Chapter 119 The Traitor Within

Chapter 119 The Traitor Within
Alexander stood in the center of the estate’s grand foyer, the morning light streaming through the tall windows like blades of accusation. The phone call from Marcus had come less than thirty minutes ago. Tamara had escaped. She had slipped away before the transfer to the secure questioning room at the sanctuary where he and Vincent Silver had planned to break her. The news had hit him like a silver bullet to the chest. Not just anger, not just betrayal. A cold, calculating fury that made his wolf pace restlessly beneath his skin, demanding blood.
He had immediately ordered every member of the household staff and security team to gather outside on the wide stone courtyard. Over forty people stood in neat rows under the watchful eyes of his most loyal wolves. Maids in crisp uniforms. Guards in dark tactical gear, gardeners, kitchen staff. All of them shifted nervously under his gaze.
Alexander walked slowly down the line, his footsteps deliberate on the gravel. His suit was impeccable, but his eyes burned with barely contained rage. He stopped in front of the first group and spoke in a voice that carried across the courtyard like a whip.
"One of you helped Tamara escape," he said. "One of you betrayed this house. Betrayed me. Betrayed my mate. I will find who it is. And when I do, there will be no mercy."
The silence was deafening. No one dared speak. Alexander could smell their fear. Sweat. Rapid heartbeats. His wolf wanted to tear through them all but he held it back. Control was power. He would use it.
He began the questioning methodically. One by one he called people forward. He asked simple questions at first. Where were you this morning? Did you see anything unusual? Who had access to the transfer corridor? Most answered quickly, eyes downcast, voices trembling. He watched their micro expressions. The way their hands fidgeted. The way their eyes darted.
Two maids and one security guard stood out immediately. The first maid, a young woman named Vero, kept touching her necklace repeatedly. The second maid, older and quieter, avoided eye contact entirely. The guard, a tall man named Reyes, had sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool morning air.
Alexander dismissed the rest with a sharp command. "The rest of you return to your duties. Speak of this to no one."
He took the three suspects to separate rooms in the east wing. He started with the guard. Reyes sat strapped to a chair, his face pale. Alexander did not waste time. He grabbed the man’s hand and began pulling fingernails with clinical precision. The guard screamed but gave nothing. After the fourth nail Alexander stopped.
"You are either loyal or stupid," he said coldly. "I will find out which."
He moved to the second maid. She broke faster but still revealed nothing useful. Tears streamed down her face as he pulled the second nail. "I didn't help her escape," she sobbed. "I swear."
Alexander believed her. He moved to the third maid. A quiet woman in her late thirties named Rosa. She had worked in the house for six years. She had always been polite, unassuming. But now he knows she is the traitor, he can feel it and it's written all over her. But now, as he pulled the first nail, she screamed but held firm. When he reached for the second she broke completely.
Alexander stood in the dimly lit interrogation room, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood and the sharp tang of fear. The single overhead light cast harsh shadows across the concrete floor, illuminating the metal chair where the maid Rosa sat bound. Her hands were secured to the armrests, her uniform already stained with fresh blood from her torn fingernail. The room was soundproofed. No one outside would hear her screams. No one would interrupt what was about to happen.
He had dismissed the other two suspects after their questioning. The guard had revealed nothing useful even after losing four fingernails. The second maid had broken quickly but offered only tears and useless alibis. But Rosa... Rosa was different. He had seen the flicker in her eyes when he first called her forward. The way her hands trembled. The slight hesitation when he asked about her morning movements. She was the one.
Alexander walked slowly around the chair, his footsteps deliberate on the cold floor. He stopped in front of her and crouched down so their eyes were level. Rosa’s face was pale, sweat mixing with the blood on her cheeks. Her breathing was rapid and shallow.
"You have worked in this house for six years," he said quietly, his voice low and controlled. "You smiled at Maddie every day. You brought her meals. You watched her walk these halls. And all that time you were feeding information to Ben. You helped him track her movements. You told him when she left the estate alone. You were the eyes he needed to kidnap my mate."
Rosa whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "Please sir... I was desperate. My brother... the hospital bills... Ben promised to pay them if I helped. I did not know it would go this far. I swear I did not know."
Alexander’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. He pressed his thumb into the fresh wound where the first nail had been torn away. Rosa screamed, the sound raw and broken in the small room.
"You knew enough," he said, his voice never rising above a dangerous whisper. "You knew she was under my protection. You knew she was pregnant with my child. You knew what Ben was capable of. And you still chose money over loyalty."
He released her wrist and stood up. He walked to the small metal table in the corner where several tools lay neatly arranged. Forceps. A small knife. A pair of pliers. He picked up the pliers and turned them slowly in his hand, letting the light catch the metal.
Rosa’s eyes widened in terror. "Please... I will tell you everything. Just stop."
Alexander returned to her and took her left hand again. He positioned the pliers around the nail of her index finger.
"Start talking," he said. "Who else knew you were feeding Ben information?"
"Only my brother," she gasped. "No one else. I swear on my life."
He applied pressure. The nail began to lift. Rosa screamed, her body jerking against the restraints.
"Ben contacted me six months ago," she cried. "He said he needed eyes inside the house. He paid me small amounts at first. Then larger. When Maddie started living here after their wedding he wanted daily updates. When she left the estate. When you were away. When you two were together in private. I told him everything I saw."