Chapter 38
Lisa's POV:
"That wasn't anyone's fault, Lisa. We need to let it go—the living have to find a way to move forward." David said, his voice weary as he stood in our living room.
I stared at him, this shell of a man I once called husband.
How dare he tell me to "let go" when our son was rotting in the ground?
"Let it go?" I laughed, the sound hollow even to my own ears.
"Move forward? Like you two?" I gestured between him and Sophia, who was still cowering behind him. "Is that what you call being cold-blooded? Forgetting about Noah like he never existed?"
David's jaw tightened.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it. We haven't forgotten Noah. We're just trying to—"
"Trying to what? Replace him?" I spat the words like poison, my voice dripping with contempt.
"You're barely even home anymore, David. Always at the damn office, always too busy for us. I wouldn't be surprised if you had a whole other family stashed away—one that doesn't remind you of your failures.
The moment the accusation left my lips, I knew I'd struck a nerve.
David's face hardened, his eyes flashing with a fury I rarely saw in him.
"If I'm never home," he said, his voice dangerously low, "it's because you've turned this house into a war zone. Not anything else."
His words hung in the air between us, heavy with years of unspoken resentment.
Without waiting for my response, he turned away, placing a protective hand on Sophia's shoulder.
"Come on, Sophia. Go to your room."
I watched as they climbed the stairs, David not even sparing me a backward glance. The sound of Sophia's door closing echoed through the empty house.
I stood alone in our living room—the same room where Noah's graduation photo still held the place of honor on the mantle, his smile forever frozen in time.
I'd been born into wealth, married well, and for decades, everything had fallen into place for me. Until Tori Sullivan took my son away.
My resolve hardened.
If David and Sophia couldn't understand, if they couldn't feel the same burning need for justice that consumed me day and night, then I would pursue it alone.
---
The next morning, I was in a surprisingly good mood as I tended to the orchids in our sunroom.
I had dreamed about Noah last night—one of those rare, peaceful dreams where he was smiling, alive, and whole again.
These fleeting visits in my dreams were precious gifts, leaving me with a bittersweet warmth that lingered into the morning.
My phone vibrated in my pocket.
When I saw my brother Dustin's name on the screen, I answered immediately.
"Hello, Dustin. How are the contract negotiations going?"
"Not well, Lisa," he said, his voice tight with frustration. "We've hit a major roadblock."
I frowned, setting down my watering can. "What?"
"It's Alpha Lucas," he said.
My blood ran cold.
Alpha Lucas was interfering with our family business?
"That can't be right," I said, my mind racing. "We've never had any direct dealings with the Grayson. Why would he target us specifically?"
"I don't know," Dustin sighed. "I tried going through the proper channels—sent formal requests for a meeting, even tried reaching out through mutual business contacts. Nothing."
"His Beta assistant, Jack Green, said that if we want to discuss the issue, you should come to the Grayson headquarters personally."
"Me?" I nearly dropped the phone. "Why me specifically?"
"That's what I'm trying to understand," Dustin replied.
"Do you have some connection to Grayson that I'm not aware of? Have you crossed paths with him before?"
I racked my brain, trying to think of any connection I might have had with Alpha Lucas.
The only possible connection. Tori Sullivan, the Omega who had killed my son, had once been involved with Ethan Grayson, Lucas's nephew.
"Don't panic yet," I said, trying to keep my voice level.
"Let me think through this strategically. I'll look into our recent dealings with Grayson Enterprise and see if there's anything that might explain this. Send me all the details of the application and exactly what was blocked."
After hanging up, I immediately dialed my assistant, Sara.
"Sara, have we had any recent business dealings with Grayson Enterprise? "
"Mrs. Morris," Sara replied with her usual efficiency. "Actually, I was just about to call you. We just received word that our bid for the commercial development on the north side was rejected. Cole Industries won the contract instead."
"What?" I gripped the phone tighter.
"That can't be right. Our proposal was superior in every way—better designs, more competitive pricing, faster completion timeline."
"I thought the same thing, ma'am. The decision came directly from Alpha Lucas himself, according to our contact."
I felt my stomach drop. This was no coincidence. First, Dustin's eastern district project, and now this?
"I see," I said slowly. "Thank you, Sara."
After hanging up, I stared blankly at the orchids.
There was no doubt now—Lucas Grayson was targeting me specifically. But why? What had I done to earn the ire of the most powerful Alpha in Moonhaven?
A meeting with Alpha Lucas seemed inevitable now, regardless of how much the prospect unsettled me.
Two hours later, I sat in the immaculate waiting room of the Grayson Pack headquarters, my hands clasped tightly in my lap to stop them from trembling.
Despite my family's considerable influence in Moonhaven, we were nothing compared to the Alpha.
I could only wait quietly for judgment from Alpha Lucas, like a subject before a king.
However, I'd been waiting for hours, the entire afternoon slipping away... still no sign of Lucas.
Though irritation simmered beneath my skin, I didn't dare express it openly.
Finally, as daylight began to fade outside the tall windows, Lucas appeared.
When Lucas finally entered, my wolf instinctively lowered her gaze.
It was a primal response I couldn't control—the ingrained submission before an Alpha, especially one as powerful as Lucas Grayson.