chapter 122
Tori's POV:
I turned around slowly, only to watch disappointment cloud the elderly woman's face as she examined my features more closely.
Charlotte quickly moved to the woman's side, taking her arm supportively. "Grandmother, this is Tori Sullivan," she explained gently. "She's Alpha Lucas's mate."
"I see," the woman said, recovering her composure.
She must be Diana Shepherd, I realized.
While I was still hesitating, trying to decide whether I should extend my hand or simply nod in greeting, Diana released Charlotte's hand and stepped forward to grasp mine.
"Forgive an old woman's mistake," she said, studying my face intently. "You bear a striking resemblance to my daughter when she was younger. Something about the shape of your eyes..."
I shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny.
First, Olivia said I reminded her of her granddaughter. Now, Diana claimed I resembled her daughter. Did I really have such a common face that everyone saw their relatives in me?
"It's okay. I'm pleased to meet you, Mrs. Shepherd," I said politely, unsure how else to respond.
Charlotte's expression had subtly darkened as she watched our interaction, though her smile remained perfectly in place.
Before the moment could grow more awkward, Olivia appeared in the hallway, her silver eyes taking in the scene with a quick assessment.
"Diana," she said, her voice carefully neutral. "What a surprise."
"Olivia," Diana nodded, finally releasing my hand. "It's been some time."
The tension between them was palpable, decades of complicated history hanging in the air.
"We were just finishing our dinner," Olivia said smoothly, placing a protective hand on my shoulder. "Tori, dear, shall we?"
I nodded gratefully, relieved by the interruption. "It was nice meeting you both," I said to Diana and Charlotte.
As we walked away, I couldn't help glancing back.
Diana was watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read—something between melancholy and curiosity.
The restaurant's parking lot was right at the entrance.
As soon as Olivia and I stepped outside, I spotted her chauffeur waiting by a sleek black sedan. To my surprise, Jack was also there, leaning against a Range Rover, smoking a cigarette.
When he saw me, Jack immediately extinguished his cigarette and walked over. "Alpha Lucas asked me to pick you up," he said with a respectful nod.
I noticed Olivia's approving smile as she observed this interaction.
"Thank you for joining me tonight, Tori," Olivia said, squeezing my hand gently.
"The pleasure was mine," I replied sincerely. "Thank you for dinner and... for sharing your stories."
I watched her leave, her chauffeur helping her into the sleek sedan with practiced ease. Once her car pulled away, I turned and walked to the Range Rover where Jack was already holding the rear door open for me.
...
Hannah's POV:
The Silver Fang Detention Center's exit gate clanged shut behind me.
Freedom at last, though it hardly felt like victory.
Seven days in that hellhole—seven days!—because of that ungrateful little bitch I gave birth to.
My fingers involuntarily curled into fists, nails digging into my palms until I felt the sting of broken skin. The pain grounded me, a welcome distraction from the humiliation burning through my veins.
People were watching—the guards, the other released inmates, and worst of all, Alexander waiting by the car.
The drive home was silent. Alexander's eyes flicked toward me in the rearview mirror, but I ignored him.
"She'll pay for this," I whispered to myself. "That little bitch will regret ever being born."
Back at our mansion, the staff sensed my fury and scattered in all directions, desperate to avoid my wrath.
Alexander cornered me in the study. "Hannah, this has to stop. Your vendetta against Tori—"
"My vendetta?" I laughed, the sound sharp and brittle. "She put me in jail, Alexander. Me! Do you have any idea what that place was like?"
"You tried to kidnap a child." His voice was cold. "Be grateful your mother dropped the charges and Alpha Lucas didn't demand worse punishment."
That thing sent fresh rage coursing through me. "Don't speak to me about that."
"You need to listen." Alexander gripped my shoulders. "Tori has the First Alpha's protection now. Four of our major business partners have already severed ties with us, afraid of Grayson's retribution. You keep pushing, and we'll lose everything."
I wrenched away from him. "A filthy Omega thinking she can claim an Arctic bloodline Alpha? She doesn't deserve him. She's nothing!"
His disgust was plain, though he tried to hide it. How dare he judge me? He who had once loved me enough to accept another man's child as his own?
"What about Fiona?" Mia's timid voice came from the doorway. "Will she be okay?"
Alexander sighed. "She's facing three to seven years of exile. But since she's carrying a Grayson pup, they won't enforce it until after she gives birth."
Alexander's expression softened slightly as he looked at Mia. "Don't worry too much. As the mother of their future pup, they won't let her be exiled. "
I retreated to my room, slamming the door so hard the frame shook.
The next morning, a small unmarked package arrived for me.
Inside, glossy photographs spilled out—Lucas and Tori locked in an intimate embrace, his mouth on hers, her body yielding.
I gasped, rage burning through me as I snatched up the photos.
Who would dare send me this? Was someone mocking me? With a furious snarl, I hurled the photographs to the floor, watching them scatter across the polished hardwood.
As they fell, I noticed something at the bottom of the package—a small piece of parchment.
Curious despite my anger, I picked it up.
"Your child was shamelessly seducing an Alpha. Will you do nothing?"
My initial rage gave way to something colder, more calculated.
I picked up the fallen photos, a slow smile spreading across my face. My mother—Eileen—was always so concerned about propriety and reputation.
When she heard I was pregnant with a wealthy man's child all those years ago, she immediately dragged me to terminate the pregnancy. Only my threats of suicide had convinced her to let me keep the baby.
The irony was delicious.
If she discovered that Tori was now intimately involved with the wealthiest Alpha in Moonhaven, she'd be furious.
The traditionalist in her would never accept such brazen behavior from an unmarried Omega—especially given her obsession with proper social standing and suitable matches.
"Tori, darling," I whispered, tracing her face in the photo with my fingernail hard enough to leave a scratch. "You've given me exactly what I need to destroy you."