The message was from Mr. Greg. What a damn nuisance. I frowned and immediately blocked his number. Was he trying to drive me into a corner? Fine; if that’s how he wanted to play it, then he couldn’t blame me for being ruthless. I posted a short video right away. “Sorry, everyone. Because of some things that happened before, the Alpha of the Imperial Pack has been forcing me into an engagement and even suppressing my company. I had no choice but to turn to streaming. But… unfortunately, my live stream has been shut down, too.” I didn’t explain why the stream was banned; I didn’t have to. Those few words were enough to make everything clear. The moment the broadcast had cut off, countless viewers had been waiting for me to speak up. Now that I had, the comments section exploded. Many people flooded the Goldberg Group’s Twitter, leaving furious messages. “Who bullies their own granddaughter? Absolutely disgusting!” “I really don’t get it. Who she’s with is none of your business; do you really have to go this far to ruin her life?” “I’m never buying anything from the Goldberg Group ever again!” “Our goddess Raelyn is loved in every field. We fans don’t start trouble, but we’re not afraid of it either!” The Goldberg Group was massive, with businesses in multiple industries; but against the tidal wave of my fans, even their empire started to crumble. Profits across their subsidiaries began to plummet almost overnight. This was the power of public opinion. Seeing the Goldberg family’s empire taking heavy losses, Mr. Greg finally caved. Reluctantly, he posted on Twitter, declaring that he would no longer interfere with my personal life, wouldn’t suppress my business, and would grant me my freedom. Only then did my fans calm down and agree to back off the Imperial Pack. Once the storm finally quieted and Mr. Greg had lowered his head, I released another short video, saying that since he was my grandfather and getting on in years, I’d forgive him.I heard later that when Mr. Greg saw that video, his fury boiled over; he collapsed on the spot and had to be rushed to the hospital. Only after getting that news did I finally feel a bit at ease. After losing this corporate battle so thoroughly, that Alpha probably wouldn’t bother me again anytime soon. With the drama behind me, I started making plans to return to Varken with Aiden. But just after I bought my plane ticket, my phone buzzed with a new text. It was from Wesley. “Raelyn, there’s something I didn’t tell you. Can you come over?” I blinked, suspicion prickling in my chest, but curiosity won out. I headed downstairs, deciding to meet him. In the garage, I found my car. The moment I opened the door—before I could even get inside—Freya’s voice rang sharp and urgent in my mind. Alpha, watch out! I started to step back, but a massive wolf’s paw clamped down over half my face. The grip was brutal; whoever it was, they were a high-ranking wolf. I flared my aura, ready to fight back—but my vision went dark in an instant. The sharp, unmistakable scent of wolfbane mixed with a heavy sedative filled my nose. Then came a barrage of blows to my back, knocking the wind out of me and forcing more of the drug and wolfbane into my system. I coughed twice and blacked out. Just before I lost consciousness, it hit me—that text hadn’t come from Wesley at all. When I woke, I was tied tightly to a bed. Randall stood a few feet away, watching me in silence. “Raelyn,” he said smoothly, “long time no see.” My body still felt weak, but I met his gaze with a cold smile. “Randall, I didn’t think you’d stoop this low. What is it? Are you that pissed I won’t marry you?” “Even now, you’ve still got jokes.” His smile looked the same as always, but his eyes were colder, sharper. “I brought you here because I need your help.”A chill slid down my spine. “What kind of help?” “You know,” he said lightly. “I had a first love. Wesley must’ve told you by now.” My brow furrowed. “Didn’t your first love die a long time ago?” “Yes. By all accounts, she should’ve been gone for years.” His gaze turned distant, almost hazy. “Let me tell you a story.” I didn’t have the patience for this. “If you’re going to kill me, then just do it.” “Listen first,” he said. “Maybe it’ll make dying a little easier.” Easier? He was out of his mind. “She was a good girl,” he said softly. “Just like you—confident, bright, full of life. But she wasn’t as sharp as you; she didn’t have your cleverness. And someone like that… somehow she came down with a rare form of hemophilia in the wolf clans. Her blood type was special too; no compatible donor could be found. The only thing keeping her alive was constant, aggressive treatment.” “And now,” I said coldly, finally piecing it together, “you think you can use me to save her, don’t you?”