Evan's eyes widened. "Miss Victoria."
I looked at Victoria's name in the center of the board. Lucas's handler—just a single V.
I thought of the footprints I'd discovered in the forest last night. A she-wolf, around five feet five, with agile speed and counter-surveillance skills. I exhaled slowly...
"Victoria's family worked for German security services, didn't they?"
Evan froze for a second, quickly pulling up files on his tablet, but my phone suddenly rang.
An urgent report from the private investigator. I'd definitely suspected Victoria's involvement in the exposure targeting Layla. Besides assigning Evan to technical tracking, I'd specifically hired a PI to monitor her movements.
I opened the message and saw a photograph—
Victoria's study. A diary lay open on the desk. The photo was crystal clear—I could read every word.
"Layla Gray destroyed everything I had. Once she's ruined, Kayden will come back to me..."
I enlarged the image and saw the date—right after she'd first spotted Layla at that coffee shop.
I scrolled down to the next page.
"The plan has begun. The exposure is out there. Watching those comments, watching everyone attack her—I should be happy. But it's not enough. That Lucas fellow can be useful."
My fingers tightened around the phone. Rage ignited inside me. It really was her... Victoria. She orchestrated all of this. She hated Layla for taking her place as Luna. She wanted to eliminate both Layla and Kai!
I immediately called Layla.
"Kayden?" Concern colored her voice.
"I've found something," I said quickly. "About Victoria. She was behind your exposure and the Lucas incident. I have direct evidence.Lucas's contact was V, and she documented everything clearly in her diary."
"Kayden." Layla interrupted, that familiar analytical tone in her voice. "A diary? Such blatant evidence? Doesn't this seem too convenient?"
I froze, following her reasoning, stepping back to reconsider. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it," Layla said. "Yesterday, that shadow appears in the forest, and today the diary is conveniently discovered."
"Every piece of evidence points directly to Victoria."
"This..." she paused, "feels deliberately planted for us to find."
I stared at the leads on the whiteboard.
Too smooth. It was far too smooth. As if someone had deliberately laid out a trail, guiding us straight to Victoria.
"You're right," I said quietly. "This could very well be a trap. Someone wants us to believe Victoria is the mastermind, but she might just be..."
"Just a pawn," Layla completed my thought.
We were silent on the phone for a few seconds.
"I've been wondering about something," Layla said hesitantly. "When exactly did she figure out I was Layla? I have never met her."
"You're right, you didn't," I said, carefully reviewing the timeline. "After you went over that cliff, Victoria returned to the pack and met my father. He approved of her, which is why on his deathbed he demanded I marry her."
"Kayden, behind all of this..." she finally said, "there must be something bigger. Be careful."
"I will," I said, catching the scent of something far more dangerous than I'd anticipated. "You and Kai stay in your room. I—"
