Chapter 130

Elena's POV

I woke up to sunlight streaming through the curtains. For a moment, I was disoriented until I remembered—I was in Richard's bedroom. The space beside me was empty, but the sheets still held warmth. Had he only recently left?

Last night's memories felt dreamlike. Richard and I actually slept in the same bed.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

"Ms. Winter? Are you awake?" Anna's voice came through the door. "Mr. Blackwood asked me to bring you some strengthening supplements. They'll help with your recovery."

I sat up, surprised at Richard's consideration. "Yes, I'm up. Don't bring them in—I'll come down after I've freshened up."

"Very well, Ms. Winter."

I hurried through my morning routine, grateful Anna had already gone downstairs. In this house, the relationship between Richard and me had always been complicated—officially the mother of his children, but we were always at odds, not even as friendly as ordinary acquaintances.

Back in my own room, I peeled off the pajamas I was wearing. These weren't mine. A faint scent clung to the fabric—Richard's scent. Had he changed my clothes last night? The thought unexpectedly made my heart race.

Downstairs, I finished the breakfast and supplements Anna had prepared. "Where are the children?" I suddenly realized I hadn't seen them all morning.

"They spent the night at Blackwood Manor."

My heart clenched with worry. "All three of them?"

"Yes. This morning, Mr. Richard Blackwood personally called Mr. Gerald Blackwood to check on them. They're all doing fine."

I nodded. Although Richard's personal check relieved me, my instincts still nagged at me. Would Max be treated equally among the Blackwoods? It seemed I should bring them back soon, but before that, I had something to deal with.

Taking my phone, I headed upstairs to the second-floor garden terrace. I took a deep breath of the fresh air. It was time to make a call I'd been avoiding.

The call connected, then immediately disconnected. Disappointment washed over me, quickly replaced by anger. I redialed.

"Elena, you're so fucking annoying!" Mandy's voice dripped with hatred.

"I'm annoying?" I shot back, fury building in my chest. "After what you did to me, you have the nerve to say I'm annoying? Have you forgotten what you did? Don't you feel even a bit afraid?"

"Why should I be afraid?" she sneered. "What exactly did I do?"

"You stole my manuscript and gave it to Victoria, didn't you?" I practically shouted into the phone. "You were the only one who knew how I created that book. I shared my original drafts with you. Was it you?"

"Elena, are you insane? Blaming everything on me? I don't even know what you're talking about," Mandy protested.

"What's wrong? Did Richard find out you wrote that book? Do you need my help now? You can always come stay with me if he's throwing you out," she continued with a mocking tone.

I took a steadying breath, forcing my voice to cool. "Fine, you don't have to admit it. I gave you a chance. You'll pay for what you did."

I hung up, knowing Mandy was still underestimating me. She thought I was the same pushover from six years ago.

That afternoon, I prepared to go out. Anna tried to stop me. "Ms. Winter, your wound hasn't fully healed. You shouldn't be going out yet."

Sighing, I called Richard. My heart inexplicably raced as I waited for him to answer.

"Are you... busy?" I asked cautiously when he picked up.

"What is it?" His voice sounded distracted, probably overwhelmed with work.

"I want to visit Cinda," I said, trying to sound casual.

"Fine. Felix will escort you," he replied after a moment of silence. "Just don't let yesterday's incident happen again."

I figured he was still bothered by my using the visit to Mason's house as an excuse to run away yesterday.

"I won't," I promised. "And I can drive myself, I don't need Felix to take me."

Eventually, he agreed.

Richard's POV

"Alpha, Ms. Winter has left the estate. Should I follow her?" Felix's voice came through my earpiece as I reviewed the quarterly reports.

"Yes. Keep your distance. Make sure she's safe," I instructed, my eyes never leaving Elena's family file open on my desk.

So she'd finally figured out who betrayed her? I set down the financial statements, a dangerous glint in my eyes.

Elena had always been too trusting, too quick to believe in others' goodness.

Elena's POV

Cinda was decorating for the holidays when I arrived. Mason had gone walking with a neighbor.

"Put it here," she was directing workers unloading a Christmas tree when I walked in.

I stood watching her for a moment, my fingers clenched nervously. Finally, I stepped forward.

"Cinda, I need to talk to you about something," I said.

She turned, her expression warm. "What is it?"

"Can we talk in your room? Privately?"

Ten minutes later, after I'd finished speaking, Cinda's face had transformed completely.

"You have... any evidence it was her?" Cinda asked, her voice trembling slightly as she processed what I'd just told her about Mandy.

"Yes!" I reached into my bag and pulled out a USB drive, holding it up.

Cinda stared at the small device in my hand, her expression shifting from disbelief to dread. She knew what this meant, but I needed to make it crystal clear.

"My previous manuscripts. And Victoria got them. They contained every single typo, every misplaced punctuation mark, every mistake in my original work. Identical." I emphasized the last word, watching Cinda's face closely.

"How can you be sure it wasn't copied by someone else? Or that you didn't give it to anyone else?" Her voice was desperate, searching for any explanation that wouldn't implicate her daughter.

I shook my head firmly. "No. I never shared those drafts with anyone except Mandy. I gave her one copy as a backup, and I took everything else with me when I left."

The color drained from Cinda's face. She looked like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head. The light in her eyes dimmed as the reality of her daughter's betrayal sank in.