Chapter 67

Essie's POV.

Holy shit! I almost died.

I watched everyone leave the hall with a lot on their minds. Their whispers could be heard even as they walked the halls.

Who would have thought Silvia would harm the Alpha King's mate?

Well, it wasn't so much that she could harm her. The right question should be, where did she get the confidence to try and pull it off?

The hall was almost empty except for me, Silvia, and the doctor who was covering her wounds.

I walked closer to inspect her condition. Zendaya had done a number on her. Considering Silvia has a strong wolf, I wondered how she was able to harm her.

I was almost convinced Zendaya didn't have the balls to stand up for herself. Well, I guess I was wrong.

Silvia's eyes shifted to me, and I couldn't help but wave.

"Could you give us a second?" I asked the doctor.

She nodded before she left the room.

"Greed and jealousy is not a good look on you," I teased.

"You! This was your plan!!" she struggled to speak.

A gentle smile formed on my face. "I knew you would tell on me, so I prepared myself."

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Did you think I was stupid? You are in this mess because you were stupid enough to let yourself be used as a scapegoat."

I watched her hands shake before they formed fists. I knew she was pissed. Who wouldn't be? And on top of all that, she can't walk. I would be livid right now if I were her.

"You... you set me up," she hissed, her voice dripping with venom.

"Set you up?" I laughed softly. "You did that all on your own. All I did was give you enough rope to hang yourself."

Her eyes burned with hatred, but there was nothing she could do. She was broken, both physically and mentally.

"I won't let you get away with this," she spat, her voice filled with desperation.

"Get away with what?" I asked, feigning innocence. "Everyone knows what you did. You tried to harm the Alpha King's mate. The punishment you received is nothing compared to what could have happened."

Silvia's breath came in ragged gasps, her eyes filled with a mix of fury and fear. She knew she was cornered, and there was no way out.

"Enjoy your new reality, Silvia," I said, turning to leave. "And remember, you brought this upon yourself."

"I must be a genius," I thought to myself. Otherwise, how could I get away with the perfect crime?

I went to my room to inform my mother of what happened. If it wasn't for her help, I wouldn't have been able to pull it off. I explained everything in a text that I sent and immediately deleted it from my phone.

She knew what she had to do. She wanted the Alpha King as her in-law, so she had to step up and help.

Something about Zendaya had been puzzling me. I wanted to know more about how she was able to escape her kidnappers, but I didn't have anyone I could ask without coming off as nosy.

As I lay on my bed, my mind raced with questions and theories. Zendaya had shown a side of herself tonight that no one had expected. Her strength, her power—it was almost supernatural. I needed to understand what made her so special.

A video call from my mother interrupted my chain of thought.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Everything went according to plan," I said, sitting up. "But there's something about Zendaya that doesn't add up. I need to know more about her."

My mother nodded, her eyes narrowing in thought. "We can't ask directly. It would raise too many suspicions. But maybe we can find someone who knows her past."

"Someone who might have answers," I mused. "But who?"

"Zendaya didn't grow up around you so I don't know much about her. She has a history we know nothing about. We need to find someone from her past who might know her secrets."

"But how do we find them without drawing attention to ourselves?" I asked.

"We'll have to be discreet," she said, her voice low. "There are ways to gather information without being noticed. Leave it to me. I'll start making inquiries."

I nodded, feeling a surge of anticipation. If we could uncover Zendaya's secrets, we would have an edge over her. My mother's determination was reassuring, and I knew she would do whatever it took to protect our interests.

When the video call ended, I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement. The game was far from over, and I was ready for the next move. Zendaya might have surprised us tonight, but I was determined to uncover her mysteries and use them to my advantage.

With a sense of purpose, I lay back down, my mind already working on the next steps. The night had been eventful, but it was only the beginning. There was much more to be done, and I was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

I was determined to get what I want.

I always get what I want.