(Isabelle''s POV)


    I felt the blood drain from my face as Ethan''s cold amber eyes locked onto mine. What had I done? In my ra


    at Victoria, I''d blurted out the truth I''d kept hidden for five years.


    "Isabelle," Ethan''s voice was dangerously quiet, "what do you mean Olivia didn''t drug me?"


    My hands trembled as I took a step back. The Alphamand in his voice was impossible to resist.


    "I... I didn''t mean..." I stammered, looking desperately around the room.


    Victoria''s eyes were wide with panic, silently pleading with me to stop talking. But it was toote. The truth was wing its way out of me after years of festering inside.


    "Tell me everything," Ethan demanded, his voice echoing with Alpha authority. "Now."


    Tears spilled down my cheeks, mixing with the wine still dripping from my hair. "It was five years ago, at the Healer''s Crystal Competition."


    I nced at Victoria, whose face had gone deathly pale. She knew what I was about to reveal.


    "I wanted Victoria to win," I confessed, my voice breaking. "I thought if she impressed you with her crystal design, you might finally choose her as your mate."


    Ethan''s jaw tightened. "Continue."


    "Olivia was favored by Elder Willow for the single rmendation spot from the university," I said, the words tumbling out faster now. "I knew she''d win if I didn''t do something."


    I wiped at my tears, smearing wine across my face. "So I switched her drink with something stronger. Much stronger."


    "You drugged her?" Ethan''s voice was ice cold.


    I nodded miserably. "It was just supposed to make her look bad, make her seem unprofessional. When she passed out, I was supposed to take her to a room we''d arranged beforehand."


    The memory of that night flooded back, sharp and painful. "But I made a mistake. I took her to the wrong room."


    "The room where I was," Ethan stated tly.


    I nodded again, unable to meet his gaze. "You were already there, unconscious. I didn''t know why. I just left her there and ran."


    James Knight let out a low whistle from across the room. "Holy shit."


    "The photos that went viral throughout the territories," I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. "They reached Grandmother despite your PR team''s efforts to contain them."


    I finally looked up at Ethan, seeing the shock and anger warring on his face. "I''m sorry. I never meant for it to go so far. I just wanted to help Victoria."


    < Chapter 68: Revtions of...


    +15 Points


    I turned to re at Victoria, hatred burning through my tears. "I''ve regretted helping her every day since. She''s nothing but lies."


    (Ethan''s POV)


    The room seemed to tilt around me as Isabelle''s confession sank in. For five years, I''d believed Olivia had drugged and manipted me. For five years, I''d been cold and distant to my mate because of it.


    I''d neglected my own daughter because of this lie.


    The realization hit me like a physical blow. All those times Olivia had denied drugging me, all those times she''d looked at me with hurt and confusion when I pulled away from her... she had been telling the truth.


    And I hadn''t believed her. Not once.


    I turned to look at Olivia, expecting to see usation in her eyes, expecting her to finally throw this revtion in my face with all the righteous anger she deserved to feel.


    But Olivia''s face was calm, almost detached. Her emerald eyes weren''t even looking at me. She was staring at her phone, as if this life-changing revtion meant nothing to her.


    That hurt more than any usation could have.


    "Olivia," I said, my voice softer than I''d intended.


    She nced up briefly, her expression unreadable. "What?"


    Before I could respond, Victoria stepped forward, her face a perfect mask of distress.


    (Victoria''s POV)


    I maintained myposure despite the panic coursing through me. Isabelle''s confession was dangerous, but thankfully iplete. She didn''t know I was the one who had drugged Ethan that night.


    I had orchestrated the entire incident, desperate to force Ethan''s hand. Despite our ongoing romance, he had refrained from fullymitting to me. The n was simple: drug him, getpromising photos, and use them to pressure him into making our rtionship official.


    Everything had gone wrong when Olivia unexpectedly appeared in the same room. Now I knew it was Isabelle''s blunder that had ruined my carefullyid n.


    I needed to salvage this situation quickly.


    "Olivia," I said, injecting remorse into my voice as I stepped toward her. “I had no idea Isabelle did this to you. I''m so sorry."


    I reached out as if to touch her arm, making sure my expression conveyed appropriate guilt and shock. "If I had known what she was nning, I would have stopped her immediately."


    Olivia''s emerald eyes shed as she looked up from her phone. "Save your apologies, Victoria. They''re as fake as everything else about you."


    I flinched, ying the part of the wounded party perfectly. "I understand you''re upset, but I truly had nothing


    to do with this."


    (Olivia''s POV)


    I scoffed at Victoria''s performance. Even now, with her schemes unraveling, she maintained her innocent


    +15 Points >


    < Chapter 68: Revtions of....


    facade.


    "Nothing to do with it?" Iughed bitterly. "Victoria, you''ve been using this lie against me for five years."


    I turned to face her fully, my anger finally breaking through my carefully maintainedposure. "You''ve whispered in Ethan''s ear, poisoning him against me. You''ve spread rumors throughout the pack that I trapped the Alpha with a pregnancy."


    Victoria''s eyes widened with practiced innocence. "Olivia, please. I never meant to hurt you."


    "I want a real apology," I demanded, my voice rising. "Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness for what you''ve done to me and my daughter!"


    Ethan stepped forward, his face darkening. "Olivia, that''s enough. Victoria didn''t know-"


    "Of course you''d defend her," I spat, turning my fury on him. "You always do."


    I shook my head in disgust. "I don''t need her hypocritical apology anyway. The truth doesn''t matter anymore." "How can you say that?" Ethan demanded. "This changes everything!"


    "Does it?" I challenged. "Five years ago, when I still loved you, the truth mattered. Now? After Lily died alone while you yed family with Victoria and Emma? It means nothing."


    I turned to Isabelle, who was still trembling from her confession. Without hesitation, I stepped forward and pped her hard across the face.


    "That''s for drugging me five years ago," I said coldly.


    I pped her again, harder. "That''s for helping Victoria destroy my reputation."


    And again. "And that''s for arranging Miles ckwood to assault me."


    Isabelle didn''t fight back, tears streaming down her face as she epted each blow.


    Victoria rushed forward, cing herself between us. "Stop it! Haven''t you done enough?"