Chapter 49 More secret

Chapter 49 More secret
The heavy luxury SUV cruised slowly down the winding, tree-lined avenue of the city's most exclusive district. Inside, the silence was suffocating. Charles sat in the back seat, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles in his cheek throbbed. He stared out at the passing streetlights, his mind spinning. His wolf was restless, clawing at the edges of his control, driven mad by the phantom feeling of Harriet flinching away from his touch.
He didn't want to go back to the empty mansion. Not yet. He didn't know why she was acting this way, and until he had answers, the quiet halls of his own home would only drive his beast wild with frustration.
"Godwin," Charles said, his voice flat and commanding.
"Yes, Alpha?" Godwin replied. He adjusted his grip on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, his manicured fingers catching the dim light of the dashboard. Godwin was a strong, stubborn omega who possessed a tongue as sharp as his combat skills, carrying himself with a distinct, feminine grace that never once detracted from his sheer physical lethargy when protective instincts kicked in.
"Change route. We are going to the old Edwin estate. My grandfather’s house."
Godwin’s eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, a soft, perfectly shaped eyebrow raising slightly. "The main estate, boss? You haven't set foot in that fortress since the day you took the pack title. Are you sure you want to invite that headache today?"
"Just drive, Godwin."
"As you wish, Alpha," Godwin said with a delicate, dramatic sigh, smoothly turning the heavy SUV down the northern highway.
The Edwin ancestral home was a massive, gothic stone palace hidden behind iron gates draped in dark ivy. When the SUV pulled up to the grand front steps, the heavy double doors were already open.
Charles stepped out, his dark coat billowing slightly in the cool evening breeze. He walked into the grand foyer, his boots clicking heavily against the white marble. He hadn't even reached the center of the hall when a sharp, mocking voice echoed from the drawing-room entrance.
"Well, look what the wind dragged in. The great Alpha himself has returned."
Charles stopped, turning his head slowly. Standing there was Matilda Edwin, his stepmother. Her dark skin was absolutely glowing under the crystal chandeliers, her hair pinned up elegantly, and her silk dress trailing behind her as she crossed her arms. Standing right beside her, leaning lazily against a marble pillar, was her son—Charles's stepbrother, Rodriguez.
Rodriguez smirked, his eyes scanning behind Charles. "Where is she, brother? The first thing I wanted to see today was your gorgeous new wife. The papers are saying she’s quite the prize. Did you leave her locked up in your castle?"
Charles’s eyes turned pitch-black in a fraction of a second. A low, warning growl vibrated deep in his chest, making the glassware in the nearby cabinet rattle. "Keep your mouth shut about my wife, Rodriguez, if you want to keep your tongue inside it."
Matilda’s face contorted with instant anger. She stepped in front of her son, her voice dripping with venom. "Don't you dare come into this house and threaten my son, Charles! And frankly, I don't care about your new little mate. I don't like her. She’s the daughter of a disgraced pack, and she brings nothing but scandal to the Edwin name."
Charles let out a cold, arrogant chuckle, stepping closer until he completely towered over her. "And that is exactly why she is my mate, Matilda, and not yours. Mind your own business."
Matilda gasped, her chest heaving. She was long used to Charles’s absolute arrogance, but his bluntness still stung. "What even brought you here after all these years? You hate this house."
"None of your business," Charles snapped, completely brushing past her. "Where is my grandfather?"
"He’s not here," Matilda yelled after him as he walked down the corridor. "He went to the countryside pack meeting two days ago!"
Charles didn't even bother to reply. He walked through the empty library, confirming his grandfather was indeed absent, before turning right around and heading back out to the front doors.
Matilda watched him walk out, her eyes narrowing in deep suspicion. She turned to her son. "Why is he here? Is his election plan not going well? Is he losing control of the council?"
Rodriguez yawned, checking his gold watch with a bored expression. "It’s none of my business, Mother. Honestly, I don't care. I'm going to the club."
Matilda threw her hands up in frustration. "The club! That is all you know how to do! While your stepbrother is taking over the city, you are chasing girls and wasting money!"
Rodriguez just laughed, waving a hand dismissively as he walked toward the side exit.
Charles slid back into the SUV, his mood darker than before. Godwin checked his makeup in the vanity mirror before putting the car in drive and pulling out of the gates.
"No luck with the old man, I take it?" Godwin asked smoothly, his voice light but his eyes sharp as he watched the road.
"He wasn't there," Charles muttered, closing his eyes.
Suddenly, the encrypted phone on the dashboard began to buzz. The screen lit up with Bluey's name. Charles grabbed it instantly, pressing it to his ear.
"Talk to me, Bluey," Charles growled.
"Alpha," Bluey’s voice came through, fast and serious. "I have a lead on the mistress’s movements. I’ve bypassed the encryption on her local transit routes. It’s... something you need to see for yourself. I’ve sent the visual file to your secure tablet."
Charles grabbed the tablet from the seat pocket beside him. The screen flickered, showing a high-definition, nighttime security feed from a street camera near the edge of the city.
The time stamp read 12:15 AM.
The video showed a woman in a dark wool coat slipping out of a yellow city taxi. The camera zoomed in, and Charles’s breath caught in his throat. It was Harriet. She was looking around nervously, her hands tucked into her pockets. She walked straight up the driveway of a massive, brightly lit estate.
The Walter family home.
Charles stared at the screen, the glass of the tablet cracking slightly under the intense pressure of his tightening grip. His chest rose and fell in heavy, ragged breaths. She had lied to him. She had snuck out of his bed in the middle of the night to visit the family that had disowned her—the family that had thrown her to the wolves.
"Godwin," Charles said, his voice dropping into a register so dark and animalistic that even the stubborn omega driver stiffened.
"Yes, boss?" Godwin asked, his playful demeanor vanishing instantly as he felt the sheer power of Charles’s fury filling the cabin.
"Turn the car around. Take me to the Walter estate. Now."
Godwin’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, his eyes narrowing as he checked the GPS. "The Walter pack house? Boss, that’s rival territory. If we roll up there without the full security detail—"
"I don't care," Charles hissed, his eyes glowing a dangerous, lethal gold in the darkness of the backseat. "Drive."
Godwin didn't argue further. He slammed his foot on the gas pedal, the powerful engine of the SUV roaring as they sped through the dark city streets, heading straight toward the place where Harriet's secrets lay hidden.