Chapter 103

Lionel’s POV

How dare she?

A fury like I have never known burned within me.

My inner wolf and flame were in havoc.

I could not protect my own daughters…I was a failure of an alpha…I failed…

It was only Nan’s tears and sadness that brought me back to my senses.

“Lionel,” she wept. “We have to get them back.”

I held on tightly to her. She is my anchor in the winds of this devastation. Brushing soft kisses along her head and tear-stained cheeks.

“We will.” I whispered. “I’ll bring our girls home.”

‘Katya,’ I thought vengefully. ‘She will not get away with this.’

I did not know how. But I would get my girls back. I would have justice.

I would ruin her.

“Shh.” I say to Nan. Her weeping now tampering off into harsh gasps.

“Leave it to me. Rest tonight. Tomorrow we’ll hit the ground running.”

Eventually Nan fell asleep. Traces of her distress were still evident in the furrow of her brows and frown on her face. It only made me curse Katya even more.

The next day saw me calling up multiple investigators. I trusted my usual go-to man. But there was too much at stake not too have more noses to the ground.

I stood behind my desk. Eyeing up the assortment of people. Allowing them to take in my severe expression.

“My ex-wife has taken my children from me.” I announce grimly.

There is a shuffle of feet and nervous twitches. No one speaks. What could any of them possibly have to say to me anyway?

“Your jobs are to find any dirt possible on her from the last decade.” I emphasize. “No matter how small or insignificant you think it is.”

I catch an exchange of glances. “Are there any questions? Speak now…I would rather get them out of the way.”

It takes several seconds. Second in which I try to reign in my fast-fading patience. One brave individual finally speaks.

“Alpha Lionel…” The grey-haired man bows his head respectfully. I nod back curtly.

“Speak.” I command.

“You said anything in the last decade. But Ms. Farkas has only been…missing…for five years. Is there a reason for this specific period in time?”

I allow a wolfish smile to cross my mouth. My fangs now on display. For some reason, no one looks comforted at the sight.

“Katya would have needed a long period to vanish the way she did. Even with all of her loyal sycophants and resources…she could not have pulled this off in less than five years before her ‘death.”

It was something I had ruminated over for a long time. Katya’s plan was nearly perfect. There were no obvious follies in her story.

Until I took longer to consider it.

Her transition back to ‘life’ was easy. Disturbingly so. Everything Katya wanted seemed to fall into place.

That alone raised my suspicions. There is no way any of this could have happened if Katya did not have plans in motion. Plans that could not be pulled off in the short time she had been back.

Katya was like a spider. Weaving silent webs around her prey. Waiting.

Katya’s web was intricate. The threads going off in thousands of directions. That was her flaw.

I would unravel these webs. Taking down everyone in my path. Katya’s allies would soon feel the noose tightening around their necks.

It did not matter how many I need to pull. I am relentless. I will not stop.

“Make no mistake. When I say any information, I mean it. Anything that will begin swaying public opinion.”

I take a pause.

“There will be great incentives for those who return with any information. The greater the information…the greater your incentives. Now…get to work.”

The following days are frustratingly dull. Every second ticking away with my daughters gone. My worry about their safety making me a prowling beast.

“Lionel.” Nan reaches for me with soft hands. “Please…sit.”

I allow her to pull me onto the couch. She does not stop there. She only relents once I lay my head in her lap.

Her fingertips lightly massage my aching temples. “How did you know?” I sigh.

She smiles sadly. There is always sadness in her face now. One I will not abide by much longer if I have anything to say about it.

“You’ve been grimacing non-stop for hours now.” She replies quietly. “You only make the face when you have a headache.”

I purse my lips. “I would say my headache is justified.”

She frowns. “Your investigators haven’t found anything?”

“They have.” I admit reluctantly. “But not enough to get the girls back.”

“Tell me about it.” Nan suggests. “Maybe another perspective might help.”

“It’s just little snippets here and there. Katya’s reputation was never spotless. So these little pieces won’t matter much to the public.”

“What kind of information?” Nan pressed. Curiosity in her tone.

‘That’s the first emotion I’ve seen from her other than sadness in the last two weeks.’ I realize. It makes me wonder if I should have involved her more in this process than I have been.

I did not intentionally leave Nan out. I simply wanted to protect my family. However, I’m starting to realize that maybe protection is not what Nan needs at the moment.

“There is a trail of money that they found.” I admit. “Funds moving between bank accounts.”

“Katya’s?” Nan says more than asks.

“Yes. But they are all offshore accounts. Nothing from the main family branch or her own personal account.”

Nan’s eyebrows knot together in confusion. “If they are offshore…how did Katya get linked with them?”

I snort. “It’s obviously hers. Yet legally…I can’t quite prove it.”

“You would need more evidence.” Nan sighs. “And for evidence…”

“I would need proof of actual wrongdoing.” I finish. “And have accounts off the books is not illegal.”

It was morally corrupt. Frowned-upon. But not illegal.

Nan was thoughtful. I could see her working it out in her head. I half hoped she would think of something I did not.

“Is there anything else?” She finally asked.

I grin a little. “Some lovers she took during the time she was away. Katya never could resist her urges.”

Nan’s eyes widened slightly. “Lionel…”

“I’ve already got people on it.” I confirm. “If they have any more information…my people will find it out.”

Yet Nan’s mind seems to be going in a different direction.

“Lionel.” She says with some urgency. I look at her more intently this time.

“That is exactly what we need. It proves she was lying at the very least. It pokes some holes in her alibi.”

Nan’s storm cloud eyes are nearly sparkling. It’s a burst of lightening across a night sky. Bright and electric.

I can only stare at her. Utterly dumbfounded. How did I miss that?

“I’ll let my lawyers know.” I say slowly. “Perhaps they can find some clauses in our favor.”

Nan and I can only look at each other peacefully. A sense of hope filling the air between us for the first time in weeks. Perhaps this is not as impossible as I thought.

“Alpha.” One of my butlers alerts us to his presence. “One of your investigators has returned.”

I sit up. “He’s here?” It could really only mean one thing.

Somone had found something important.

“Waiting in your study, Alpha.” I stand up.

Nan stands too. A defiant tilt to her chin. Daring me to exclude her.

“Let’s see what he’s found.” I answer to her silent challenge. My own instincts for once not triggered by this act of defiance.

Nan’s pleasant smile is rewarding enough.

‘Of course it would be the usual blonde idiot that finds it first,’ I think when I see my personal investigator. I can’t muster any my usual annoyance with him.

Not with the twinkle in his eyes telling me I will find this information to be very promising.

“Ms. Lupa.” He nods. Trying to rile me up by ignoring me and acknowledging her first.

“Well?” I ask impatiently.

He just hands over a folder. I roll my eyes at his dramatics. I open it wide enough for Nan to read over my shoulder.

I can’t take in the words at first. I realize then why my private investigator preferred to let me see it rather than hear it. It was shocking.

Nan’s gasp only confirmed that I was not misreading the words. “No way…” She mutters.

A devilish, wide smile crossed my face.

“Katya has a secret child…”