Chapter 18: The Misunderstanding (I)
Darien:
The moment Luxe finished speaking, silence swallowed the entire study... heavy, cold, and unbelievable.
I stared at him from across Alastor’s office, genuinely wondering if I had somehow heard wrong. Because what the hell was he saying?
If this had been any other man standing there accusing Charlotte of being connected to the people who chased Rosalie that night, I would have already snapped his neck without hesitation. The mere thought of someone trying to frame Charlotte like this would have been enough to push me over the edge.
But this wasn’t just anyone. This was Luxe. Alastor’s beta. And the worst part? Luxe was never wrong, not when it came to investigations, not when it came to tracking people, and definitely not when it came to uncovering secrets others desperately tried to bury.
That was exactly why Alastor trusted him with the darkest matters of both packs.
Still, there had to be a mistake. There had to be. Because the thought itself sounded insane and impossible.
Charlotte was gentle, soft-spoken, elegant. Everything about her radiated grace and warmth. Then how could someone like her possibly be involved in something so ugly?
My jaw tightened as the familiar ache surfaced inside my chest again. Twelve days. It had been twelve fucking days since that night. Since Rose-
I cut the thought off immediately.
No!
I refused to admit what everyone in the packs kept whispering. Even after all this time, even after endless searching, even after finding absolutely no trace of her anywhere, I still refused to believe she was dead.
I couldn’t explain it. None of us could. But somehow, deep down, I knew Rose was still alive. Alastor believed it too. And so did Kaiser. It was almost instinctive, like some invisible thread inside us refused to snap no matter how much time passed.
If she were truly dead... wouldn’t we feel it? Wouldn’t something inside us know?
Instead, every morning I woke up with the same certainty crushing against my ribs - she was out there somewhere. Alive. And one day she would come back. The thought kept me sane. Barely.
Luxe finally stepped forward and placed a thick folder onto Alastor’s desk before speaking in an even tone, "This contains all gathered evidence."
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Alastor slowly picked up the file, but before opening it, he lifted his eyes toward Luxe with a glare cold enough to freeze blood. "If you are wrong," he said quietly, "you’ll pay the price for it. Beta or not."
Luxe didn’t flinch, didn’t defend himself, didn’t even react. Which somehow made the situation feel worse.
Beside me, Kaiser shifted slightly while I exchanged a brief glance with him. Neither of us spoke. Neither of us needed to. Because the moment Alastor opened the file, his expression darkened.
I watched the change happen in real time. His jaw hardened first, then his eyes, and then something colder settled over his entire face.
My stomach sank.
The silence stretched another few seconds before Alastor finally looked up. And the fury in his gaze told me everything before he even spoke.
"She’s involved."
The words hit the room like a gunshot. Kaiser cursed softly under his breath while I felt something ugly twist violently in my chest.
Alastor’s voice turned ice-cold as he spoke again, "Bring Charlotte here."
Luxe immediately signaled one of the guards standing outside the study doors. The man nodded once before leaving. And suddenly the room became unbearably tense.
A part of me still wanted to deny all of this. I kept remembering Charlotte smiling softly during dinners. The way she spoke gently to pack members. How carefully she acted around us.
Nothing about her ever screamed danger.
Nothing.
I rubbed a hand across my jaw harshly. Minutes passed slowly before the study doors finally opened again, and Charlotte walked inside. She looked beautiful and radiant, exactly as always.
Her long hair framed her delicate face perfectly while the soft red-colored dress she wore made her appear almost ethereal beneath the warm office lighting.
She smiled the moment she entered. It was that same gentle smile that had charmed nearly everyone in both packs within days. But for the first time since meeting her, something about it felt off.
My gaze drifted lower unconsciously, and then froze when it landed on the pendant around her neck. My entire body went rigid instantly. I knew that pendant... because I bought it myself.
A memory surfaced sharply inside my mind.
Rose sitting beside me on the couch last year while flipping through a fashion magazine. She had stopped briefly at one page, her deep brown eyes sparkling softly at the necklace displayed there.
She never asked for it. Never even said she wanted it aloud. Because that was Rose. Always quiet about the things she desired. But I noticed.
So on her nineteenth birthday, I surprised her with it.
I still remembered the way her entire face lit up when she opened the box, like I had handed her the moon itself.
And now, Charlotte was wearing it.
Something dark twisted inside my chest. Why did she have it? But before I could think further, Alastor suddenly threw the folder across the desk and it landed directly in front of Charlotte.
The loud sound shattered the fragile atmosphere instantly.
Her smile faltered, just slightly. And then Alastor’s question came straightforward, cold, and brutal, "Why did you send men after Rosalie?"
Charlotte blinked slowly, and I noticed how genuine surprise crossed her face. But she still didn’t touch the folder. Instead, she lifted her gaze toward us with that same soft expression returning to her lips.
"Alastor, I think there’s been some misunder-"
"Choose your next words carefully," Kaiser cut in sharply. His tone was dangerously calm. Much more dangerous than yelling. Because when he truly got angry, he became terrifyingly controlled.
"There’s proof inside that folder," he continued coldly. "Call records. Money transfers. CCTV footage of you meeting the leader of that group days before Rose’s birthday."
Charlotte went completely still, and I watched genuine tension flicker across her face. But then it was gone, replaced with that same soft smile.
