“Not a chance,” Heron said. “Calla was too trusting. She handed me everything: the will, the shares…her heart. She was easy to manipulate.” He chuckled. “All I had to do was tell her what she wanted to hear.”
Vivien smiled, but the tension in her posture didn’t go unnoticed. “Still, I can’t shake the feeling someone’s watching us. What if—”
Heron waved her off. “Stop worrying. It’s done. Calla is gone.”
But Vivien’s laughter was cut short by the sharp ring of Heron’s phone. He frowned at the unknown number before answering. “Hello?”
“You idiot!” a woman’s voice screamed, loud enough for Vivien to hear. Heron’s stomach dropped. “You had one job, and you failed! Calla is alive, you fool.”
Heron’s throat went dry. “What are you talking about?”
“She’s alive,” the woman snapped. “And not just alive—she’s with her real parents, the Alpha and Luna, here in my world. Do you understand what this means? Everything you’ve taken is at risk.”
Heron staggered. “Impossible. She’s dead. I saw—”
“You fool! You saw nothing,” the voice cut in. “She’s alive and ruining everything now. Fix this. Do something. Do you hear me, Heron? I will end you myself if you can't fix your mess!”
The line went dead. Heron stood frozen, the phone slipping from his hand.
“Who was that?” Vivien asked, her voice tight.
Heron’s face was pale. “Vivien...Calla’s alive.”
Vivien’s wine glass fell, shattering on the floor. Her eyes were wide with panic. “W-What? Heron, what do we do now?”
Heron’s jaw tightened. “We finish what we started.”
Vivien hesitated, fear flashing across her face. “How? She’s not just alive—she’s with them. The werewolf world… that’s not something we can touch.”
Heron’s expression darkened. “I don’t care who or what she’s with. She’s a threat. And threats need to be eliminated. You wanted the good life, didn’t you? Then stick to the plan.”
Vivien nodded reluctantly, but the tremor in her hand didn’t escape Heron’s notice. He downed the rest of his whiskey, his mind racing. If Calla was truly alive, then everything he’d worked for could crumble in an instant. No—he couldn’t let that happen. He would end her, by hook or by crook.
Calla's POV