Chapter 52: A WOLF AMONG THEM

A Spy in the Ranks

There's stress in the room. As Lucian's troops stand in a straight line, their nervous eyes dart back and forth between him and each other. A lot of people are holding their breath because they think something is going to go off. The air feels heavy. As Lucian paces in front of them, they can't help but notice the anger that is building up under his tough exterior. 

I stay out of sight in the dark and watch from the doorway, my heart beating fast. The fear in the room is obvious. Now that we know there is a spy among us, Lucian's anger is very dangerous. 

"Someone here betrayed us, who could be," Lucian says in a low, spiteful voice. He stops his pacing and looks around the gathering. "My men are killed because someone here supplied Clara with information. My house is a wreck. 

He turns and looks at his guys, focused on a man named Vincent. Vincent shifts uncomfortably, his brow starting to perspire. 

Lucian approaches him slowly. He says, "Vincent," in a quiet, almost too controlled voice. "You've spent years with me. You have fought alongside me. However, I must now learn the truth. 

Vincent swallows fiercely, his eyes widening and his neck bobbling. He shakes his head and stutters, "Boss, I swear, I didn't say a word." "I'd never turn on you!" 

Lucian looks down at him, his eyes icy. "Then why are you sweating?" 

The room becomes more tense. Desperate to find a way out, Vincent searches the area, but Lucian's anger is now inescapable. As I watch the event play out, I feel a knot in my chest tighten, hoping that Vincent is innocent. However, I know in my heart that someone here is responsible. 

The Questioning 

Lucian doesn't hold back. The pressure in the room is about to burst, and his patience has already reached its course. Lucian grabs Vincent by the collar and throws him against the wall before anyone can respond. 

With a roar, Lucian clenches his hand around Vincent's shirt and announces, "I'm done with excuses." "Tell me the truth, or I swear, you won’t leave this room alive." 

Vincent is gasping for air and his eyes are wild with terror. "I promise! I didn't." Vincent's protest is stopped when Lucian's fist hits his jaw. Vincent leans against the wall and moans in pain as blood seeps from his lip. 

"Who paid you?" With a voice colder than I've ever heard, Lucian demands. "Who did you sell us out to?" 

Trying to gather his breath, Vincent coughs. "No one," he stutters. "I didn’t" Lucian hits him once more, and Vincent falls to the ground, moaning this time. I have to bite my lip to control my laughter as the room reverberates with the sound of hands hitting flesh. The violence makes my stomach turn, even though I know Lucian is working to discover the truth. 

Vincent finally lets out a gasp and raises a shaking hand. "Cease! "Please!" he implores, his eyes welling with tears. "I’ll tell you!" 

Anger heaves in Lucian's chest as he pauses. "Then talk." 

With his voice hardly more than a whisper, Vincent takes a shaky breath. "It was... it was Kingston." 

The room falls silent as the name is dropped like a bomb. With his hand still in the air, Lucian freezes. I can see the shock flicker across his face as his eyes narrow. 

"Victor Kingston?" Lucian asks in a dangerously calm tone. "You’re telling me he paid you?" 

Vincent nods, his face shaking and white. "I promise, boss. I could never refuse the money he offered me. However, I didn't plan for this to occur! I had no idea it would get so awful. 

With his hands locked at his sides, Lucian takes a step back. He seemed to be barely holding himself together due to the stress throughout his entire body. He grits his teeth and says, "Get him out of here," without even turning to face Vincent. 

Vincent is pulled from the room by two of Lucian's men when they grab his arms. The following quiet is thunderous when the door crashes behind them. 

Scene 3: Isabella Comes to Understanding 

I stay hidden in the darkness, processing what I just heard while my heart races. Kingston Victor. I get shivers just thinking about the name. 

With his hands tight and his breaths rapid, Lucian stays still. I understand what this means for him, and I can feel the anger washing over him in waves. More than just a foe, Victor Kingston has been trying to rob Lucian of everything for years. However, there's another thing that chills me to the bone. 

In addition to being Lucian's rival, Victor Kingston is a well-known name. 

I am also familiar with him. 

My mind is racing with memories, and my heart is beating. The smug smile, the dark eyes. The man I used to see with my father was Victor Kingston. The guy who used to come over to our house late at night and whisper secrets in my dad's ear. The man who disappeared right before my life took a drastic change. 

All of a sudden, everything falls into place. Not just one of Lucian's men was paid off by Victor Kingston. This has been his long-term plan, and now it's all starting to fall apart. 

I take a step back into the darkness, panting for air as the truth hits me hard. Lucian's war is no longer the only one at stake. It's a personal matter. Lucian is not the only victim of Victor Kingston. He is also chasing me. And I've been pulled into the middle of this nightmare somehow. 

Lucian's voice, icy and deadly, pierces my thoughts. With his back to me, he continues, "Kingston is going to pay for this." " Whatever it takes, I don't care. He won't leave this fight unhurt. 

I swallow forcefully, my thoughts racing. I need to tell Lucian a lot of things, including lies I've kept hidden and things I never even realized would come back to worry me. I'm not sure how to tell him now, though. Not when I've known the man who started this war my entire life. 

As Lucian storms out of the room, I take a step back, my heart racing. Nothing will stop him from hunting down Kingston. However, I am aware of something he is not. 

Lucian is not the only victim of Victor Kingston. He is chasing me, and I fear that this fight will end in our mutual destruction if Lucian finds the truth.