Chapter 317

Chapter 317
Paxton

The Sterling Group boardroom had never felt more like a battleground.

Twelve of our most senior board members sat in their high-backed leather chairs, each representing billions in assets and generations of pure Alpha bloodlines. Today, they would render judgment on family.

Kai sat directly across from me, his usually immaculate silver hair disheveled, his expensive Italian suit wrinkled as if he'd spent the night pacing. But his golden wolf eyes still held that familiar confidence—the same look he'd worn when teaching me to negotiate my first major acquisition.

"Thank you all for convening on such short notice," I began, letting my Alpha authority fill the room. "What I'm about to present will fundamentally change how we understand Sterling Group's recent performance issues."

I held up a thick manila folder, my voice carrying the weight of absolute certainty. "According to our internal audit reports, over the past six months, multiple key transactions have shown profit margins far below projected expectations. Without exception, these transactions all involved Kai's... business partners."

Kai smiled, attempting to appear unfazed. "Market fluctuations are normal, Paxton. We've assessed all transaction risks appropriately."

I cut him off immediately, my voice sharp with accusation. "What's strange is that these transaction terms were obviously favorable to the other parties, while we made concessions repeatedly. Is this coincidence, or is there another explanation?"

I activated the conference room's holographic display system, and detailed transaction data filled the air—contracts, profit analyses, and correspondence.

The board members began murmuring among themselves, shock and suspicion spreading across their faces as they absorbed the implications.

"What's even more puzzling," I continued, my voice growing harder, "is that our competitors have recently acquired substantial amounts of critical information, even completing strategic initiatives before us. The timing of these information leaks coincides perfectly with your activities, Kai."

I played a surveillance recording on the main screen—crystal clear footage of Kai meeting with executives from rival corporations in a private club.

Kai's expression flickered briefly, but he maintained his composure. "These are normal business interactions. You can't draw conclusions from a single recording."

I laughed, the sound carrying no warmth. "Then how do you explain the massive amounts of money that suddenly appeared in your private accounts? Money whose source traces directly back to our competitors."

The holographic display shifted to show bank transfer records—astronomical sums flowing from rival corporations into accounts bearing Kai's name. The evidence was undeniable, the financial trail clear as daylight.

The board erupted in shocked whispers. One of the board members' eyes flashing with barely contained rage, demanded answers. "Kai, what the hell is going on here?"

Kai attempted to deflect, rising from his chair to point an accusing finger at me. "You're slandering me! As an Alpha leader, you should be maintaining corporate unity, not creating internal division!"

I didn't back down an inch. "Unity requires everyone to prioritize Sterling Group's interests. Your actions have severely damaged Sterling's business interests!"

I pulled out a sealed file folder and placed it deliberately on the conference table. "I have additional evidence here, including secret agreements you signed with competitors and proof that you deliberately delayed critical projects."

The boardroom fell into absolute silence, every pair of eyes focused on Kai, waiting for his response to the mounting evidence.

Faced with ironclad proof, Kai finally lost his composure completely. He slammed his palm on the table and glared at me with naked fury. "You're targeting me deliberately! Everything I did was for Sterling's future!"

I remained calm but authoritative, my voice carrying the finality of judgment. "If you truly cared about Sterling's future, you wouldn't have betrayed us. The Sterling needs loyalty and cooperation, not treachery and betrayal."

Several core board members immediately called for an emergency vote on whether to expel Kai from the board of directors. The vote was swift and decisive—Kai was formally removed from his position by unanimous decision.

"Kai Sterling," I said formally, "you are hereby removed from the Sterling Group board of directors, stripped of all corporate positions, and banned from company properties. Your shares will be transferred to family trust pending investigation into your activities."

"Furthermore," I continued, "under the laws that govern our pack, I formally revoke your right to Sterling family protection and resources. You have betrayed the pack, endangered pack members, and dishonored the Sterling name through acts of revenge and sabotage."

"Paxton, you're just as weak and cowardly as your father. By aligning yourself with a half-breed, you've turned your back on the purity of our bloodline and disgraced the legacy of our pack. Do you really think you've won? You're nothing more than a coward, shielding yourself behind your hollow sense of virtue." With that, Kai burst into wild, uncontrollable laughter, as if he’d lost his mind.

Security escorted Kai from the boardroom. He was a disgraced Alpha, stripped of his Sterling name.

As the boardroom emptied, I remained behind, staring at the Sterling wolf crest. Justice had been served, but the satisfaction I'd expected never came. Instead, I felt hollow, watching an Alpha who'd raised me destroy himself with his own hatred and obsession.

My thoughts turned to Zoe, who would be devastated when she learned the full truth about Kai's manipulations. At least she had Leo now—a good man who truly loved her, not as a weapon or a means to an end, but for who she was. If she wanted it, I would always consider her family, regardless of DNA or Kai's poison.

However, the person who weighed heaviest on my mind was Freya. I had hurt her because of Kai's lies and Lyra's deception, and now the wound between us seemed irreparable. This time, Flynn had suffered grave injuries—again, because of Kai and Lyra. The guilt gnawed at me like a festering wound, and I could hardly bear to face her.

As I sat there, drowning in my own regret, a small voice whispered in the back of my mind: What if there’s still a way to make things right?