<h4>Chapter 106: Chapter 106 Dangerous Whispers</h4>


    Cecilia’s pov


    I mped my hand over Harper’s mouth with lightning-fast reflexes, and pulled her into the elevator before she could say another word.


    My eyes shot daggers at her, warning her to stay silent - or else.


    As if my life wasn’tplicated enough without her adding fuel to the fire!


    Harper’s eyes crinkled with amusement above my restraining hand.


    She made muffled sounds against my palm, nodding vigorously in promise.


    Only then did I slowly release her.


    The others joined us in the elevator.


    Alpha Sebastian’s demeanor had shifted noticeably—his expression more distant than before. Though the change was subtle, his aura had be distinctly unapproachable.


    The suffocating Alpha pressure made the elevator ride ufortably silent.


    After leaving the building, Harper, touched that we’de to check on her, insisted on treating us to ate-night meal.


    Alpha Sebastian declined with characteristic brevity, departing with Tang in tow.


    "He’s angry," Harper whispered in my ear once they were out of earshot.


    "No shit, I can see that without you pointing it out!"


    [The Alpha had been acting strange since the resort incident. Whatever—let him brood! ]


    I quickly changed the subject. "Weren’t you offering dinner? He’s noting, but Yvonne and I are starving. Are you still buying?"


    "Of course!" Harper grinned, driving us to a hot pot restaurant where the three of us settled in for food and conversation.


    Yvonne and Harper had never spent much time together before, but they seemed to hit it off immediately.


    Despite Yvonne’s theatrical personality, she genuinely appreciated Harper’s straightforward nature.


    "So," Yvonne asked between bites, "did you actually find any evidence to incriminate Cici White today?"


    Harper’s expression darkened. "Mrs. White is one slippery snake. After all my setup and today’s final push, she still dodged every trap. Damn it."


    "That’s how these people operate," Yvonne remarked, delicately dipping vegetables in water before eating them. "The truly wicked always justify their cruelty with righteous excuses. They never think they’re wrong—in their minds, the only mistake is that their victims continue to exist."


    "You have quite the insight into human nature," Harper noted with appreciation.


    "Call me Yvonne, please. And I’ll call you Harper if that’s alright?" Yvonne suggested with a warm smile. "We’re friends now, after all."


    "Perfect," Harper agreed, smoothly producing a business card from her purse. "Yvonne, if you ever need legal advice,e see me. I’ll give you a twenty percent discount."


    Yvonne paused momentarily before bursting intoughter. "Such an entrepreneur! I’ll keep this, and I’ll introduce you to some friends who might need your services."


    Harper thanked her enthusiastically.


    After dinner, Yvonne’s driver picked her up, and I drove Harper’s car back to her apartment.


    The moment we stepped inside and put down our bags, Harper pulled me to the couch, excitement radiating from her as she pulled out her phone.


    "Know what this is?" she asked, disying a strange app on her screen.


    "No games. Just tell me," I urged.


    "You’re no fun," Harper pouted before her expression brightened again. "This, my friend, is the key that will send Cici White to prison."


    She opened the app, and I examined it carefully before breaking into a smile. "You nted a listening device in that ne you sold to Mrs. White."


    "How did you—" Harper’s eyes widened before understanding dawned. "You were watching from next door!"


    I sped my hands together in mock worship. "Madam Harper, your powers truly are extraordinary. I stand in awe."


    Harperughed, recalling her performance. "That old she-wolf is too cunning. She wouldn’t have confessed outright. So I installed a listening device in that red ruby ne, hoping she’d give it to Cici to wear."


    "I refuse to believe they won’t reveal something incriminating in private," Harper added with determination.


    I gave her an approving thumbs up. "But how did you discover Mrs. White’s secret in the first ce?"


    "After Cici escaped justice twice, it felt like a personal insult to my career," Harper exined. "A friend who’s a psychologist mentioned that someone with Cici’s extreme vindictiveness doesn’t develop overnight. Those calcted methods suggested practice. For her first criminal attempt, the tactics were too sophisticated."


    "I wondered if she’d done something before," Harper continued. "So I worked two angles—looking for the doctors who provided false testimony, while also digging into her past. That’s when I found she’d been questioned by police five years ago regarding a missing male ssmate."


    My skin prickled with goosebumps.


    "This kid was brilliant—top of his ss, model student, handsome boy. He disappeared five years ago and was never found. And guess who was thest person seen with him?" Harper’s eyes darkened. "Cici White."


    The implications turned my blood to ice.


    "To find out the truth, I followed Mrs. White once and discovered she visited Madam Amber. When Mrs. White left, I approached Madam Amber with information about Mrs. White’s secret—something that would help her extract more money. So we struck a deal immediately."


    I chuckled despite the grim topic. "No wonder Mrs. White treats her like a living god—Madam Amber miraculously knows secrets even the police couldn’t uncover."


    Harper nodded. "Hence today’s performance."


    My brow furrowed with concern. "But what about that missing boy? If Cici was clearly a suspect, didn’t his family pursue justice?"


    Harper’s expression grew somber. "ording to the neighbor, it was just the boy and his mother—a single-parent household. After her son disappeared, the mother confronted the White family several times. Then one night, there was a gas explosion at her home. She didn’t survive."


    My entire body went cold.


    I told Harper about Xavier visiting me, demanding I sign a statement dropping charges against Cici. "That’s actually why I came looking for you at thew office earlier."


    Harper exploded."What the actual fuck?" she snapped, pacing the living room like a caged lion. "Who does Xavier think he is? That piece of shit! Has hepletely lost his soul since crawling into bed with that psychotic bitch? Forgiveness? I’ll give them forgiveness when hell freezes over!"


    I tried to respond, but my voice caught in my throat. My skin had gone cold.


    I could handle Xavier’s threats. I’d even rehearsed what I’d say if he showed up again.


    But hearing about the boy... about his mother dying in that so-called ident... it unspooled something deep in me.


    "What if something happens to my parents?" I whispered. "What if something happens to you? I couldn’t live with that."


    Harper stopped pacing. Her expression twisted—part anger, part something softer.


    "Don’t you dare be scared," she said, but her voice had lost some of its fire.


    I looked down at my hands. They were trembling.


    I hated that I was afraid. Hated that the people who hurt others always seemed to keep winning, while the rest of us just tried to survive.


    Harper muttered, "That fucking bastard Xavier... even after the divorce, he still finds a way to poison everything. Can’t some higher power just take them both off the damn map?"


    Then—ding-dong.


    The doorbell rang.


    Harper froze. "Who the hell could that be at this hour?"


    She started toward the door, but I moved before I could think, grabbing her arm.


    "Don’t open it."