Chapter 13: Endless lies

“What?” Trent's eyes widened in some phony confusion. His attempt to deny it tripled my rage. My fists tightened as tears clogged my vision.

He's a jerk. He's an asshole. How didn't I see that any sooner? How did it take Vince manipulating my life to see through Trent's deceit?

Maybe because he hid it so well. He's a pro at pretending.

“Baby…what…what are you talking about?” He knelt in front of me, placing his hands on my legs.

I couldn't help feeling repulsed by those hands so I pushed them off me. His eyes widened. Shocked by my reaction.

“Baby…Elena. What's going on with you?”

“I'll ask you again, Trent. And you better not lie to me twice.” I was livid. My quick breaths were just me trying to control my anger. I was trying hard to keep my outbursts in check. But he better not push my buttons by lying again. Or I just might lose my cool.

His lashes flickered. “Baby, please…”

“Did you embezzle the funds?” I repeated slowly.

He didn't say a word. Standing to his feet, he backed away to the wall, covering his face with his hands. Every part of him screamed guilty. But I wanted to hear him say it. I wanted him to admit it to my face.

Finally, he turned around. Tears were in his eyes now, and goddess, he looked downright broken and apologetic. Except, he wouldn't have been if I didn't confront him.

This wasn't genuine. It was an act to get me to forgive him. He was trying to deceive me again. To play me for a fool again.

“Ye-s. Yes, I did.”

I shut my eyes as those words stabbed right into the middle of my heart. Yes, I wanted him to admit it. But I never knew it would sting this much.

“Why?” I opened my eyes, unapologetically letting my tears fall. “What did you need the funds for?”

“For a project. I wanted to erect an industry that would produce uh…free clothing for the people. But it flopped and I was in huge debt with the investors…”

“So you embezzled the funds, and didn't tell me? You saw me being dragged in the news and you kept silent?!”

“Baby, baby…please…” he was down on his knees, with those fake tears that were only aggravating me. “I'm sorry. I didn't like that you were being pinned for it. I really was gonna handle the scandal…”

“How? By shoving me down your father's throat? By asking me to go work for him??!”

“Yeah, but…”

“How was that gonna solve anything?! If you really wanted to solve it, you should have come clean to me. And to the damn authorities. Admit your crime and face the consequences. Arrange a meeting with the pack elders and clear my damn name! That's what you should have done!!”

“I'm sorry….”

“Don't say you're sorry again, because you're not. You wouldn't be if I didn't confront you about it.”

“I know you're mad at me. You got every reason to be…” He came closer but the stern, icy look in my eyes kept him from touching me. “But I was really gonna fix this. Sending you to work for my father was a great start….”

“I don't wanna work for your father!” I snapped. The idea of it was literally poking at my nerves.

“Why not? His company is bigger. He treats you nicely….”

“I don't want to,” I repeated through gritted teeth. “So drop it.”

“Why? What's your reason?” He asked, giving me a pointed look.

I shook my head. My lips parted. No words escaped them. I shut them back.

“Nothing. I love working in our company. Just go clear my name.” I finished, refusing to indulge the dirty thoughts of Vince that flooded my mind at Trent's question.

“Alright, alright, it's fine. I will. But please, forgive me, baby. Forgive me.” He was literally groveling in front of me.

Again, he looked genuinely sorry. And every other time, I would have believed him. But not now. Not when he still was hiding something else.

“Is there something else you're sorry for, aside from the embezzlement?” I waited for his response. Waited to see if he was gonna lie again.

“What? No, baby…I'm clean. I'm good.”

My heart knotted. “You're…clean?”

“Yeah.” He nodded ever so boldly. The guts!

“Then that means…. you're not apologetic for cheating on me?” More tears harassed my eyes and face. It was hard keeping them back.

His blatant betrayal was clawing hard at my heart. What did I do to deserve such betrayal?

His eyes popped. “What are you talking about?” He stood with a rush.

A liar. A cheater. A pretender. A worthless mate…How did it take so long to see this side of him? And goddess, I gave him so much love.

“I'm talking about what you're doing with Tracy in those hotels; on those days, you claim to have big meetings.”

His shoulders sagged. The room grew more intense with our silence. He wasn't saying anything. I didn't wanna speak first. I was waiting for him. To accept it…

“I don't know what you're talking about, Elena.” He dared to say.

I lost it. With a flip, I was on my feet, with my phone, swiping through the screen with mad energy and shoving the picture in his face.

“You wanna keep lying even after knowing I got evidence?!”

He went pale. “How…”

“How did I get it?” I completed for him, quivering in anger. “It’s none of your fucking business. So tell me again, Trent, are you cheating on me with my sister or not?”

“I…I…She came to me. She came to me, baby. I didn't mean to…I swear it. Please believe me…” his mistake was touching me again because in the next second, after those filthy hands came in contact with my skin, I handed him a resounding slap. The force sent him two steps away from me.

“You're an imbecile. What? She came to you? So it's her fault? Not yours?!” I was every inch a mad, enraged woman right now. There was no controlling my emotions anymore.

“But it’s the truth. She…she had that messy breakup with her boyfriend…”

Yeah, the legendary breakup. While I was the good girl and level-headed one, Tracy was a wild chick. Always going for the obvious red flags. The toxic ones. That's how she winded up in this guy's arms. He was a foreigner and a biker. Or something like that.

They had fun. And then he left the Pack, ditching her ass for some girlfriend of his.

Tracy was beyond broken and we were all there to support her. So while being worried about her, she'd gotten together with my mate?

“...and she had that modeling photoshoot at the company so she visited regularly. And I tried helping her get over her depression. And she…she…”

“She seduced you? Is that what you're trying to say?”

“Yes. She did….” Trent nodded pathetically. His hands were shaky but he put them out for gestures as he spoke.

“She seduced you repeatedly or just once?” Analyzing this was breaking my heart even more, but I wanted to get a clearer picture.

He didn't answer that. I needed an answer so I pressed on. “She seduced you once and you loved it. So you continued with her for months?”

“I'm sorry…”

“You shut the mind-link off when you're with her, knowing that would put my health at risk. You lied to my face every night you came back into my arms, professing love to me…”

“No. Those weren't lies. I love you…”

“That's not what you do to someone you love!” I yelled, wailing now and throwing another slap that would have landed hard on him if he hadn't evaded it. “You don't cheat on someone you love. And you certainly don't lie to them. You don't know how to love…”

“I'm willing to learn. Please, baby. I'll change. I'll stop seeing her. But please don't leave me…” He held my shaky hands, dropping to his knees again. Like that would fix anything. Like seeing him looking so pathetic would heal the wound his betrayal gave my heart.

“What was it about her that made you keep going back for more? What was it about Tracy that I didn't have? Didn't I love you enough? Did she love you differently, in a way I couldn't?”

My heart broke at my own words. Never did I think I'd question my worth this way. And never did I think I'd be doing it for Trent. The one guy I loved and gave up everything for.

“I'm sorryyy….”

Listening to his apologies was making me sick so I tore my hands from his grip and went back to bed.

Resting my head on the pillows, I pulled the duvet over my body. He was still standing there.

“Get out. Go sleep somewhere else. Probably in her arms. I don't care…”

But I cared. Too deeply. My heart shattered when he left the room, shutting the door.

Was he really going to her?