Semua Bab The Contract between two Alphas : Bab 31 - Bab 40

The estate was quiet when Serena rose before dawn, the moon’s silver remnants still clinging to the sky like dried blood. The air felt sharper now. Not colder, just clearer.She hadn’t slept.The papers Dominic had “forgotten” to hide better were now neatly filed in the corner of her desk, every word memorized. Not a coincidence. Not a careless drop. It was intentional.She wasn’t naive.But she also wasn’t ready to look him in the eye and ask, Why now? Why you?Instead, she dressed in silence, braided her hair back like she used to before court hearings in law school, and walked out into the morning with a steady pace and fire behind her ribs.If Dominic wanted her to find the truth, fine.She’d find it.But not through him.The East Wing of the Crosshollow Intelligence Chamber was bustling when she arrived. Screens hummed. Agents whispered. No one met her eyes. Mara’s team had claimed the top mezzanine like a queen bee in a borrowed hive, their symbol burned onto the digital locks l

The press swarmed the courthouse like hungry birds, their lenses twitching, lips whispering speculation. But Serena didn’t stay to hear it.She stormed down the inner hallway, the echo of her heels a rhythmic war drum against marble. Her pulse was erratic. Her breathing, shallow. The case had spiraled. Cruz’s theatrics in court, the faked confusion, the crocodile tears had twisted everything. The judge had delayed any ruling pending further inquiry.And now?He was winning the war of perception.The corridor leading to the West exit was quiet. Restricted. Empty.Until she heard the click of polished shoes behind her.“You looked tense in there, Vale.”Serena halted.Slowly, she turned.Cruz stood by the wall, one hand in his pocket, the other loosening his tie like this was just another boardroom drama. Not court. Not justice. A game.She clenched her jaw. “You shouldn’t be back here.”His smirk spread. “And yet… here I am.”“Enjoying the attention?”“Very much so,” he said. “Although

The council chamber smelled of incense and old dust, as if wisdom itself had begun to rot. Serena sat straight-backed in the semi-circle formation, flanked by high-ranking elders from three allied packs and most of them old enough to remember the last alpha war firsthand, and all of them looking at her like a stain they couldn’t scrub out of the bloodline.“This has gone too far.”It was Elder Ramos who broke the silence first. His voice always carried like thunder across a canyon, thick with judgment. “You’ve pulled our most strategic attention toward human courts, councilwoman Vale. When our borders remain threatened and internal allegiance is thinning. And for what? A personal vendetta against a high politician?”“He’s not just a politician,” Serena replied evenly, already braced for the fallout. “He’s laundering for the Ashen Circle, and we have reason to believe he tampered with our Park’s detonation.”Elder Yun scoffed. “You’re wielding suspicion like it’s evidence, Vale. No con

The courtroom was quieter than usual. The buzz of anticipation had dulled, replaced by a tension so taut it threatened to snap. Word had spread after the last session Serena had shaken the very walls of the court with her emotional defense and the testimonies of victims’ families. Now, everyone waited to see if she could deliver again or if Cruz’s side would recover.Serena stood near her table, hands clenched behind her back, eyes sweeping the room. Ashley and Ada decided to attend and give her moral support. They weren't the type to conveniently be there, but for some reason decided to. Serena’s gaze flicked toward the entrance. The families she had spoken to were supposed to appear again. They had agreed. They had cried with her, shaken her hands, vowed to speak.But when the doors opened, the energy shifted. They changed.The first family entered. They looked smaller than she remembered. As they sat down, avoiding her gaze, Serena’s heart dropped. The next family followed the Elli

The court had barely emptied when Serena stepped outside into the sunlight, her heart racing. Cameras flashed from every angle, reporters shouted her name, but for the first time in weeks, she didn’t feel hunted she felt victorious.Clara was served, Justice was served. Cruz had been found guilty of first-degree murder and would spend the rest of his life behind bars. His minions, the ones who had aided in silencing witnesses, had also been sentenced. The courtroom had erupted in gasps, the weight of truth finally slamming into the community.Now, standing on the court steps, Serena laughed for the first time in days a breathy, victorious sound that spilled from her chest like champagne. Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching.And then she saw him.Dominic stood near the base of the steps, away from the crowd, his arms folded across his chest and a small, almost shy smile tugging at his lips. The usually serious Alpha looked… relieved. Proud. Almost soft.She didn’t hesitate.Serena de