Chapter 153 AGAINST FATHER

ALEX'S POINT OF VIEW

A dull ache throbbed in my chest as my eyes fluttered open. The dim light from the lamp cast a soft glow in the room, but it wasn't what caught my attention.

Scarlet.

She was curled up beside me, still in the clothes from yesterday, her head resting on the edge of the bed. One of her hands was close to mine, as if she had been holding it.

She stayed.

The realization sent a wave of emotions through me. I could hear her breathing, slow and even, but the faint redness around her eyes told me she had been crying.

My throat tightened.

I had heard her.

Even in the haze of unconsciousness, I had heard her begging me to live.

She didn't hate me as much as she wanted to.

Carefully, I shifted, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through my ribs. I pulled the blanket over her before swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. My body protested, but I forced myself to stand. I couldn't afford to be weak now.

I walked to the window, rubbing a hand down my face.

Everything had changed between us.

I knew Scarlet wasn't ready to forgive me, and she probably never would, but last night had shown me something-she still cared. Maybe not in the way I wanted, but it was enough.

A vibration in my pocket pulled me out of my thoughts. I grabbed my phone and stepped out of the room before answering.

"Yeah?"

"Alpha," my beta's voice came through, urgency clear. "It's your father."

Tension coiled in my muscles.

"What about him?"

"He's gathering men," he said. "Something big is happening. If we don't act now, we might lose control of the situation."

My jaw clenched.

I had known this day would come.

I had given him too much time.

I glanced back at the room, at Scarlet still sleeping peacefully. I couldn't afford to let this drag on. My father had already done enough damage, and I wasn't going to let him destroy what little I had left.

I took a deep breath and straightened my shoulders. I didn't have time to rest.

My body ached, my chest felt tight, but none of it mattered. I grabbed my jacket, ignoring the lingering pain as I stepped out of the house. The cool night air hit me as I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed my uncle's number.

It rang twice before he picked up.

"We need to meet," I said, not wasting time on pleasantries. "Now."

A brief pause, then a sigh. "Where?"

"The warehouse near the east border."

"I'll be there in thirty minutes."

I ended the call and got into my car. My fingers tightened around the wheel as I started the engine. Every second wasted was a second my father was out there, planning something dangerous.

I had spent too many years believing his lies.

Too many years obeying him.

Too many years ruining lives because of him.

Not anymore.

For so long, I had worshiped the ground he walked on. I had done things-terrible things-because I thought I was following a man who knew better. I had trusted him. Followed every order without question. Believed every twisted lie he fed me.

And where did that lead me?

To the death of innocent people.

To Scarlet hating me.

To me almost losing my life because of the poison he put in my heart-both literally and figuratively.

Anger surged through me, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. I had let him mold me into something cruel, someone who didn't question, didn't resist.

I was his puppet.

But not anymore.

By the time I arrived, my uncle was already waiting, leaning against his car with his arms crossed. His sharp eyes scanned me the moment I stepped out.

"You look like hell," he muttered.

"Feel like it too," I admitted, rolling my shoulders. "But I don't have time to rest."

He studied me for a moment before nodding. "Tell me what's happening."

I exhaled sharply. "He's gathering men. My beta got word that something big is coming. I don't know exactly what he's planning, but we both know it's not good."

My uncle's face darkened. "He's getting desperate."

"Which makes him more dangerous," I said. "If we don't stop him now, he's going to do something that we won't be able to fix."

Silence stretched between us. The weight of what we were about to do settled heavy in the air.

"Do you have proof?" my uncle finally asked.

I shook my head. "Not yet."

"Then we need evidence," he said. "If we go after him without it, he'll slip through the cracks like always."

I clenched my fists. He was right.

My father was good at escaping consequences.

He had manipulated, bribed, and threatened his way out of every situation.

But this time, I wasn't going to let him.

"This has to end," I said, my voice low, my expression hard. "He killed my mother. He framed innocent people. He used me. And now, he's planning something else. I won't let him destroy more lives."

My uncle's gaze softened for a second. "I know," he said. "And I'll help you."

I nodded, my chest tightening. "We need a plan."

"We'll start with his men," my uncle said. "If they're gathering, that means there are meetings, transactions, something we can track."

I pulled out my phone and sent a message to my beta. "I'll have my men keep eyes on them."

"We need solid proof," my uncle continued. "Not just rumors. We need something that will put him away for good."

I ran a hand through my hair. "There has to be something. A document. A recording. Witnesses. Anything."

"There is," my uncle said. "We just have to find it before he covers his tracks."

I exhaled, my heart pounding. "Then we don't stop until we do."

Because this time, I wasn't following orders.

I was giving them.

And my father?

He was going to pay for everything.