As Alpha Kilian had expected, Boss fell into an uneasy silence the moment those words left his mouth.
The quiet on the other end of the line stretched out, heavy and palpable, as if the weight of what had been said was too much for Boss to immediately process. It was exactly the reaction Alpha Kilian had anticipated, and he relished every moment of it. He could even hear the faint, almost imperceptible sound of Boss gritting his teeth-a subtle but telling sign of frustration.
For Alpha Kilian, witnessing Boss’s composure crack, even slightly, was a deeply satisfying experience. It was a reminder that, no matter how much Boss postured, he wasn’t untouchable.
Moments later, the silence was broken by Boss, who chuckled in a way that sounded forced, as though he was trying to regain control of the conversation. “J, what’s the point of throwing around meaningless words like this?” he asked, his voice laced with mockery. “If you’re really a man, shouldn’t you focus on doing something more productive? Words are cheap, after all.” His tone carried a thinly veiled challenge, a bait that Alpha Kilian recognized immediately. Boss thrived on provoking others, but Alpha Kilian was no stranger to his tactics.
Alpha Kilian arched a brow, his voice dripping with derision as he replied, “Oh? And what exactly do you have in mind? Enlighten me.” His tone was as grating as ever, deliberately so, a calculated move meant to irritate Boss further. Alpha Kilian knew how to use his words to unbalance his opponent, and it was clear that Boss wasn’t immune to his provocations.
“How about a game?” Boss proposed, his voice tinged with a sly confidence. It was clear he thought he had the upper hand, but Alpha Kilian wasn’t so easily swayed.
“A game?” Alpha Kilian repeated, a mocking laugh escaping his lips as he leaned back in his chair. “Sure, why not? But tell me, what exactly do you have left to bet? What could you possibly offer that would make this worthwhile?” His words were sharp, cutting, designed to remind Boss of his dwindling resources and options. Alpha Kilian wanted him to feel cornered, to know that his bravado was nothing more than a facade.
Boss, however, seemed unfazed. With a calmness that suggested he had anticipated this reaction, he replied confidently, “That reminds me. Have you heard about your woman taking on the Midnight Fang pack? She wiped out their entire army, all by herself. To be honest, I was shocked when I found out. She’s stronger than most men, maybe even stronger than you.” His words were calculated, each one meant to provoke a reaction from Alpha Kilian.
Alpha Kilian’s expression darkened as his heart sank at the revelation. The mention of Nelly’s involvement in such a dangerous situation struck a nerve, and he felt a cold unease settle over him. His dark eyes narrowed, his gaze distant as he processed the information. “What did you just say?” he asked, his voice low and deliberate, each word dripping with restrained anger.
Feigning ignorance, Boss pressed on, his tone laced with faux innocence. “What? You didn’t know? Hasn’t she told you about it? Or did you not notice the wounds on her body? Surely you’ve seen them by now.” His words were like daggers, each one carefully aimed to twist the knife deeper into Alpha Kilian’s psyche.
The image of Nelly’s injuries flashed unbidden through Alpha Kilian’s mind. He remembered the cuts and bruises she had tried to hide, the way she had brushed off his concerns. His grip on the phone tightened instinctively, his knuckles turning white as his anger threatened to boil over. But Alpha Kilian was not one to act on emotion. He forced himself to take a deep breath, to remain calm and rational. His ability to control his emotions had always been his greatest strength, and he wasn’t about to let Boss manipulate him.
Suppressing his rage, he replied through clenched teeth, “Is that so?” His tone was cold, measured, giving nothing away.
“You don’t believe me?” Boss taunted, his voice dripping with smugness. “That’s fine. Someone recorded the whole thing. Let me send you the video.” There was a pause, a moment of silence that felt heavier than it should have, before Alpha Kilian’s phone buzzed with a notification.
He unlocked the phone and opened the message, his eyes scanning the screen as he played the video Boss had sent. The footage was both shocking and horrifying. It showed Nelly standing amidst a battlefield, her hair wild and disheveled, her body covered in blood. Around her, corpses littered the ground, and pools of blood stained the earth a dark crimson.
Even as Nelly fought with ruthless efficiency, dispatching her enemies one by one, Alpha Kilian couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in his chest. The sight of her like that-so fierce yet so vulnerable-filled him with unease. His grip on the phone tightened further, his worry mounting with each passing second. For a long moment, he simply stared at the screen, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of it all.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he raised the phone back to his ear and asked, his voice hard and unyielding, “What do you want?”
Boss’s sneer was audible through the phone. “What’s wrong? Feeling worried already? That’s just the beginning. I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet,” he said, his tone laced with dark amusement.
Alpha Kilian’s eyes narrowed, his grip on the phone tightening further. He didn’t respond, refusing to give Boss the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, he waited, his silence daring Boss to continue.
“When it was all over, I found a bracelet at the scene,” Boss said casually, as though he were discussing something trivial. “At first, I thought about having it repaired and returning it to Ms. Jackson. But then I discovered something interesting. Guess what was inside?”
“If you have something to say, just spit it out!” Alpha Kilian growled, his patience wearing thin. His voice was sharp, his words cutting. He had no time for Boss’s games.
Unfazed, Boss continued, his tone mocking. “The bracelet had a chip embedded in it. I had someone analyze it, and it turns out only hackers use that kind of tech. So, tell me-what does that mean?”
Alpha Kilian’s mind raced as he processed the implication. Boss was suspicious of Nelly’s true identity, and that suspicion could lead to devastating consequences. If her identity was revealed, it would not only attract dangerous attention but also put her life at risk if she refused to comply with those who sought to use her skills. Her secret had to remain hidden at all costs.
Alpha Kilian quickly realized that Boss was merely testing the waters, fishing for a reaction. Even if Boss suspected that Nelly was a hacker, he would never imagine that she was *Shadow Seeker*. The real danger, however, lay in how far Boss was willing to dig. Alpha Kilian knew he had to put an end to this before it went any further.
Thinking quickly, Alpha Kilian replied, his tone cool and dismissive, “Oh, you must be talking about the bracelet I gave her. What about it? Do you like it? If you want, I can give you two.” His voice was steady, betraying none of the turmoil he felt inside.
Boss hesitated for a moment, clearly caught off guard. “That bracelet was a gift from you?” he asked, his tone uncertain.
“Of course it was. Is there a problem with that? How else could she send me messages if she didn’t wear it?” Alpha Kilian countered smoothly, his words calculated to throw Boss off balance.
Boss hesitated again, clearly unsure of how to respond. “That’s… a good point. I don’t know what to say to that,” he admitted, his confidence faltering ever so slightly.
Alpha Kilian’s voice turned cold, his words sharp and cutting. “Listen carefully. If you’re a real man, stop targeting a woman. Come after me instead.”
Boss laughed darkly, his confidence returning. “Oh, don’t worry. I plan to deal with you as well. But I’m not done with this matter yet,” he said, his tone filled with menace.
Alpha Kilian’s jaw tightened, his voice dropping dangerously low as he asked, “You were the one who killed Nelly’s parents, weren’t you?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, the silence heavy with unspoken tension.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Boss said finally, his tone defensive, but the hesitation in his voice betrayed him.
Alpha Kilian let out a low laugh, the sound filled with cold amusement. “I saw you that day. When I was just a boy, I saw you standing outside their home,” he said, his words laced with quiet fury.
Boss’s voice sharpened, his composure slipping. “You were that kid who walked by?” he asked, his tone filled with disbelief.
Smirking, Alpha Kilian replied, his voice steady and confident, “So you *do* remember me.”
After a moment of silence, Boss asked, his tone uncharacteristically uncertain, “How did you recognize me?”