Chapter 29
Third Person POV
The envelopes were thick and government–stamped. Their weight hit the marble
countertop loud and heavy as Chloe slapped it down. She stared at it, her heart stuttering in
her chest.
There were four: one for her, one for her mother, and one for her father.
The Crowley family had officially been summoned to testify in the upcoming trial Emily started to reclaim her inheritance.
Mr. Crowley broke the seal on his letter with a sharp finger, eyes scanning the thick paper before he crumpled it in his fist. He sneered before he slammed his fist down on the counter.
Chloe jumped.
“Of all the stupid things that girl could do to this family,” said Philip Crowley.
“What’s wrong?” Hannah asked sharply, hurriedly opening her own envelope. Her lips
– pursed before she even finished reading. “How dare she!”
Hannah turned on Chloe like a predator catching the scent of prey.
“This is your fault,” she hissed.
Chloe’s stomach dropped. “Mine?”
“You said you’d get close to him. You said you could handle Logan Duke. You were supposed to distract him, get his attention on you, and marry him.” Her voice was a shriek, the high- pitch shaking the crystal in the dining cabinet. “Instead, Emily is going rogue, and his support is behind her.”
“The fight is that much harder so long as the Alpha is behind her,” said Philip.
Chloe opened her mouth, then shut it. What could she say? That Logan was impossible to
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get close to? That every time she got close, he saw through her like glass?
“I tried-”
“You didn’t try hard enough,” Hannah snapped.
+25 BONUS
Philip paced, his hands behind his back. “Do you understand what this means for us? We could lose everything. Our rank. Our lands. The investment from Mr. Baron.”
“Gregory Baron…” Hannah echoed, coldly calculating. Her gaze flicked toward Chloe, and
Chloe felt a fresh stab of dread.
“No.” Chloe shook her head, backing up a step. “You’re not serious.”
“I warned you,” her step–father said. “We had a deal with Gregory Baron long before Logan ever stumbled into the picture. He wanted Emily, but the situation has changed. You will have to go in her place.”
“How could I do that?” Chloe said, voice trembling. “He’s an ancient wolf who has already retired! I don’t want to marry him!
“You should have thought about that before you let Logan go,” spat Hannah. The words make Chloe shiver with dread. Her parents had always treated her like the golden child. All of the sudden, she became the object of their anger.
“I tried to get close to him. He doesn’t trust anyone. He doesn’t look at anyone besides Emily!” Chloe wasn’t able to understand why Logan would ever choose someone like Emily. She was a useless dormant wolf. What did he see in her?
“I don’t care,” Philip said. “If you can’t turn his head before the trial, you’ll marry Gregory.”
Chloe stared at them. Her blood felt like ice. “You’re talking about handing me off to some old Alpha like I’m livestock!”
Gregory Baron was nearly fifty, a retired Alpha with too many lands and not enough heirs. His mate had died years ago. Emily was his original prize and the one that was supposed to
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be him pups. He had offered a large sum for her. Instead of giving him his money back, Chloe was up next to be his bride.
+25 BONUS
“You don’t have a choice,” Hannah said crisply. “We need Gregory’s funding. And Gregory
needs a mate.”
Chloe’s knees buckled, and she sank onto a chair, burying her face in her hands. “I don’t
know how!”
“You need to make him want you,” Philip said.
Chloe shook her head. She had tried all her usual tricks. No amount of beautiful dresses, expensive jewelry, or flirtatious words made Logan turn his head.
There was a beat of silence. Then Hannah spoke up.
“There’s another way,” she said.
Everyone turned to her. Hannah’s smile was sharp and a little cruel. “If Logan won’t come to you willingly… make him.”
“What are you talking about?” Chloe asked. Hannah held up a small tincture bottle. Chloe’s face immediately fell. She thought it was something dangerous.
