<h4>Chapter 35: Chapter 35 I Should Have Known It Was Him</h4>


    Harper’s pov


    "You love her, yet you slept with Cici?" I mmed my fist on the desk, rage burning through me. "Why don’t you just drop dead already?"


    My hand stung from hitting the wood, but I didn’t care. If I weren’t facing an Alpha wolf who could tear me apart, I swear I would’ve cracked that ashtray over Xavier’s skull.


    Xavier jumped up, the shredded divorce papers sliding from hisp and scattering across the floor like confetti. His golden eyes shed dangerously, the wolf just beneath his skin.


    "Everything she sold, everything she burned—I’ll get it all back. And that stubborn heart of hers?" His canines gleamed in the light as his Alpha aura thickened the air. "Mark my words, she’s my Luna Cecilia. She’s bound to me in this lifetime and every rebirth the Moon Goddess grants."


    He spun on his heel and stormed toward the door, his broad shoulders tight with tension.


    I stood there stunned for a moment before chasing after him. "What you just tore up was a copy, you idiot!" I shouted at his retreating back. "Don’t think that will derail the divorce! It won’t work! I’m telling you it won’t work!"


    Fucking asshole. Acting like the devoted husband now? Where was all this passion when he was screwing that Shadow Pack bitch behind Cecilia’s back?


    Too little, toote.


    I massaged my temples, fighting off a headache. With that attitude, this divorce was going to be a total nightmare.


    Xavier’s pov


    The spring rain fell cold and bitter around me as I sat on the steps outside our vi, watching the security footage from the night she burned our wedding photos. She stood in the yard, her eyes reflecting such profound grief as she looked at me, before decisively dropping the lighter into the metal bin...


    What was I doing in that moment?


    The footage showed me sitting inside, glued to my phone,ughing. The sight was like a punch to the gut—I couldn’t bear to look, couldn’t bear to remember or think too deeply about it. If I could turn back time to that night, I would never be such a bastard again. I would beg for her forgiveness, tell her that she was the only one I truly loved.


    Rain fell on my face, but what rolled down my cheeks was scalding.


    Beta Henry stood behind me, holding an umbre, but the downpour was too heavy to keep me dry. Beta Henry wouldn’tment on my personal life, but today’s oue... it was bound to happen. My Luna was too clever not to have discovered my betrayal.


    "Buy back all the jewelry my mate sold. Put everything back where it was," I ordered, my voice rough.


    "Yes, Alpha."


    "The wedding photos—recreate them exactly as they were. Same frames, same positions on the walls."


    "Of course."


    Beta Henry agreed to everything, but we both knew the truth. Things bought back weren’t the originals. Wedding photos recreated from ashes were just cheap imitations. The meaning she’d once attached to them had been scorched away. Would she feel anything but contempt for such gestures?


    My phone buzzed against my thigh. I answered slowly, as if moving underwater.


    "Alpha Xavier, we’ve tracked down your mate. Yesterday afternoon, she used her credit card at a mall in Singapore."


    "Singapore?" My brow furrowed. "That’s impossible. I checked all flight records—there was nothing."


    "We found border exit documentation. She left on a Gulfstream G650 private jet. However, the owner’s information is ssified."


    My face darkened as realization hit like a thunderbolt.


    I ended the call and strode into the rain, no longer caring about getting soaked. "Get the pack jet ready. I’m going to Singapore ASAP. And find out if Alpha Sebastian is in Singapore too."


    In all of Denver, only one Alpha had the power and resources to whisk away my mate without leaving a trace.


    I should have known it was him!


    Author’s pov


    The next morning, after finishing her breakfast, Cecilia returned to her room to change. She chose a business casual outfit paired withfortable ts—ideal for the uing factory inspection. Before leaving the hotel, she slipped a voice recorder into her bag and quietly slipped out.


    Meanwhile, as Sebastian was preparing to leave for the summit, he noticed Cecilia’s absence.


