<h4>Chapter 64: Chapter 64 An Unexpected Alliance</h4>


    Sebastian’s pov


    I answered the phone while dismissively waving away the office full of executives who’d been attempting to unt their seniority through political maneuvering.


    Their hasty exit couldn’t have been more transparent—each one practically sprinting for the door as if their lives depended on it.


    "Cecilia, is something wrong?" I asked, pressing the phone to my ear, maintaining my characteristically cool tone.


    "It’s just that—I was scheduled to return to work the day after tomorrow since my leg has healed, but I need to visit my grandmother," Cecilia exined. "I’d like to request another week off."


    Her voice maintained its usualposure, but I could detect the slight tremor beneath her words. She was putting on a brave face, though I knew better.


    I remained silent for several seconds.


    "You seem to be developing the fond of skipping work, Cecilia. Don’t tell me you’re nning to milk that workce injury forever?" I finally replied, my tone deliberately provocative.


    "No, it’s not that..." she quickly defended.


    "I expect you at work the day after tomorrow."


    "What about five days—"


    "Not even half a day is eptable. I want to see you here the day after tomorrow morning."


    Silence stretched between us.


    Finally, she deted like a punctured balloon, her voice dropping with undisguised disappointment. "I’m sorry. I had no idea divorce would be thisplicated. Had I known, I never would have applied for this position so impulsively and caused you so much trouble. Just give me five more days to sort everything out, otherwise..."


    "Otherwise what?" I prompted.


    "You’ll end up being gossiped about too."


    The situation had been escting for nearly three hours now. The probability that I remained unaware was minuscule at best.


    She clearly doubted her ability to reverse public opinion within two days. Appearing at Silver Peak Pack headquarters, being seen constantly in mypany—she was worried about the rumors that would inevitably spread about me.


    "Ah, so that’s what’s keeping you up at night," I said, a flicker of understanding passing through me.


    But I didn’t give her room to linger in it. I pressed on, voice sharpening.


    "What’s your n for handling this mess? You do have one, I assume?"


    She paused—five seconds of silence that felt like five minutes. Then, crisp and controlled, she answered,


    "Confront. Negotiate."


    "Cecilia," I breathed, more surprised than I cared to admit. "You’ve startled me."


    "I don’t usually act like this," she said quickly, almost defensively. "But they’ve crossed a line. They’re forcing my hand."


    "It’s not your defiance that startles me," I said, voice cooling. "It’s your blind confidence."


    "You’re intelligent," I continued, my tone now edged with steel. "So surely you’ve figured it out by now—Luna Dora isn’t acting alone. The Shadow Pack’s fingerprints are all over this."


    I let that sink in before adding, quieter but more dangerous:


    "What makes you think you can take on two of Denver’s most powerful families... alone?"


    "I have my methods," she said, stubborn to the bone. But I could hear the strain she tried to hide beneath those four words.


    "Cecilia." I said her name slowly, deliberately—like a warning.


    "Courage is admirable. But it’s not a substitute for real power. A lone wolf charging into a pack of lions doesn’t make it brave. It makes it a martyr."


    "Even if it is sacrifice," she snapped, fire ring in her voice, "I’ll take down the one pulling the strings. If I have to go down with them, so be it!"


    The silence that followed was deafening.


    I could feel her regret the moment the words left her mouth, like a match dropped too close to gasoline.


    My jaw clenched. The temperature in my voice dropped a full degree—maybe ten.


    Even through the phone, she would’ve felt the shift, like a sudden drop in barometric pressure before a storm.


    "I’m sorry," she said quickly, her voice turning small. "That was foolish. I wasn’t thinking."


    I exhaled slowly, letting the tension bleed from my shoulders. My features softened—just enough.


    "You represent me now, Cecilia," I said, measured and firm. "You are mine. You carry the weight of my name, my reputation."


    Then, more gently—but only slightly:


    "Come to work as scheduled, and I’ll take care of this. We’ll find a solution. Together. How does that sound?"


    My voice carried a subtle, persuasive quality—suggesting that with a simple nod from her, even the most insurmountable problems would dissolve before us.


    I knew she wouldn’t doubt my capabilities. After all, I was Alpha Sebastian ck.


    But perhaps she was wondering why I was being so amodating?


    Even if I enjoyed helping others, even if she had proven her worth during the branch inspection, even if she was "mine"... Wait—"mine"?


    [She’s blushing,] Soren observed in my mind, his interest piqued.


    I waited patiently for her response, but the silence stretched on. "Haven’t decided yet?"


    "I appreciate your kindness, but I’ll handle my own problems! Thank you! Goodbye!"


    She hung up abruptly, leaving me staring at my phone.


    [She’s definitely flustered,] Sorenmented.


    I set the phone down thoughtfully.My amusement evident.


    Cecilia’s pov


    I clutched my phone for a full five minutes before my heartbeat finally steadied.


    Thinking carefully about Sebastian’s behavior—while he’d been exceptionally kind to me—where exactly had he shown any romantic interest?


    I was reading far too much into things.


    Impossible!


    He didn’t even like women!


    The front door mmed with a bang.


    Harper had returned. She’d been in court this morning for a case that had run until noon.


    Things hadn’t gone smoothly—the opposing party had presented new evidence, forcing her to request an adjournment.


    Afterward, she’d had lunch with her client and discussed the case at a nearby café.


    By the time she saw Luna Dora’s public statement, it was nearly one o’clock. Instead of returning to herw firm as nned, she came straight here.


    "Has Luna Dora lost her mind?" she fumed, angrily tossing her briefcase aside.


    Despite her youth, her brow was furrowed deeply enough to form creases.


    I gathered myposure, pushing aside the jumble of confusing thoughts.


    "It is strange," I agreed.


    Harper crossed her arms over her chest, pacing back and forth in front of the sofa. "If she can make public statements, so can we. What we have is even more explosive than her usations. But if we do this, you and Xavier will lose any remaining dignity you might have preserved."


    My eyes gradually hardened to ice. "The Blood Moon Pack didn’t leave me with any dignity to begin with."


    Harper sat on the sofa. "What I mean is, Alpha Xavier might not know about today’s events. No matter how you look at it, he has no reason to be this erratic. You two shared eight of your best years together..."


    "Even if he didn’t do it himself, isn’t he responsible for the consequences?" I challenged. "I never wanted to strip him of his dignity. If he had simply finalized our divorce properly, none of theseplications would exist. Everything I’ve done, everything Cici has done, everything Luna Dora has done—it all stems from his actions. Shouldn’t he bear the consequences?"


    Harper fell silent.


    After a moment, she nodded. "Alright, then we fight back—all the way. If we’re going to tear things apart, let’s be thorough about it. I’m both your divorcewyer and your best friend. I’ll speak on your behalf."


    We immediately got to work.


    We listed the points we needed to refute, the issues we wanted to attack, and the evidence we needed to present.


    Just as we prepared to record a video response using my phone, the doorbell rang.


    "I’ll get it," Harper said.