Chapter 148: Crisis
Chapter 148: Crisis
(Olivia’s POV)
I frowned at the text message glowing on my phone screen, my amber eyes scanning the threatening words again and again. The anonymous message about Grace created a terrible dilemma for me.
“If you want your sister to live, then obediently do as I say.”
My wolf bristled with protective fury, but my rational mind forced me to think carefully. This message could be from Frederick Warner’s operatives still lurking in Harbor City. Or it could be someone else entirely, pretending to be them to manipulate me.
I couldn’t act rashly. I needed to trace the message’s origin before making any moves. Walking into a trap set by my enemies would help no one, especially not Grace.
My hands trembled slightly as I set the phone aside. The uncertainty was eating me alive from the inside. Sleep became impossible after receiving that message. I was haunted by concerns for my missing half–sister and the growing threat posed by Cassandra Evans‘ fanatical followers.
The chilling image of Gerald Hayes flashed through my mind. That man who had attempted to throw acid on me at Moonstone Legal Partners. His twisted face and hateful words were a constant reminder of my vulnerability.
I was a prominent werewolf without pack protection in Harbor City. That made me a target for rogue wolves
believed Cassandra’s lies.
and unstable pack members who
I realized I needed to take additional measures to protect myself from future attacks. The next assault might be far worse than ice water or acid.
I tossed and turned in my bed at Moonlight Haven, my wolf remaining restless and alert throughout the night. Every small sound made me tense, expecting another threat to materialize from the darkness.
Finally, at 8 a.m., I decided to take action. I couldn’t wait any longer for answers.
I called Marcus Thompson, my friend who was a technical expert in werewolf communication systems. His knowledge of supernatural networks made him invaluable for situations like this.
“Marcus, I need your help,” I said when he answered. “I received a suspicious text message that I need traced.
“What kind of message?” Marcus asked, his voice immediately becoming professional.
“A threat about my sister. But the sender used a string of numbers instead of a typical phone number.”
Marcus was quiet for a moment, processing the information. “Send me the exact message and the number sequence. I’ll use my specialized/equipment to trace its origin.”
“How long will it take?” I asked urgently.
“Give me a few hours. I’ll have an answer for you later today.”
I sent him the message details and waited anxiously for his response. Every minute felt like an eternity when
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Grace’s safety hung in the balance.
Marcus called back sooner than expected, his voice carrying important news.
“Olivia, I’ve traced the message origin. It came from within the Northern Territory, specifically from Harbor City.”
My blood ran cold. Frederick Warner still had operatives within the city despite his exile to America. The
threat was closer than I had feared.
“Can you give me the specific address?” I asked.
“Sending it to you now,” Marcus replied. “Be careful, Olivia. Whoever sent this knows exactly where you are.”
I received the address and immediately forwarded it to another contact within Connor’s security network. Despite our personal issues, his people were still the most reliable for investigations like this.
The response came back quickly, and the information shocked me to my core.
The address belonged to an apartment owned by Cassandra Evans.
I stared at the confirmation message, my wolf snarling with rage. Cassandra was involved in the harassment campaign against me yet again.
Of course she knew about Grace’s k********g. She had been present when I talked with Ethan Grey about my
6 family situation. It wasn’t strange for her to have that information.
But using my sister’s disappearance to terrorize me? That crossed every line imaginable.
I was infuriated by Cassandra’s relentless harassment. The online attacks, the orchestrated harassment by her obsessive fans, and now this attempt to deceive me with false information about Grace’s k********g. Enough was enough. I needed to teach Cassandra a lesson about the consequences of targeting a Winters pack member.
I investigated Cassandra’s background more thoroughly, digging into her family’s financial situation. What I discovered was pathetic.
Her father owned Moonweave Textiles, a small clothing company with a meager registered capital of only five million dollars. The company wasn’t even fully paid in, meaning they were operating on borrowed time and empty promises.
I decided to take action. I could easily orchestrate the company’s downfall through my connections in the business world and pack networks.
Previously, I had dismissed Cassandra as a mere annoyance. But now, with my sister missing and my own safety threatened by dangerous rogues, I could no longer afford to ignore the woman who continued to target my family.
Cassandra wanted to play games with a Winters? She was about to learn why that was a fatal mistake.
I visited Natalie Winters at Harbor City Memorial Hospital, finding my stepmother in the waiting area. She looked completely distraught, consumed by worry for Grace.
“Any news?” I asked softly, though I already knew the answer from her expression.
Natalie shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “Nothing. The police keep saying they’re investigating, but Grace is still out there somewhere.”
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Chapter 148 Crisis
Richard Winters was at the company handling urgent pack business, so I tried to console Natalle, But my words offered little comfort to the grieving Luna who blamed herself for not protecting her daughter better.
“I should have been more careful,” Natalie whispered. “I should have seen the signs that someone was targeting our family.”
The sterile hospital environment seemed to amplify her distress. She paced the waiting area like a caged wolf, unable to find peace or rest.
I stayed with her for an hour, but there was little I could do to ease her suffering. Grace’s absence was a wound that wouldn’t heal until she was safely home.
Leaving the hospital, I went to Ravenwood Police Station for another update. Detective James Parker met
with me in his office, his expression apologetic.
“Miss Winters, I wish I had better news for you,” he said. “The investigation into Grace’s k********g is ongoing, but progress is slow.”
“What’s the holdup?” I asked, though I suspected the answer.
“The complex international nature of the case involving Frederick Warner’s criminal network. We’re coordinating with federal authorities and international law enforcement.”
The same disappointing update I had received before. Bureaucracy and jurisdictional issues were keeping my
sister in danger.
I left the police station feeling despondent. The official channels were moving too slowly while Grace remained in Frederick’s hands.
I wandered through the streets of Harbor City, haunted by the nightmare image of Frederick Warner threatening Grace with wolfsbane–laced weapons. The vision felt so real it made my wolf whimper with
distress.
Suddenly, a woman approached me on the sidewalk. Her face was twisted with anger and accusation.
“There she is!” Miranda Cole shouted, pointing at me. “The mate–stealing b***h who destroyed Cassandra’s
life!”
I recognized her as one of Cassandra’s fanatical supporters. Another brain–dead fan who believed every lie her idol told.
“You ruined everything for Cassandra!” Miranda continued, her voice rising. “She lost her career because of
you!”
I stopped walking and faced her directly. My amber eyes flashed with barely controlled wolf anger.
“Again, a brain–dead fan of Cassandra? You believe everything she says. I am very curious how someone with such a pig brain can survive till now.”
Miranda’s face turned red with rage at my insult. “How dare you! Cassandra is innocent! You’re the one who-
“Who what?” I interrupted coldly. “Who defended myself against false accusations? Who refused to let your precious idol destroy my reputation with lies?”
Miranda stepped closer, her fists clenched. “You think you’re so superior because you come from the Winters
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pack! But you’re nothing but a home–wrecker!”
My wolf rose dangerously close to the surface. The stress of Grace’s k********g and the constant harassment had pushed me to my breaking point.
“You dare to insult my family again, I will cripple you!” I snarled, my voice carrying the authority of my alpha
bloodline.
Miranda’s eyes widened with sudden fear as she felt the power radiating from me. But her fanatical devotion to Cassandra overrode her survival instincts.
“I’m not afraid of you!” she screamed. “Cassandra deserves better than-”
I slapped her hard across the face, the sound echoing through the street. Miranda stumbled backward, her hand flying to her reddened cheek.