Cynthia Dion: "What do you mean by that?" I hissed, rubbing my palms anxiously. "You asked for money in exchange for the deletion of the video, and now you are backtracking." "Oh, by the way, did your Alphas tell you about the full moon competition at school?" He had a playful smirk on his lips. "Ahhh! It seems like they share nothing with you. That’s sad," he mocked me. I knew about the contest, but I didn’t want to argue with him. He knew we rogues didn't stand a chance against those high-tiered teenage wolves, especially the betas and omegas. "I knew it," he clicked his tongue. "Well, Atticus will be one of the trainers on the ground," he said with a wink, causing me to grunt. "Jack, I don’t have time to take part in gossip. Delete the video and leave," I said firmly, avoiding any other topic he wanted to discuss. "Fine, I will leave. As for this video, I will think about it." He clutched the phone tightly in his grip and turned around to leave. "You cannot do this; you promised," I called out, taking a few steps after him, but he halted and I stopped as well. "Did I?" He continued walking after shocking me. "What the hell?" I was devastated because, now that I had given him the money, I couldn’t make him delete the video. He was gone, and I still had chores that required my attention. The day weighed heavily on me, with numerous thoughts swirling in my head. My father had bought some eggs for dinner, so I was frying them when I heard a commotion coming from the living room. "You little brat!" my father’s enraged shout jolted me into reality. I turned off the heat under the pan and listened carefully. "You're accusing me of stealing your money? I gave you that money; I didn't steal it," Father's voice echoed at the highest volume. With only three of us in the house, and me being in the kitchen, a heavy feeling settled in my stomach, hinting that my father was in a heated argument with my little sister. "You didn't give me that money for fees. I saved it for months for this day!" Flora's voice came back in a yell directed at my dad. This wasn't going to end well. I dashed out of the kitchen to help her. My muscles turned rigid as my eyes caught a glimpse of my father towering over Flora, exchanging blows with her. "Dad! Stop!" My lips screamed at him, urging him to halt the raised fist. I couldn't fathom a father being so brutal to his daughters. His eyes blazed red, as if someone had drenched them in blood. Flora was already on the floor, recovering from the initial hit. I hurried between the two and pushed my father away from her. As I reached them, my sister staggered to her feet and sought refuge in my embrace. Her heart was pounding forcefully in her chest.My father grunted audibly, causing the ground to shake beneath my feet. "I didn’t even know she was hiding money in the kitchen," he went on, "and this little piece of filth was accusing me of stealing that money." It was me! The money I had given to Jack was actually Flora’s money. "I ha---ve been saving it for my f----ees, and now it’s gone," she whimpered, keeping her face buried in my chest. My arm could feel her heart pulsating from behind her back, and from that, I could gauge the extent of fear she was experiencing. "She is still accusing me," Father tried to take her away from me as soon as he heard her voice again, but I twisted my body to the opposite side to shield her. I felt guilty for becoming the reason for this brawl. "HOW COULD YOU BEAT HER UP LIKE THAT? SHE IS A CHILD, YOUR OWN BLOOD," frustrated with our miserable lives, I squawked at him for arguing with a child. "I will not stay here and see your filthy faces. You two make me revolt," he scoffed, walking towards the exit. He just wanted a reason to leave us alone for the night. I took Flora to our room, and she fell asleep in my lap. She had been crying and complaining about her cheek hurting, where Dad had left a bruise when hitting her. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her I had given away that money. "I need to get that money back," I said, running my hands through her hair. I had let her down before. I would make sure it didn't happen again. I slept very little, and even then, the nightmares wouldn't go away. My visions would often include a wolf with red stripes chasing me through the forests. It was as if what had happened at the school had opened new doors of horror for me. After sending Flora to school, I realized that I needed to find Jack and ask him to return the money. It would be incredibly difficult, but maybe he would consider helping me. He claimed he loved me, so----- "Ew! She is so filthy. I swear I could smell the rogue scent on her from a distance," a student commented with an upturned nose. Comments like these were a regular occurrence, so I didn't let them bother me much. I found him standing with his friends near the area where Rosalie and Enzo were having a discussion. I avoided making eye contact with Enzo as I walked up to Jack. "Can we talk, Jack?" I whispered, noticing his friends giggling and speaking in their ears. The warriors, especially the rogues, had a much harder time in school. Since they were not part of any pack, scoring against the pack warriors would guarantee them a place in any pack. "Hey! Look! Alpha Enzo’s mate wants to speak to me." To my shock, Jack raised his voice and caught the attention of Enzo. I observed Enzo looking troubled while watching me with Jack. Why the hell would he do that?