Chapter Sixteen
Dimitri’s POV
I won’t let you break me twice.
The words gutted me.
Her scent still lingered in the conference room, making my wolf restless, demanding I go after her.
I could still taste the sweetness of her mouth, still feel its softness against mine.
She wanted me. I’d felt it in the way she’d kissed me back, tasted it on her tongue. But that triumph of knowing didn’t last—because then she’d touched the ring.
And I’d watched her hate herself for wanting me. Watched the self-loathing flash across her face as she jerked away, like I was poison she’d almost swallowed.
That hurt more than any knife to the chest ever could.
And it was all because of that damn ring.
Selene was nothing. She meant nothing. I needed to explain that to Isabella, needed to make her see. I’d be damned if Selene was the reason Isabella couldn’t allow herself to be with me.
I turned my gaze to Edmund, who still hadn’t said a word.
His gaze burned into the side of my face with an intensity that could melt steel.
I knew what he was thinking. My move today had taken everyone by surprise—hell, it had probably given half the board members minor heart attacks. But I’d accomplished exactly what I’d set out to do. I had killed two birds with one stone.
Isabella and Adele’s future was now secured, protected by legal documentation and corporate bylaws that even Selene couldn’t circumvent. And more importantly, I’d brought Isabella closer to me, even if it was only through work and business for now.
“You’re playing with fire,” Edmund said finally, breaking the silence that had stretched between us.
“I’ve been playing with fire my entire life.” I loosened my tie, unbuttoning a couple of buttons. “This is nothing new.”
“There’s a new update regarding Selene and Ethan Thorpe.”
I watched as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small recording device. He placed it on the table between.
I hooked a brow, settling into the chair I’d been sitting in earlier. “What is that?”
“Something you need to hear.” His expression was grim as he pressed play.
Static crackled through the speaker, then voices emerged. Clear. Unmistakable.
“I still don’t understand why we’re waiting.” That was Ethan’s voice, sharp with impatience. “The longer that child lives, the more complicated this becomes. We know he’s the father. It’s only a matter of time before he names her his heir. We’re wasting too much time, Selene.”
“Oh, Ethan. What have I always told you? Timing is everything.” When Selene spoke, her voice was cool, calculated. “We move too soon, and the board will rally around Dimitri out of sympathy. We need him isolated first. Discredited.”
“And you think killing the child accomplishes that?”
“I think once the heir is gone, there’s no succession plan. No legitimate claim.” A pause. “The board will panic. The pack will demandstability. And who do they turn to? The Luna who’s been holding everything together. Me.”
“What about the mother?”
“Isabella?” Selene’s laugh was cold. “She’s even more dangerous than the brat. As long as she’s alive, Dimitri will never let go of this pathetic Mate bond fantasy. She makes him feel strong, righteous. We’ve spent five years building the narrative that he’s weak, distracted—and she’s undoing it all.” My jaw tightened. My wolf snarled in my chest, hunger and fury tightening my muscles. In that instant, I wanted to find Selene and Ethan and let my wolf rip them apart without mercy. He was demanding, and it took everything in me to keep him at bay.
“So, we eliminate them both.”
“We eliminate the threat to our claim. That bastard child has no right to the Ravencrest fortune, not when we’ve invested years positioning ourselves. Not when we’re this close. Once they’re gone, there’s no heir. No Mate. Just a broken Alpha and a power vacuum. The board will have no choice but to make me CEO to stabilize the company. You’ll have your controlling shares. And then…”
