Chapter 234

Judy’s POV

I don’t remember leaving the villa; I don’t remember getting into my car. I have no idea how I managed to go from the villa back to my parents’ house. Everything was such a blur. I was in a daze when I got out of my car. My mother immediately ran out of the house, tears in her eyes and a horrified look on her face. My father stood at the doorway, his expression hard to read.

I knew without a doubt that they saw the news article and I was in some deep shit. If they revoke my win from the competition, I would lose everything I worked so hard for. My stomach was in a complete knot, and I thought I was going to get sick on the spot.

My mother was quick to wrap me in her arms as soon as I got out of the car.

“Please tell me it’s not true,” she whispered as she held me tightly. “Tell me you aren’t having relations with Gavin Landry.”

I wasn’t sure what to tell her; she would be able to see through this lie easily, and I didn’t want to have to lie to her anymore. I was tired of keeping this secret from my family; I was tired of having to sneak around behind their backs just so I could have sex with Gavin. I hated that this was happening… but I needed to come clean.

Though I knew what I needed to do, the words wouldn’t come to me.

“Let’s just get her inside so we can talk as a family,” my father said, turning his back on us and walking straight into the house.

My heart sank at his dismissive tone. My mother pulled away and wiped her moist eyes, nodding along with his words. She took my hand and pulled me along with her. Once we were inside, I felt suffocated. Like, there wasn’t enough space to breathe.

My mother sat with me on the couch as my father paced back and forth throughout the living room.

“Dad—”

He held up his hand to stop me. I clamped my lips shut, not knowing what to do in this circumstance.

After a few more moments of agonizing silence, he finally turned to look at me.

“Is that the reason he paid off my debt?” He asked. “Because you’ve been sleeping with him.”

“He would have done it regardless,” I blurted, my cheeks burning. “He didn’t do it just for me. He found out what happened, and he took the initiative to help.”

“Did you tell him?” My father asked, his eyes narrowed.

“No!” I nearly shouted, my defenses rising. “I didn’t tell him anything. He found out on his own.”

My father was quiet for a long while, his mind processing this information.

“Did you in the competition because of him?” He finally asked, his arms folding across his chest.

My heart shattered at his question.

“Richard!” My mother scolded before I had the chance to respond.

“Well, what am I supposed to think, Shelly?” My father shot back.

Tears burned in my eyes; I hated having this conversation. I hated that he didn’t trust me… I hated that he was doubting me right now.

“I won because I’m good at what I do,” I said, my tone hardening as I narrowed my eyes at my father. “When it came down to the winner, Gavin stayed out of the final vote because he didn’t want to provide a biased opinion. I didn’t even know he was going to be at the competition. He’s never gone to them before, and I didn’t think this one would be any different.”

My father stared at me for a long while, and then he sighed, his expression softening slightly.

“Have long have you been together?” My father asked through her tears.

“We are hardly together. We went on a few dates and kissed,” I half fibbed. Truth be told, we did a lot more than kissing, but my parents didn’t need to know that fact.

“You and Gavin Landry is a recipe for disaster,” my father said, shaking his head. “Firstly, he’s too old for you. Secondly, he already has children. And third, you don’t fit into that kind of world, Judy.”

His words hurt more than I let on; I swallowed down the pain and stared at my hands that I was fiddling with.

“I know…” I whispered, my voice came out weak.

“It would be better if you no longer spoke to Gavin Landry,” my father said, his tone firm, making me flinch. Before I had a chance to respond, his phone stared to ring, interrupting the conversation.

When he glanced at the screen, his face paled.

….

Gavin’s POV

“I found out who sent the photos to the media,” Derek said as he walked into my office. I turned to face him, waiting for him to continue. “I traced the IP address straight to Sammy Churchill’s phone. She deleted the physical photos, but I was able to recover them and sure enough, they were all there. There are more photos than you can imagine. She’s been watching you both the entire time you were at the competition and get this… Sammy is he black wolf that saved her during the competition. She was there at the same time, taking a photo when the attack happened. She accidentally pressed the video button as she dropped her phone. You can see her shifting and going to Judy’s rescue.”

He handed me the phone that we confiscated from Sammy and pressed the play button. I watched as the big black wolf leapt in the air and rescued Judy. My stomach twisted at the sight; I wondered if Judy knew that it was Sammy that saved her.

The office door opened again, and Taylor walked in.

“We were able to get the news articles down,” Taylor announced. “The media are on their way here to take a statement from you. I took the liberty of contacting Mica and Jeremy as well; they are sending over proof and statements of their own to plea for you. I didn’t bother with Levi because I have a feeling he might be behind this considering it was done by his daughter.” He paused and turned to Derek. “You did tell him that part, right?”

Derek nodded.

“Yes, I just informed him,” Derek confirmed.

“Good work, both of you,” I said, sitting at my desk, trying to calm myself down. “Once I make my statement with the other Lycan’s backing me up and the proof they provide, it should clear Judy’s name so no one will think she cheated. This better be settled by the end of the night.”

They both nodded, their faces ashen.

“What a mess,” Taylor murmured.

“Are you going to do what your mother says and stop seeing her?” Derek asked, his eyes watching me carefully.

I scoffed.

“When have I ever listened to my mother?” I asked, my eyes narrowed. “Now both of you, get out. I have a phone call to make. Oh, and Derek, bring Sammy to me in silver cuffs. I have some words for her and then take her to the pack police station. I want her in a holding cell until we figure out what to do with her.”

He nodded.

“Keep in mind, she’s a Lycan’s daughter… we can’t exactly kill her unless you want to start a war,” Taylor reminded me.

I rolled my eyes.

“For now, I just want answers.”

Taylor nodded.

After a minute of silence, they finally left me alone in my office. I grabbed my phone and dialed a specific number before pressing it to my ear, waiting with bated breath.

“Alpha Landry,” Richard Montague said on the other end of the line. “What can I do for you?”

“Delta Richard, have you seen the news this evening?” I asked, my voice coming out strong as my Alpha aura rolled off me in waves, mixed with the strength of my Lycan aura.

He cleared his throat, his tone coming out strained.

“Yes,” he replied. “I’ve seen the article.”

I let out a breath, wondering if he’s already confronted Judy about it.

“I wanted you to know that I’m taking care of it. Your daughter’s name will be cleared by the end of the night. The article insinuates that she won because of her relationship with me, when that’s the furthest thing from the truth and we have proof of that.”

There was nothing but silence on the other end.

“Is that Gavin?” I asked Judy ask softly, her voice sounding strained and broken. Immediately my heart lurched at the sound of her voice. She was upset, that much was obvious.

Of course she was upset, her name was being dragged through the mud and her family was probably reprimanding her for it. A surge of anger coursed through me and, I had to swallow it down before I said something to her father that I would regret. More than anything, I just wanted to pull Judy into my arms and tell her that it was going to be okay… that I would fix it.

Richard didn’t reply to his daughter.

“I trust that you will have it handled, Alpha,” he stated, his tone hardening. “And I trust that you’ll do right by my daughter and stay away from her. I mean no disrespect, but as a father, I’m sure you can understand my concern. Your relationship with her is inappropriate and I won’t have it tainting my daughter’s reputation.”

With those words spoken, Richard hung up the phone, cutting our ties, leaving me staring at the phone screen, my jaw slacked.

The door opened to my office and Derek ran in breathless.

“Alpha, Sammy is gone.”