Chapter 62

Ella POV

“You're delusional!” The fifth woman, a short redhead, finally pushed her way to the front of the group, her eyes blazing with rage as she locked onto me. “You're either completely delusional or you know the truth about Alexander and don't care. Is that it? Are you just trying to help him hurt more people?”

“Your name is Cassandra,” I replied, my voice calm and even, slicing through her fury like a knife.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

“Cassandra Anderson,” I stated, meeting her furious gaze without flinching. “You’re originally from the Lunar Lake pack, but when your mother remarried, you moved to Briar Rose. Yet, you’ve always felt a part of David’s pack, haven’t you? Always loyal.”

Her mouth fell open slightly as she shook her head, disbelief etched on her features. “How could you possibly know—”

“Have you forgotten that I’m the daughter of the Rowanwood Alpha?” I challenged, my heart racing as I glanced from her to the tall blonde and the black-haired girl standing beside her. “I have ways of finding information. Did you really think no one would look into you after you started making accusations against Alexander?”

Nadia and Miranda exchanged shocked glances, their bravado crumbling. “I don’t understand,” Nadia said, her voice weak. “What are you saying?”

“Cassandra never dated Alexander,” I declared, my voice rising with conviction. “In fact, she’s never even met him. Neither have Gretchen,” I pointed to the black-haired girl, “or Hyacinth,” I added, gesturing at the blonde. “If you’d like, I can dive into the backgrounds of the rest of you as well.”

“You can’t possibly know that,” Gretchen said, her uncertainty evident as she glanced nervously between the other two.

“I do,” I shot back, my confidence surging. “And soon, everyone else will know as well. You’ve attempted to ruin Alexander’s reputation, and I won’t let you get away with it.”

“What do you mean by that?” Hyacinth asked.

“The way I see it, you have two options,” I said. “You can come clean and give me the information I need to make David pay for this scheme, or I can take your true identities to the media along with proof that everything you’ve said about Alexander is a lie. Then, you can find out what it’s like to have your reputation destroyed.”

The silence that followed was deafening, the weight of my words hanging heavily in the air. The three women exchanged frantic glances, the realization of their precarious position dawning on them. I could practically feel their fear radiating off them, and I reveled in it.

“Choose wisely,” I warned, my voice low and steady. “Because this is the only chance I will give you.”

“No,” Gretchen said, her hands shooting up in defeat. “David didn’t pay me enough for this. I’m out.”

I raised an eyebrow, my voice steady. “I suppose that’s an option too—provided you make a public retraction of the lies you’ve told. If you do that, then you’ll never hear from me again.”

“Fine, whatever,” she snapped, turning on her heels and rushing away, relief flooding her face as she escaped the confrontation.

Hyacinth watched Gretchen flee, her breath coming in rapid gasps that betrayed her rising anxiety. “Are you sure it’s all lies?” she asked, her white-knuckled grip tightening on her phone as her wide eyes darted back to me. “I know Alexander and I never met, but David told me he only wanted me to share the stories of women who were too scared to come forward. Is it really all a lie?”

“David Lake is nothing but a liar,” I replied, bitterness lacing my words. “Whatever he told you to say about Alexander, I promise you it’s not true. His only goal is to hurt me, and he’s used you to do it.”

Hyacinth shook her head slightly, a tremor in her voice. “I only wanted to help,” she murmured, her resolve crumbling as she looked down, barely audible.

“And now that you do,” I pressed, my gaze locking onto hers, “are you going to do the right thing?”

Fear flickered in her eyes, and for a moment, I felt a tiny spark of pity for her. David could be terrifying, but in this instance, so could I. If she refused to tell the truth, I would follow through on my threats to expose her.

Hyacinth seemed to grasp the weight of my words as her gaze bore into mine, searching for any hint of mercy. After a long, tense moment, she blinked heavily and finally looked away. “I’ll write up an apology,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, before turning and rushing off in the same direction Gretchen had gone.

As I watched her retreating figure, a rush of adrenaline coursed through me. Two down, one to go. I wouldn’t let David’s puppets ruin Alexander’s life without a fight.

“Unbelievable,” Miranda spat, her voice shaking with anger. “I can’t believe people would actually lie about this.”

“Neither can I,” Nadia echoed, her gaze shifting to Cassandra, filled with indignation.

Cassandra stood defiantly in front of me, her glare unwavering. “You don’t frighten me,” she shot back, her bravado untouched.

I smiled, leaning slightly toward her, letting my confidence wash over the tension. “I should,” I said, my voice low and steady. “You have no idea what I’ve been through because of David Lake. This is your only chance to take responsibility for your lies and remove yourself from this situation. If we meet again under similar circumstances, I’ll show you no mercy.”

A strange thrill coursed through me as I spoke those words. They felt foreign, yet undeniably true. David had created this part of me and now he would have to face the consequences.

I wasn’t entirely sure where my limits lay anymore, but I knew that the fury I felt toward David and what he had done to my family had unlocked a strength I never knew I possessed.

The air was heavy with tension as Cassandra's defiance wavered. For the first time, I saw uncertainty flicker in her eyes.

Without a word, Cassandra turned and rushed away from me. I watched her go, irritation simmering beneath the surface. I knew I’d have to deal with her again, but for now, I had more pressing matters to confront. I shifted my focus back to Nadia and Miranda.

“Are you satisfied?” I demanded, planting my hands on my hips. “Do you still believe Alexander is the dangerous bully you painted him to be?”

They exchanged tense glances, a flicker of uncertainty passing between them. I could see the doubt creeping into their expressions, but they were struggling against it.

Finally, Nadia looked at me, her expression heavy with defeat. “No.”

“Then you must do the right thing,” I urged, my voice sharp with urgency. “Denounce the lies they’re spreading! Alexander doesn’t deserve to be maligned like this.”

“What I told you is all true,” Miranda said, her voice wavering. “But… I’ve never seen the side of Alexander they described.”

“So do the right thing,” I pressed, feeling the stakes rise. “You’ve seen the truth today; don’t let their deceit pull you under.”

Miranda and Nadia exchanged a long, tense look, their silent conversation crackling with unspoken doubts. “We’ll think about it,” Nadia muttered finally. Then, without another word, the two of them turned and walked away, their footsteps echoing in the heavy silence behind them.

“Are you all right, Miss Rowan?” James asked as I turned to him. There was concern etched across his features.

“Yes,” I replied, forcing a smile to mask the turmoil within. “I’m just fine.”

His brow furrowed, skepticism flickering in his eyes, and I knew he could sense the storm brewing beneath my calm mask.

The truth was, I had no idea what motivated these women. Did David merely pay them off, or did he offer something far more insidious?

What I did know was that their lies would not hold. I could only hope that my words had pierced through Nadia and Miranda's defenses, igniting a spark of courage to stand against the manipulation they had unwittingly become part of.

But as I watched them disappear into the crowd, a knot of anxiety twisted in my gut. The battle wasn’t over; it was only just beginning.