Chapter 5 5

Chapter 5

Damien's face instantly darkened. "Rori, what are you talking about?"

"Noah loved his airplane. She broke it. Now Noah will cry."

Chloe shrieked. "Daddy, she said a dead person is going to cry!"

"Enough!" Damien's Alpha command exploded. "Rori, apologize to Chloe. Now!"

"Why?"

"You're using your dead brother to curse a sick child! How dare you."

Vicious?

"Damien, she was just trying to protect Noah's things..."

"Protect them?" Damien sneered. "She's cursing Chloe! You and your daughter are the same. Selfish. Vicious. Ungrateful."

Tears rolled down Rori's cheeks. "I hate you! I hate this house!" She turned and ran out of the room.

I tried to follow, but Damien grabbed me. "Let her go. She needs to learn some discipline."

The next day, I took Rori to see the pack healer.

She hadn't said a word since last night.

The healer told me it was bad.

Severe post-traumatic stress.

Leaving the healer's office, I got a call from Jessica.

Jessica was my childhood friend. Her family ran the intelligence network for the entire Northern Territory.

She slapped a file down on the table. "Here is Damien's asset list. And Clara's background check."

I stared at the documents, the world spinning.

For the past two years, Damien had been using our joint assets to support another woman.

"It gets better," Jessica said, flipping to another page. "About Clara 'saving his life.'"

I snapped to attention.

"I checked all the records from eight years ago. The mission happened, but Damien was never injured. And Clara, her wolf wasn't shattered by a silver blade."

Jessica pointed to a line of text.

"A severe car accident three years ago. That's what shattered her wolf. It had nothing to do with Damien."

I looked at the report and didn't feel anger. I laughed.

I laughed until my body shook, until tears streamed down my face. Laughing at my own stupidity. Wailing for my dead son.

The "responsibility" I had believed in was nothing but a pathetic lie. An excuse he spun to keep his mistress close.

"This isn't time for grief, Sera," Jessica said, taking my hand. "It's time for revenge."

I looked up, a spark of hope igniting in my eyes for the first time.

Not for love. For vengeance.

"Everything. I want to know everything."

I hid the file.

Damien had promised to give Rori a make-up birthday party, and I didn't want anything to ruin it.

"Sorry I'm late. Chloe's Fading Soul was acting up again last night. I was at the hospital all night." He looked at the kitchen decorations. "I'm going to make this up to Rori."

He seemed to remember that Rori was his only Alpha-blooded child.

His last hope.

"I want to do something for her. Let me make the cake."

I was stunned.

For the next two hours, I watched Damien fumble around the kitchen, producing a cake that was barely presentable.

It was lopsided, but I could see the effort.

Perhaps it was for his future heir.

At three o'clock, the make-up party began.

Just the three of us.

For a moment, I could forget about Clara and her horrible daughter.

Damien lit the candles, his smile looking genuine. "Make a wish, Rori. Daddy's here all day. I'm not going anywhere."

Rori looked at him, her eyes filled with a hopeful disbelief. "Really?"

"Really. Today is your special day."

Rori closed her eyes and made her wish.

Just as I started to waver, to think maybe he was really changing, the doorbell rang.

I went to the door.

When I opened it, Clara and Chloe were standing there.

"Seraphina? Is Damien home?"

"He is." I stepped aside.

Clara walked into the living room. When she saw the birthday decorations and the cake, her expression was complicated.

Her eyes met Damien's.

"Damien..." Clara's voice trembled. "You said today was for us..."

And just like that, I knew. He'd played us both.

"Daddy!" Chloe saw Damien and immediately ran to him. "Why didn't you come get me? I waited for so long!"

Rori's smile slowly vanished.

She watched Chloe hug Damien, the light in her eyes dimming with every second.