low but tight with anger. “You show up out of nowhere, start barking orders, and now you think you can take her?”Serena yanked her hand back, eyes wide. “Dope…..”“No,” he cut in, not looking at her. “You want me to just stand here and let some random great suit muscle in? Not happening.”Dominic gave a short, cold laugh. “Random great suit? You mean the guy who just saved her life? You think because you’ve been running around chasing shadows, that gives you some kind of claim on her?”Dope continued “I'm her husband and most

Serena didn't want to go home. She remembered one of the most loyal people she knew, Ashley. And decided to pay her a visit. Ashley’s apartment hadn’t changed much since Serena last saw it though the silence in it had grown. The walls, once warm with worn art and soft bookshelves, looked colder now, like they had secrets too big to hold.Ashley didn’t hug her when she opened the door. She just stepped back, wordlessly.Serena hesitated before stepping in. Her fingers brushed against the edge of the doorway as if asking permission.The two women stood in the middle of the living room for a long moment, neither speaking. There was no rage. No heartbreak. Just something unspoken like a thread pulled too tight between them.“I didn’t think you’d come,” Ashley finally said.“I wasn’t sure you’d want me to.”Ashley gave a small nod, her eyes unreadable. “You know I don't really know or care about a lot.”Serena lowered her bag, set it quietly near the arm of the couch. “I lost Clara.”Ashle