    "Where is she?" he asked, his deep voice carrying the unmistakable edge of Alpha authority even in casual conversation.


    "She went to inspect the factory," Beta Sawyer responded carefully. "She spotted some discrepancies in the data and wanted to investigate."


    Sebastian’s eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering in his gaze. "Is she ying hooky because she’s upset?"


    He was clearly thinking about the confrontation from the night before—about how he’d grabbed her.


    Beta Sawyer quickly rified, "No, no, she’s actually at the factory. The issue isn’t huge, but it’s not trivial either. We were going to give you a heads up, but your schedule is mmed today, so she decided to handle it herself."


    Sebastian studied him for a moment before nodding, seemingly satisfied with the exnation.


    Cecilia’s pov


    I took a taxi to the factory, allowing myself to enjoy the scenic coastal views along the way. Singapore was beautiful—so different from the mountainous territory of Denver where Xavier’s Blood Moon Pack ruled.


    When I arrived at the offshore facility, I introduced myself to the waiting staff. The factory manager immediately came out to greet me, nked by administrative and financial personnel. He was a stocky man in his forties, medium height with dark skin that spoke of years under the sun. His face broke into an unctuous smile when he saw me.


    After brief introductions, I learned the manager’s name was Thomas Dunn, a local who had climbed thedder from the factory floor over fifteen years.


    "We’ve all been so excited about Alpha Sebastian’s inspection visit," he gushed, practically drooling at the thought of meeting the Silver Peak Pack leader. "Everyone wants to see him in person."


    I held back augh. "I’m afraid his royal highness won’t show up today—his schedule is too packed. You’ll have to make do with just me."


    "Ms. Moore is more beautiful than any pageant queen," Thomas replied smoothly. "It’s hardly ’making do’."


    "You’reying the ttery on a bit thick, Mr. Dunn."


    After our pleasant yet obviously fake exchange, Thomas showed me around the management offices, production floor, and cafeteria. I took my time, asking production questions while asionally snapping photos with my phone, exining they were for the Alpha to reviewter.


    By lunchtime, I told Thomas I wanted to eat in the employee cafeteria.


    I got in line with the workers, filled my tray, and deliberately sat with three female factory workers. I started with small talk to make themfortable, then gradually steered the discussion toward their punch-in procedures.


    The time clocks were positioned at the workshop entrance, I learned, with no security cameras monitoring them. Anyone could potentially clock in for someone else without detection.


    "I’ve heard you have ghost employees here," I said conspiratorially, lowering my voice.


    One worker’s eyes widened. "Where did you hear that?"


    "Management mentioned it. Apparently, there are two people who clock in every day but nobody ever sees them."


    The three women looked at each other in rm—confusion, shock, and anxiety crossing their faces.


    After a pause, the oldest worker hesitantly asked, "Are you talking about Min Lee and Wenster Brown?"


    My eyes brightened. "Yes, exactly! So you do know about them."


    "I’m a veteran here. Those two were hired recently, so the others wouldn’t know. At first, none of us paid attention—we’re all too exhausted from work to care who’sing and going. But after a while, people realized nobody had everid eyes on these two employees. When we asked the shift supervisor about it, he bit our heads off and told us to mind our own business, so we dropped it."


    Another worker gasped. "That’s creepy as hell! Who’s punching their cards? Real ghosts?"


    The third woman joined in, visibly frightened. "What if they died in some factory ident and are stuck in a loop?"


    I remained silent, letting them talk. From their reactions, it was clear the regr employees werepletely in the dark about this scheme. My recorder captured every word, including those crucial names.


    Across the cafeteria, I noticed Thomas and his financial team eyeing us intently.


    That afternoon, I called a meeting with the shift supervisor, HR manager, ountant, and Thomas.


    With a pleasant smile that hid my real agenda, I announced, "I’d like to meet Min Lee and Wenster Brown."


    The room fell into a dead silence. Then the shift supervisor walked to the door, mmed it shut, and turned the lock with a definitive click.