I was beyond speechless. At this point, I wasn’t just disappointed in Aiden—I was completely and utterly done with him. This so-called heir to the Midnight Pack couldn’t even bring himself to consider the possibility that Taylor was responsible for Madam Regina’s fall. He was completely convinced Taylor couldn’t have hurt her. Aiden had always been smart, sharp even. Who would've thought he’d turn into such a fool when it actually mattered? I let out a cold laugh. “So you’ve decided it was me all along, huh? Fine. If that’s what you want to believe, then yes—this was all my fault.” “That’s not what I meant.” “Don’t bother coming to me again. I’ll find the proof myself. Until then, stay out of my life.” “Raelyn, do you really have to be like this?” Aiden’s eyes were filled with despair. I gave a bitter smile. “Mr. Aiden, what’s the point of saying all this now? You’d be better off comforting Taylor. When the truth comes out, she won’t just be sitting in a holding cell for a few days.” Aiden frowned. “Raelyn…” “Save it. I’m leaving.” I didn’t have the energy to argue with a man who couldn’t even tell right from wrong. I turned and walked away. “That’s right, Alpha. Walk away. Let that heartless bastard rot in regret.” Even Freya was growling in my head. I stormed out the door, but my phone suddenly buzzed. I looked at the screen. It was a text from Tammy. "Raelyn, help me!" My heart dropped. I was about to call her when I suddenly froze. Knowing Tammy, she’d never ask for help via text unless something was seriously wrong. That left me with two possibilities: either she was being held somewhere and forced to send the message, or she was hiding and couldn’t talk on the phone.If I called or replied and her phone wasn’t on silent, it might alert whoever was with her. I quickly pulled up my tracking software. Thanks to a hacker tool I’d built myself, I was able to trace her location in seconds. But when I saw where it led... I froze. It was the same place where I’d just been talking to Aiden. Strange. But I didn’t have time to think about it. I rushed over right away. Tammy might not be my best friend, but she was still someone I cared about. And in the entertainment world, she was a major figure. If something happened to her, the whole industry would shake. When I arrived, Aiden had already left. I searched everywhere—even under the chairs—but there was no sign of her. Panic began to bubble in my chest. Where the hell was she? Then I heard it. A faint, rhythmic tapping coming from under my feet. Thud... thud... thud... I froze, then spun around and ran toward the bar’s basement. It was used for wine storage, and the heavy metal door at the entrance was locked with a coded padlock. This type of lock wasn’t a challenge. My mentor had taught me how to crack them—just a few lines of code would do the trick. But why was Tammy locked in a place like this? I pressed my ear to the door. The tapping was definitely coming from inside. I pulled my mini laptop from my bag, typed a quick program, and hacked into the bar’s security system. Within seconds, I had the code. The door clicked open. I slowly pushed it in. It was dark inside. I didn’t turn on the lights—I didn’t want to alert anyone. Relying on my enhanced vision, I moved forward cautiously. The tapping got louder as I moved through the narrow corridor. I reached another door—the sound was coming from behind it.Suddenly, the tapping changed into frantic banging, and then, after a few seconds, it returned to slow, rhythmic thuds. I paused, tightened my grip on the dagger hidden in my sleeve, and reached for the handle with my right hand. When I opened the door, I saw her. Tammy was tied to a chair, hair a mess, face pale, and clearly exhausted. She looked up at me, and for a second, her eyes lit up. But then she widened them in fear and started shaking her head frantically. She tried to jump, even hit her head on the ceiling. “Don’t worry. I’m here to help you,” I said, stepping forward. But before I could take a second step, the door slammed shut behind me. “Knew it. I just knew you'd fall right into the trap.” I turned and saw a stranger blocking the door—a rough-looking werewolf with a cruel face. I gripped my dagger and stood my ground. “You know me?” “Of course I do. Not only do I know you, I’ve got a score to settle with you.” “Oh? Let’s hear it then.” The werewolf sneered, eyes full of malice. “If it weren’t for you choosing Tammy, Eclipse Corporation would’ve signed with my artist. But no, you had to go and pick her. Now she doesn’t want me as her agent anymore, and the entire entertainment industry blacklisted me. I can’t even feed my family. Tell me—don’t you think you deserve to die for that?”