Chapter 172: When Silence Becomes a Weapon

Drake's eyes trembled. Just an ex.

A memory struck him. A birthday. Marcus's voice cut through the laughter. Asking if he would regret it if Elena ever remembered everything.

“She is nothing more than a shameful ex.”

Drake shut his eyes. Pain pressed behind his ribs.

“Cassandra,” he said at last, voice rough. “I am sorry. I wasted your years while my mind was lost. But as my memories return, I see the truth. There is no space in my heart for anyone but Elena.”

“She is my mate. My world. Without her, there is nothing.”

Cassandra bit her lip until blood filled her mouth. She refused to let go. Tears fell hard.

If Elena was his world, then what was she?

From the moment she copied Elena’s ways, Drake had drawn closer. He never stopped her. He welcomed it. She believed she had carved a place inside him.

But the moment his memory healed, she vanished.

Drake reached into the drawer and pulled out a card. He held it toward her. “Even if my company has fallen, I can still offer this. It may be little, but it is my apology.”

Cassandra stared at the card through blurred vision. Then she looked at him. “You used to call me your angel.”

Drake remained still.

“I am sorry,” he said quietly. “That name belongs to Elena. I cannot give it to you.”

He pushed the card closer. “Take it. I will tell everyone I ended this. Your name will stay clean.”

Cassandra stood still, then laughed softly. She wiped her face, grabbed her bag, and walked to the door.

She paused without turning. “Morrin Farrington could not reach you. She called me instead. She wants you to return her call.”

Then she left.

Fear struck Drake. Morrin and the children. He grabbed his phone and powered it on. Missed messages filled the screen.

He pressed the record and called back.

“It seems the only path to you is through Miss Cassandra,” Morrin said, her voice sharp with mockery. “If you had agreed earlier, you could have used the children to threaten Elena and save your face. But now.”

“You called to laugh at me?” Drake said outrightly.

“I still want to work with you,” Morrin said. “I do not want those children in the Farrington den any longer. You are their blood father. Use that bond. Trade it for Elena’s formula. For her cubs, she will agree.”

Drake pressed his lips tight. “You mean the same plan. You bring them to me. How do I know they will be safe?”

Morrin laughed softly. “Blood speaks loudly, even when never met. You care.”

Her tone cooled. “Do not worry. I will keep them safe. If harm comes to them, my uncle would tear me apart.”

It was because Raphael guarded the two cubs with such fierce devotion that Morrin refused to let them remain near him. Their presence softened her uncle’s claws. Morrin could not allow that weakness to grow.

Her eyes gleamed with calculation. “I have only one demand,” she said calmly. “Do not let the children return to the Farrington family. Can you swear to that?”

Drake drew in a slow breath. “Fine. I will choose the time. My hands are full right now. I cannot move yet.”

Morrin let out a quiet laugh. “Busy tending to Miss Cassandra, are you?” “I will wait for your call. But do not take too long. Wolves change their minds quickly.”

The line went dead.

Drake stared at his phone. Sweat dampened his palm. He needed to warn Elena. Immediately.

Elena did not expect Damian to arrive in person that afternoon.

When she stepped out of the building, the black car waited at the curb. Damian stood beside it. Melvin followed a step behind Elena. Damian noticed him but showed no surprise. He opened the back door with perfect manners.

The car moved through the city and stopped before the restaurant. Samson was already seated when they entered.

As soon as they sat, Samson spoke with lively energy. He laughed as he told Damian about Morrin's earlier stunt. He described how she pretended to know him well and bragged about her connection to the founder of Durok Biotech, all while standing before the real founder herself.

Damian smiled faintly. “That happens often within powerful packs. They use missing knowledge to climb higher. Miss Morrin was simply unlucky to boast before the true alpha.”

Samson nodded. “Luck matters more than strength sometimes.”

Damian lifted his glass, then turned his attention to Elena. “I heard the Farrington entertainment branches plan to end cooperation with our spokesperson.”

“Yes,” Elena replied without pause.

Damian's smile stayed polite. “May I know why? Cassandra represents us worldwide.”

Samson slowly set his glass down. He looked at Damian with disbelief. “Did I not tell you? Your spokesperson was engaged to our boss’s ex-mate.”

Damian stiffened. “ex mate?”

Samson leaned forward. “Our boss grew up with Drake. They were bound from youth. On his birthday, the moment they reached legal age, he pushed her into marriage. On the return from registering the bond, they crashed. And my boss fell into a deep sleep for two years.”

He took a breath, anger flashing in his eyes. “When she woke, Drake had lost his memory. He took up with Cassandra instead. The way he treated our boss was beyond cruel.”

Elena lifted her hand lightly. “Enough. Old scars need not be torn open.”

Samson scoffed. “Anyone can dig it up. In Glendale, their bond was legendary. Everyone knew how deeply Drake loved her. Then he simply turned away.”

Damian fell silent. So Drake and Cassandra were not together from the start. It only happened after the crash. After the memory loss.

He recalled the law. Men could only marry at twenty-two.

That meant Cassandra appeared after Drake reached that age. That timing clashed with the story of saving him years earlier in San Diego.

Damian slowly turned to Elena. “Eleven years ago, were you in San Diego?”

“Yes,” Elena replied. She set down her fork and wiped her lips. “I was there for a competition on behalf of this state.”

Understanding struck Damian like a sudden howl in the night.

“So that is why you ordered the cut,” he said quietly.

Elena met his eyes. “It reduces danger.”

Damian had chosen Cassandra because of that tale of rescue. It matched their values of loyalty and courage. If the truth broke free, the backlash would tear flesh.

Even if they acted early, the damage would still ripple outward. Worse, Damian was already locked in silent combat with his elder brother for control of the pack. A failure now would weaken his position.

Yet if Elena truly was the one he searched for all those years, he could not demand silence without cause.

He spoke slowly. “Ending Hamilton Corporation's cooperation was your strike at your former mate. Is revealing this your blade against Cassandra?”

Elena reached into her bag. She slid a folder across the table.

“Even if you had not come today, I would have sought you out,” she said evenly. “We are allies, with or without old debts. I know your struggle. This is not the moment for chaos. Let us both gain.”

Damian opened the folder. Designs lie inside. Alongside them rested a cooperation proposal. His breath slowed as understanding formed.

He lifted his eyes. The warmth in them faded, replaced by calm focus. “You want Farrington products paired with Thompson Group.”

Elena nodded. “The announcement must come before the Zentex Group director of commerce comes back from California.”

Damian leaned back. Silence stretched. “This touches politics. When politics enter the hunt, profit steps aside. Farrington Corporation is under strict pressure. If we stand with you now, it will anger powerful forces.”

Elena smiled. “It is only design. No research. No technology transfer. Just a shared image.”

Samson finally saw the shape of the plan. His eyes widened. Their boss was making a bold move.

Damian held the proposal tightly. After a long pause, he spoke. “So you trade silence for alliance.”

Elena shook her head. “Saving you was instinct. I would do it again for anyone. But in business, I use every truth that helps my pack. If not this, I would find another path to bind with the Thompson Group. ”