Chapter 249
Liam
Recent events had taught me more about Selina than I'd ever wanted to know.
In my memories, she had always been gentle and pure. She'd been tender and considerate toward me, elegant and charming in everything she did. In my heart, Selina had been the very definition of perfection.
But too much had happened over the years. Now Selina was Frost's mate, and no matter what, I had to let go of my obsession with her. Besides, I truly had Bella in my heart now.
So when it came to Selina, all I had left was honoring the promises I'd made years ago.
Last night, Freya had sent numerous files to my private email, all related to Selina. When Selina had approached me back then, she hadn't been ignorant of my identity. She'd known exactly who I was—the heir to the Wilson pack—and had deliberately sought me out for that very reason.
The innocent charm she'd displayed in front of me had been nothing but an act. She'd always been a vicious and ruthless woman, even as a young girl. Back then, she'd systematically destroyed any she-wolf who'd tried to get close to me, using despicable tactics to pressure them until some became depressed, and others even attempted suicide.
From the very beginning, Selina's purpose had been clear. She'd simply wanted to bind herself to a true Alpha heir. I had been her chosen target.
Selina had abandoned me only because of that hunter attack. She'd thought I would die, which was why she'd turned to Frost.
All these years, she'd been scheming for Frost to become the Wilson pack's leader. That incident at the banquet had been her carefully orchestrated plan to make others believe I suffered from Alpha Rage Syndrome.
Selina had calculated everything, all to help Frost rise to power.
Did she have any real feelings for me? There had only been manipulation.
If it hadn't been for Bella that night, that situation wouldn't have been resolved so smoothly. The only one who truly stood by me was Bella—my beloved Bella, not Selina. I could see that clearly now.
I found it laughable that I'd nearly hurt Bella for someone like Selina. Fortunately, there were some things I hadn't yet done, and I hoped Bella would never need to know about them.
In the depths of night, Bella had already fallen asleep. I gazed at my mate with heavy eyes, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before leaving our bedroom for my study.
I still needed to contact Freya to understand exactly how she planned to handle this situation. I wasn't trying to protect Selina—I simply wanted to know the outcome.
Opening my phone, I suddenly remembered something. Bella had mentioned blocking some employees earlier. What about Selina? With all the commotion from this incident, there was no way Selina hadn't tried calling.
So Bella had blocked Selina's number too?
My eyebrows lifted slightly as I checked the blocked contacts list. Sure enough, Selina was there.
A smile tugged at my lips. Instead of immediately unblocking Selina, I called Freya.
But it wasn't Freya who answered—it was Lucas Morgan.
"Liam, do you have any idea what time it is?" Lucas's voice carried a hoarse edge, as if he'd been awakened from deep sleep.
I made a noncommittal sound. "You've called me at this hour before."
Lucas was speechless, unable to argue since he'd indeed done the same thing.
He asked, "Are you doing this just to get back at me?"
My voice was low and steady. "I need to ask Freya something."
Then Freya's voice came through.
She asked, "What do you want?"
Her voice was lazy, carrying the drowsy haze of interrupted sleep.
Before I could speak, Freya continued, "If this is about Selina, asking me to remove the trending topics, I can tell you clearly—don't bother. She's been so ruthless in her actions that I'm going to get revenge for Bella no matter what."
If Selina hadn't deliberately picked a fight, hiring people to pose as Bella's fake fans in that staged performance, Freya wouldn't have followed the trail to uncover the truth.
"I'm not asking you to remove the trending topics," I said calmly.
Freya sounded surprised. "What? Suddenly grew a conscience? Not easy. Took you this long to remember who your mate is."
Freya mocked me mercilessly.
I responded, "Bella is my mate. Of course I'll protect her."
Freya scoffed again. "Whatever. I'm telling you—no matter what happens to Bella, I will always protect her."
I stated firmly, "Freya, I'm Bella's mate. Are you sure you want to communicate with me this way? This puts Bella in a difficult position."
Freya made a dismissive sound. "Haven't our relations always been like this?"
Indeed, I disliked Freya, and she disliked me.
Thinking of this, I hung up directly.
After hanging up on Freya, I removed Selina's number from the blocked list. The next second, Selina's call came through.
My eyes flickered as I instinctively checked the time. It was so late—had Selina been trying to call me all day?
My expression was complex, but I still answered her call.
Immediately, Selina's tearful voice came through the phone: "Liam, why did it take you so long to answer my call?"
I told her the truth. "Bella has a bit of a childish streak. She blocked your number because she doesn't like you constantly contacting me."
Selina was stunned, unable to help saying. "How can she do that?"
I replied, "She's my mate. She naturally has her reasons for doing this."
Selina could already hear from my words that from now on, I was prepared to defend Bella.
Selina gritted her teeth secretly, hating both Bella and what she saw as my heartless betrayal.
After a long moment, she steadied her emotions and spoke in a calm tone. "Liam, did you see the trending topics? I'm innocent in this matter. It was my manager..."
"Since that's the truth, you can naturally tell your fans and the public everything. There are laws in our community about targeting another Alpha's mate. The Council doesn't look kindly on that kind of behavior," I said coldly, cutting her off.
Selina continued, "Liam, she's worked beside me for so many years. You know how deep our relationship is. So please, help me get the trending topics removed, will you?"
I interrupted, "Cut the act, Selina. I know what you did. The fake fans, the harassment, all of it."
For a moment, Selina was speechless, feeling something heavy and cold settling in her chest.
"Liam...I don't know what you're talking about. If something happened, it must have been my PR team acting without my knowledge. You know I would never—" Her voice carried a note of grievance.
"As Bella's marked Alpha, I will protect her," I interrupted, letting steel creep into my voice. "From anyone who threatens her. Anyone."