Chapter 169 Betrayal and Consequences

Chapter 169 Betrayal and Consequences
Amelia's POV

I stared at the image, my heart plummeting. The photo captured an angle that made it look like Daniel and I were engaged in an intimate conversation, his hand reaching across the table toward mine.

What the picture didn't show was how I'd pulled away immediately after, how I'd been ambushed.

"When was this taken?" I whispered, trying to make sense of it. Someone had been watching us, photographing us. The thought made my skin crawl.

Alexander's nostrils flared, scenting my confusion. For a moment, I thought I saw doubt flicker in his eyes, but it vanished beneath another wave of anger.

"Yesterday. According to my source, you spent nearly forty minutes with him." His voice was dangerously low, the kind of calm that precedes a storm. "The same day you left my house in the morning."

I gripped the edge of his desk to steady myself. "That's not—I was tricked! Daniel stole someone's phone and texted me pretending to be him. I thought I was meeting my classmate, not Daniel."

The desperation in my voice sounded pathetic even to my own ears. "Look at my face in that picture, Alex. Do I look happy to see him?"

He didn't bother looking at the phone again. His eyes never left mine, searching for deception, for the slightest hint that I was lying.

"I didn't do anything. I didn't go looking for him," I insisted, my voice cracking under the weight of his scrutiny. "My whole reason for being here was to tell you he stole someone's phone to text me."

Alexander's jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle twitching. His fists were balled at his sides, knuckles white with strain. The barely contained rage radiating from him made my wolf want to submit, to bare my throat and beg forgiveness for something I hadn't done.

"He tricked me," I said, reaching for his arm. "Please, just listen—"

Alexander jerked away from my touch like I'd burned him. "Then what's this?" He swiped to another photo on his phone and thrust it toward me again.

My blood turned to ice. This picture showed Daniel and me in what looked like an intimate moment in the university research lab. The angle made it appear as though we were close, conspiring. I remembered that day—Daniel had cornered me, and I was trying to get away.

"That's the research lab at school," I explained, my voice trembling. "He came looking for me there. I swear, Alexander, I was trying to avoid him."

The ceiling lights seemed to dim as Alexander's presence filled the room. His Alpha energy crackled like electricity, making the fine hairs on my arms stand on end. My wolf cowered inside me, recognizing the primal threat of an apex predator pushed to his limit.

I swallowed hard, fighting the instinct to drop my gaze. This isn't my fault. I've done nothing wrong. But the mantra felt hollow against the weight of those damning photographs.

The glass paperweight on his desk caught the light, casting fractured rainbows across the polished wood. Such a beautiful thing, existing in such a terrible moment. I focused on it, desperate for any anchor as my world collapsed around me.

"Who sent you these?" I managed to ask, my voice barely audible. "Who's been following me?"

Alexander just stared at me, his expression unreadable, jaw locked tight. The silence stretched between us, heavy and accusing. I realized with growing horror that someone had sent him multiple photos, carefully selected to paint the worst possible picture of innocent encounters.

"I came here specifically to tell you that he stole someone's phone to text me," I said, desperation creeping into my voice. "He's been trying to get me alone. I wasn't going to hide that from you."

"You expect me to believe," Alexander said slowly, each word dripping with disbelief, "that after I publicly slapped him at my family dinner, he'd still have the courage to pursue you? Daniel doesn't have that kind of backbone."

His words hit like a physical blow. The fact that he doubted me, that he thought I would betray him, shattered something inside me. I blinked back tears, determined not to break down.

"I can prove it," I said, reaching for my phone. "I have texts from my classmate about—"

My phone rang, cutting me off. The screen lit up with Jason's name. Alexander's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"First Daniel, now Jason? Who the hell is he?" Alexander snatched the phone from my hand before I could react.

Alexander's face darkened as he put the phone on speaker and placed it on the desk between us. To my horror, Daniel's voice filled the silence.

"Don't worry, darling. I know you're scared."

"I understand you're worried about my brother finding out about us," Daniel continued, his voice sickeningly sweet. "But don't worry. Leave him to me."

I lunged for the phone. "What the hell are you talking about?" I shouted, my hands shaking with rage. "There is nothing between us! Explain yourself right now!"

"Love is always frightening at first," Daniel said smoothly. "But I know how you feel. Just leave my brother behind."

My mind raced, trying to understand what game Daniel was playing. How had he gotten Jason's phone? What was he trying to accomplish?

"Are you listening to me?" Daniel asked when I didn't respond. "Are you afraid of my brother? Don't be. I'll protect you."

I opened my mouth to tell him exactly what I thought of his "protection," but Alexander moved faster. He took the phone from my trembling hands.

"Well, well," Alexander said, his voice deceptively calm. "Looks like you've prepared yourself for a confrontation with the Head Alpha, Daniel Westbrook."

The silence on the other end was almost comical.

"B-Brother?" Daniel finally stammered.

I stared at the floor, my heart pounding. This was exactly what I'd been trying to prevent—open warfare between the brothers. And now Daniel had forced it.

Alexander ended the call and handed my phone back without looking at me. His movements were precise, controlled, betraying the fury I knew was building beneath the surface. He picked up his own phone and dialed a number.

"Freeze all of Daniel's assets," he ordered without preamble. "Repossess his car and put it up for auction. Completely strip him of his Alpha title and all associated privileges, effective immediately."

I watched him, waiting for him to acknowledge me, to say something—anything.

"If my mother attempts to intervene on his behalf," Alexander added, his voice cold as ice, "report directly to me."