Chapter 124

Elena's POV

"Oh, you're too kind," Emily said with practiced modesty. "I only did what any good friend would do."

A woman in an expensive blue dress touched Emily's arm. "You're being too humble."

Emily's smile widened.

I hovered nearby, pretending to offer drinks while carefully observing her. Her false modesty was nauseating.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a staff member suddenly called out, "all VIP guests please gather in the main hall. The ceremony is about to begin."

A tall, elegant woman immediately responded, "I'll be right there," and gracefully excused herself from the group.

I noticed Emily's expression change subtly as she watched the other guests. When the sophisticated crowd dispersed, leaving only a few less impressive-looking guests, her smile faltered. She muttered something under her breath, then quickly disengaged with a few hasty pleasantries.

I watched as she headed toward the mansion's second floor. Without hesitation, I set down my tray and followed her at a safe distance.

Emily disappeared into what appeared to be a VIP lounge area. I approached silently, positioning myself near the slightly ajar door.

"How's it going? Did she agree to lend you the money?"

I froze. That voice—I'd recognize it anywhere. Victoria. She was here too?

Emily's irritated voice responded, "Not yet. There are too many guests today. It's not the right time. I'll ask later."

I heard the sound of liquid being poured, followed by Emily gulping down what I assumed was wine.

"She'd better not refuse you," Victoria hissed, her voice tight with barely controlled panic. "I've already leaked that information online a few hours ago. If Richard finds out, he'll destroy us both!"

My mind went completely blank. It was them.

The pieces suddenly clicked together. The online forum posts about Richard's "split personality"—Victoria and Emily were trying to expose him. But how? How did they know Richard's secret? Who told them?

Questions raced through my mind. What was their connection to the book?

My thoughts were a turbulent storm, crashing against each other. What were they planning? If Victoria was trying to use the novel to expose Richard's secret, did she not understand she would destroy him completely?

After hearing the truth, my inner anger was about to overwhelm my reason.

Ice flooded my veins. No matter what it took, I would never let them succeed.

I retreated temporarily, needing to collect myself and formulate a plan. Ten minutes later, I returned just as Emily was leaving the lounge. I waited until she was completely gone before silently slipping back to the door.

I pushed it open, finding Victoria alone inside. She immediately snapped, "Who said you could come in? I made it clear—no one enters without permission!"

I kept my head down, playing the role of staff, saying nothing as I moved deeper into the room.

Victoria's tone changed from anger to suspicion. "What are you doing?" She took an instinctive step backward.

In one fluid motion, I pulled a silver dagger from beneath my clothes. Victoria's eyes widened in recognition.

"Elena Winter," she gasped, her face draining of color. "It's you!"

I pressed the blade against her throat, terrifyingly calm.

"Tell me," I demanded quietly. "How did you learn that secret?"

"What?"

"The book," I prompted, pressing the blade harder against her skin. "Who gave it to you?"

Fear flashed across her face, but she attempted bravado. "You wouldn't dare do this."

Her face filled with defiance. "Yes, I learned the secret from that book, but I won't tell you who gave it to me. Do you dare kill me?"

I felt a cold smile spread across my lips, reaching all the way to my eyes. Without hesitation, I plunged the silver dagger into her chest.

Victoria stared blankly at the silver blade embedded in her chest. Where the silver touched, blue smoke rose from the wound, preventing her werewolf healing from activating.

"How does it feel?" I asked calmly. "Silver has such a unique effect on our kind, doesn't it?"

I released the dagger's handle, watching Victoria's agonized face without emotion. Even as blood splattered onto my face, I continued smiling, golden light flickering in my eyes.

Victoria staggered backward, clutching her chest. "You're a demon!" she gasped.

As she struggled to call for help, I pulled out a silver needle and drove it precisely into her throat. Her cries immediately reduced to muffled "woo-woo" sounds—she could no longer speak properly, and the silver prevented her from shifting.

"I won't kill you yet," I said, grabbing paper and pen from a nearby desk. "Not until you tell me everything. Write down the truth, or face death."

I dipped the pen in Victoria's own blood and handed it to her. Her eyes widened in horror, but the pain from the silver coursing through her veins was overwhelming. She had no choice.

With trembling hands, she wrote: I don't know. It was sent to me anonymously.

"You're lying," I hissed, beginning to count. "One... two... three..."

Victoria frantically scribbled more: I'm not lying! I don't know who it was. I've been trying to find that person, but she has disappeared.

I stared at her writing, confusion washing over me. She wasn't the mastermind? Someone else was pulling the strings? My careful grasp on the situation suddenly felt tenuous.

"Who could possibly—" I began, but my momentary distraction was all Victoria needed.

She lunged for the door, staggering and bleeding but driven by survival instinct. Despite being unable to shift and severely weakened, she managed to wrench the door open.

Victoria stumbled into the hallway, making pitiful "woo-woo" sounds as she sought help. The silver needle prevented her from speaking clearly, but her bloody appearance was enough to draw immediate attention.

"Oh my God! What happened to her? Victoria is covered in blood!" someone screamed.

More voices joined in the chaos. "There's a knife in her chest!"

Emily pushed through the crowd, her eyes widening in shock. She immediately pointed toward the lounge. "It's her! She's the attacker! Grab her!"

Two security guards rushed toward me as I emerged from the room. Before I could react, a boot slammed into my chest, knocking me to the floor. The pain made me curl up.

From my position on the floor, I caught a glimpse of Jason running up the stairs, his face contorted with anger as he witnessed the scene unfolding before him.