Love and war …
We made our way back to the mansion quietly, sneaking in before anyone noticed our absence. Even as we slipped back into our normal roles, something between us had changed-strengthened. There was a deeper understanding now, a silent promise that we would stand by each other no matter what came next.
What came next was the reckoning we had been preparing for.
Later that day, Simon and I gathered in his study with the sole aim of finalizing our next steps regarding Veronica. We knew time was running out. With Fabian already in our custody, Veronica was bound to make a move sooner rather than later. Her desperation would push her into action, and we needed to be ready.
“She’s going to crack soon,” Simon said, his voice filled with certainty. “Especially now that we’ve got Fabian. There’s no way she can keep up this facade much longer.”
I nodded in agreement. “We just need to keep the pressure on her. Fabian already gave us some leads-now it’s only a matter of time before we have everything we need.”
Simon leaned back in his chair, a dark glint in his eye. “Good. Once we have her, it’s game over. No more playing nice. No more second chances.”
I felt the weight of his words. We had given Veronica more chances than she deserved, but now there was no going back. She had crossed too many lines-endangered too many lives. This wasn’t about revenge anymore; it was about justice.
“We’ll make sure she pays for everything,” I said firmly. “For what she’s done to the boys, for the conspiracy, for all of it.”
Simon and I exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between us. The end was near, and we would stop at nothing to bring her down.
That evening, as the sun began to set, casting an orange glow across the horizon, I stood by the window in my room, deep in thought. The house was quiet now, with most of the staff having retired for the night. Ashley was putting the boys to bed, and I could hear their laughter faintly through the walls.
As I stared out into the distance, my mind drifted back to Veronica and the chaos she had caused in our lives. For so long, she had manipulated every single one of us around her, weaving lies and deceit like a master. But her time was up. The truth was bound to finally come out, and now that it had, there would definitely be no escape for her.
Just then, I heard a soft knock at my door.
“Come in,” I called out, expecting it to be Ashley.
But it wasn’t Ashley. It was Damien, my beta, looking grim.
“We have a problem,” he said, stepping inside.
Immediately, my senses went on high alert. “What is it? Did something happen?”
Damien nodded, his expression tense. “She’s made a move. We just received word from one of our spies-she’s been desperately trying to reach Fabian for a while now, and since she hasn’t been able to, she’s currently on her way to his hideout.”
A frown soon appeared on my face. I had expected Veronica to act, but not this quickly. “What do you mean by that? So, you’re telling me now that she’s currently planning on going there again?”
“Yes, your highness.”
“Where is she now?” I asked, my voice steady despite the mix of emotions I had started feeling.
“We managed to put a GPS tracker on her car, and it seems right now, she’s about a mile and a half from the hideout.”
“Okay then, I see.”
“Would you like us to go after her, your Highness?” he asked, and I shook my head.
“Oh no, not at all, please. Just let her get there and see whatever she finds. By the time she returns home without meeting her little partner in crime, then she’ll really start to reflect on everything she’s been doing.”
“Oh, affirmative, your highness.”
“All right then, you’re dismissed. Just ensure to keep me updated on anything else you hear about her.” He nodded and then bowed before leaving the room.
After a few more hours, Veronica returned and stormed into the house, looking very annoyed. I was quietly sitting in the living room when she stormed in, mumbling a couple of things to herself angrily.
“Why are you so mad? It is such a beautiful day today,” I said, still keeping my gaze down at the book in my hand. She stopped in her tracks, looking at me quietly, waiting for me to finally look up to face her.
“By the way, where are you even coming from?” I asked, looking up to meet the gaze of the person I had now grown to hate with every fiber of my being. Just looking at her face alone made my wolf boil in anger, as I fought the extreme urge to scratch her face with my claws.
“Oh, I… I just went to visit my mom, that’s all.”
“I see, your mom?”
“Yes.”
“Well all right then, please extend my greetings to her. It has been quite a while since I last heard from her.”
“Oh, okay, I will,” she responded, before running along towards the stairs. There was something about her resolve that made me a bit wary, but I decided to brush it off for now. Just as Simon and I had concluded, her time in the house was finally over, and it would only be a matter of time before she fell into the trap we had set up for her.
**Veronica’s POV**
As I made my way towards my room, I couldn’t help but stare at my phone screen. I had sent over 28 messages to Fabian, but none were returned. I tried calling his number once again, but it gave the same response as before-his line was not reachable.
“Now I’m really pissed! This man decided to leave without saying anything or informing me first. What am I supposed to do now?” I exclaimed, throwing myself onto the bed with a frustrated sigh. At this point, I had no time to make corrections or cover my tracks. Every single person I could rely on had let me down without notice, and it was starting to get to me.
