Lilith
A dazed look settled on my face as her accusations hit me like a mighty bulldozer.
Thief?!
“Clearly, you are mistaken,” I replied, my heart racing as I started to feel uncomfortable.
My palms grew sweaty, and my fingers began to tremble.
Fear clung to me like a second skin, making my breath fast and shaky as I stared at the unfriendly assistant glaring at me with disdain and irritation.
“I am not mistaken, and I have never been mistaken. I know a thief when I see one,” she blurted in a dangerously low tone as a wicked grin spread across her face.
I couldn’t believe what was happening.
I was falsely accused, and she wasn’t even giving me an audience to defend myself.
My breath hitched, and my eyes popped wide.
“Don’t give me that look. I know what you are up to. The security that opened the door for you to steal and the reception would be fired because they are useless. How could they let you in?” She scoffed, sweeping me off my feet with her horrendous looks.
Standing erect, I dusted the sand off my cloth, cocking my head to meet her with my voice slightly accented.
“This is a mistake. I didn’t come here to steal. I came here to shop,” I replied, hoping it was enough to keep her mouth shut and get her off my back, but her laughter caught me off balance.
“You? Shop here? What do you think this place is called? This isn’t just a fashion store that sells strictly designer items, this is only open to wealthy people, including celebrities from all over the world. If you stop acting all surprised, I will be generous enough not to turn you to the police,” she threatened, gritting her teeth as a malicious look danced along her face.
“It was high time I taught your wretched kind to stop messing with me.”
I shook my head, trying to pacify her. “Don’t take it beyond this. I’m not a criminal. I have never done anything wrong in my life, let alone stealing. I can call my boss for you, he was the one that sent me here-”
“Cut the crap!” She interrupted. “You are busted and you can’t call anyone. Explain how a trash like you would afford this place? Or did your so-called boss give you fake money also?”
“No,” I blurted instantly, burying my hand inside my purse to retrieve the card that Alpha Casper gave me.
My heart was in my throat as I bright out my phone, searching my purse crazily.
“Oh my goodness! What are you doing with a Samsung galaxy s24 ultra? Did you steal that too? Who did you steal it from? A customer here? Because clearly, a gold digger like you can’t afford that!” She fired.
“Everybody search your bags, we have a thief here. If your Samsung phone is missing, it’s with this wretch here!” He screamed, attracting everyone’s attention.
Plastered with embarrassment, I wanted to disappear into the ground.
Pain clung to me like a second skin the moment I saw people rushing to check their phones.
“Look, I didn’t steal anything. Stop what you are doing. I am here to shop like every other customer here. Treat me with respect!” I yelled, my voice swallowing hers.
I pulled out the black credit card that Alpha Casper gave me, showing it to the lady so that she could bugger off and apologize for embarrassing and falsely accusing me.
“This is the card given to me by my boss. It’s an unlimited black card so why would I even steal?”
I thought my action would lessen the commotion, but it only fuelled her drama.
“Search your purses, she stole someone’s card!” she screamed louder.
I was about to shun her and show her the name imprinted on the card when angry footsteps thundered along the room.
I lifted my eyes to meet a slim woman in a corporate dress who marched angrily towards us.
“What is the reason for this fracas?” She demanded, dropping her hand on her hip before hitting me with a disgusted look.
Why is everyone here the same?
They only respect the rich and treat the poor with disdain.
“Manager, thank goodness you are here. Our store is getting robbed by her. She stole a customer’s card and a phone after catching her almost sneaking a dress into her bag,” she explained breathlessly in shock.
My brows arched as a surprised look blanketed my face. “Ma’am. I didn’t steal anything. I came to the shop but she is accusing me wrongly.” I narrated, hoping the manager would give me listening ears and scold her employee.
“You? Shop here? Who let you in after seeing how pathetic and nauseating you look? I’ll deal with them,” she hurled in a hostile manner, turning towards another assistant. “Get me the security and the reception now!”
I watched the other assistant scurry along while the assistant that stood beside the manager had a wicked grin on her face.
A smirk crossed her face and my heart almost jumped out of my throat in fear when she locked gaze with me.
“You…” she dragged, her voice dangerously low. “The moment I saw you walk out of that car after seducing that man and stealing his card, I knew you were up to something. Now you had the effrontery to come into my store and steal my clothes. You are going down!”
“That’s my boss. I can call him so that this whole misunderstanding would be cleared.”
“Too late! The next time you will hear from him is in jail!”
Chills ran down my spine as the hair at the back of my neck stood erect.
“You are calling the cops? I didn’t do anything!” I yelled in frustration, stomping my feet angrily.
“If you break anything, you will pay,” she warned, turning to the assistant. “Call the cops. This will serve as a lesson to other shoplifters who think they can steal under my nose!”
“I am innocent!” I had barely said my words when the sirens wailed in the air, indicating the arrival of the police.
Sounds of the thumping heavy boots vibrated throughout the floor and I was surrounded by a handful of cops.
“She’s crazy! Don’t listen to her. I didn’t steal anything,” I insisted, but none of the cops would listen to me as the dramatic woman wailed.
A stinging slap struck my cheeks and I saw stars for a moment.
My vision blurred and it took a minute before my sight was restored.
“Don’t you dare call me crazy.” An idea popped into her head as she smirked.
“You want to see crazy? I will show you crazy,” she gritted between her teeth, digging her artificial nails into my skin as her grip tightened on my jaws.
“I’ll make you a scapegoat. Search her and collect everything she has. Strip her if possible!” Shs ordered heartlessly without tearing her gaze off me while several hands rough-handled me.
“Take her away. Let her rot in jail!”
*****
Casper
I knew leaving Lilith all to herself would be a bad idea, but I had to attend to Raphael, especially when it was about the pack affairs and the traffickers.
He was also trying to fix our shaky relationship.
We took a bunch of the traffickers down when we caught them close to the estate.
Their target was Lilith. Thank goodness I was home to save Anna on time or she would have died.
Throughout the meeting with him, I felt uneasy, scared and in pain.
I knew those strange feelings weren’t from me so I assumed it was from Lilith since I shared her feelings sometimes.
I tried pushing it away, but it consumed me.
Maybe I was exaggerating.
Maybe Lilith wasn’t in trouble. She might probably feel inferior and uncomfortable because the fashion store was for wealthy people only.
I was buried in work again, engrossed in Raphael’s conversation when the strange feelings hit me.
“I think Lilith is in trouble. Let’s go see her,” Max suggested, pacing about my head in unease.
“Can you listen to me at all? Ditch this son of a bitch and let’s meet Lilith!”
“Fine!” I groaned. “You worry too much.”
The shilling sound of my phone permeated the air, Interrupting us.
A curious expression formed on my face as I stared at the unknown number that flashed across my screen.
A wave of uneasiness hit me as I became skeptical.
“Don’t pick it. It’s probably from the boss of those traffickers we killed,” Raphael chipped in, taking the phone from me and placing it on the table, resuming the conversation.
But the calls only stopped for a minute before returning. This time, my phone rang nonstop. I had no choice but to pick it.
I waited until the caller spoke before I replied and a wave of shock and rage overwhelmed me when I heard Lilith’s voice in the background.
I ended the call, breathing heavily and clenching my fist before banging it on the table.
“What is the matter, Alpha?” Raphael asked after sensing my mood.
“I have to leave. Lilith was arrested.”
Those were the only words I could blurt out as my mind was consumed with ways to punish the cops.
I knew something was wrong the moment those feelings clung to me.
It was about to get ugly.
I will fucking kill anyone that hurts her!