I turned to the side, and something on the desk piqued my interest. I picked it up and soon realized it was a note from none other than my arch-nemesis.
“Aww, I see you’ve started feeling the weight of loneliness finally standing strong on you. Cheer up-or not. But I implore you to smile because you will definitely not be able to do so anymore once your evil deeds are brought to light completely.”
Angrily crumpling the paper, I threw it across the room.
“That wretch! Who does she think she is, telling me what I can and cannot do?” I flared up, getting back on my feet and grabbing my phone in a fit of rage. Now that I thought about it, everyone I had been working with had suddenly disappeared without notice. I hadn’t pieced this together until now, but it seemed suspicious-like part of a well-thought-out plan.
At this point, I was all alone, with no one to rely on.
“How did she manage to do all this?” I asked myself, fuming. I couldn’t tell what she did or how she did it, but it had cost me too much.
“I have to do something about her now. I just can’t take it anymore,” I said, thinking hard about my next move. Nothing seemed to come to mind, and that bothered me. Out of nowhere, Fabian’s idea popped into my head, and even though I didn’t want to resort to such measures, I had no other option.
“I don’t care what happens now. I’m going to do whatever I have to. All’s fair in love and war, and in this war, I will not lose,” I said, picking up my phone and reaching out to one of the rogue wolves I knew would be perfect for the job.
“Hello, Drago. I need your help, and this is a very important project, so I expect nothing short of perfection,” I started, and he responded on the other end.
“Of course! Have you forgotten you’re talking to the one and only Drago? You should know I don’t fail. Ask about me in these woods; I’ve never failed a contract before. What do you need me to do, Queen Mother?”
“I want you to kidnap the kids and take them far away from the house. Both of them.”
“Oh wow, I didn’t know you ended up having the babies you always wanted. Congratulations! But wait-how is it possible you want your children kidnapped?”
“Will you shut up, you fool? When did I say they were mine? They belong to my arch-nemesis, who just came out of nowhere and took my place here. I need to teach her a lesson.”
“Hmmm, I see. And what better way to punish a woman than to take her kids? Nice one, Your Highness,” he responded, and I rolled my eyes.
“Yeah, whatever. Are you in or not?”
“Of course I’m in, but you know jobs like this come with a price.”
“I know. I’m willing to pay three thousand.”
There was silence on the other end for a while before he responded.
“That won’t work, Your Highness. Not at all.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you refusing me now?” I asked, and he laughed slightly.
“Of course not, but come on! We’re talking about royal heirs-two of them. Three thousand won’t cut it.”
“So how much do you want?”
“Let’s see… Twelve thousand should do.”
“What? Twelve thousand? Are you crazy? That’s too much.”
“I don’t think so, Your Highness. In fact, I’m not even charging you as much as I should because I know you. You need to understand that this is a high-risk job. It’s extremely dangerous. Besides, we’re not dealing with ordinary children without protection. If the kings find out what I’ve done, they’ll have my head.”
“Whatever. I have nothing more than ten thousand to offer. Take it or leave it.”
There was silence on the other end of the line again, and the longer he remained quiet, the more impatient I became.
“Well, all right then. Ten thousand will do.”
“Great! I’ve sent you seven thousand. You’ll get the rest once the job is done.”
“Affirmative, Your Highness. When do you want me to start?”
“Right away,” I said.
As soon as I ended the call, I felt a mix of relief and unease. This plan was risky, but I was out of options. I had been backed into a corner, and this was my only way out. Taking the kids away from her would be the ultimate blow. She would finally know what it felt like to lose everything.
———-
After about 2 more days, I couldn’t stop pacing in my room. The tension was actually eating away at me even though I wasn’t willing to admit it, making it impossible for me to sit still most times. My mind kept drifting back to Drago’s words, and though I had agreed to his terms, I still felt uneasy. Kidnapping the kids was a bold move, even for me. But I had no choice. I had to regain control. I had to win.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed on the desk. I lunged for it, hoping it was Fabian finally getting back to me. But it wasn’t him. It was Drago.
“It’s done,” his message read.
A wave of relief washed over me. This was it-the turning point I had been waiting for. Now that the children were out of the picture, my enemy would finally crumble. She wouldn’t be able to stand against me once I had her most precious treasures.
For the first time in days, I allowed myself to smile. Victory was finally within reach.
Now all I had to do was to await them all to find out about the missing boys, and the drama ensued to start taking place from there.