Chapter 5
Aurora had barely finished making breakfast when the shrill ringing of her phone shattered the quiet.
The caller ID flashed across the screen.
Kendrick Quinn.
She glanced at me before answering.
The moment the call connected, Kendrick's cold voice came through.
"Where's Evelyn?"
Aurora rolled her eyes.
"I don't know."
"Put her on the phone."
"I said I don't know."
Without waiting for another word, she hung up.
Almost immediately, the phone rang again.
She looked at me helplessly.
"He really doesn't know when to quit."
This time, she switched the phone off completely and tossed it onto the sofa.
"There."
"No more interruptions."
I smiled faintly.
Knowing Kendrick...
He wouldn't stop there.
...
Less than half an hour later, the apartment's doorbell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then continuously.
The sharp chime echoed through the apartment, accompanied by heavy knocks that grew louder with every passing second.
"Evelyn."
A deep, hoarse voice thundered from outside.
"Open the door."
"I know you're in there."
It was Kendrick.
His Alpha voice carried through the wooden door with unmistakable authority, powerful enough that my wolf instinctively lifted her head.
Not in submission.
In defiance.
Aurora's face paled.
"Should we call the Pack Council?"
I slowly shook my head.
"This is a family matter."
"The Council won't interfere unless blood is spilled."
Sooner or later...
I would have to face him.
Running had never solved anything.
I inhaled slowly before walking toward the entrance.
Aurora followed closely behind.
Through the peephole, I quietly studied the people standing outside.
Kendrick stood at the very front.
His usually immaculate black suit was wrinkled, his tie hung loosely around his neck, and dark circles shadowed his silver eyes. Even through the closed door, I could sense the restless aura radiating from his Alpha instincts.
He looked as though he had come straight from the airport.
Behind him stood two warriors from the Mooncrest Pack.
Their expressions remained impassive.
Off to one side...
Avery Carter.
She looked nothing like the confident woman who had fired me.
Her face was pale.
Mascara stained the corners of her eyes.
The moment she noticed movement behind the peephole, she visibly stiffened.
Fear flashed across her face.
So did resentment.
I unlocked the door.
The instant it opened, Kendrick stepped forward.
"Evelyn."
His eyes swept over me from head to toe as though confirming I was unharmed.
For a brief moment...
Something resembling relief crossed his face.
Then it disappeared.
"You've had enough."
His tone returned to its usual commanding calm.
"Come home."
I almost laughed.
Home?
Which one?
The condo where another she-wolf freely came and went?
Or the company where I had been thrown out like an unwanted stray?
"I'm not going back."
His brows furrowed.
"The company's financial system has completely collapsed."
"I know."
"We're missing forty million."
"Only forty?"
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Kendrick's gaze sharpened.
"What do you mean?"
I smiled.
"It means your new finance department is progressing faster than I expected."
His jaw tightened.
"This isn't the time for sarcasm."
"No."
"It isn't."
I shifted my gaze toward Avery.
She instinctively took half a step backward.
"Weren't you the one who said Quinn Corporation needed someone more professional than me?"
Avery's lips trembled.
"I..."
"Since you're so professional..."
I tilted my head slightly.
"Go fix it."
Silence.
Even the two warriors exchanged brief glances.
Kendrick exhaled heavily.
"Evelyn."
"If returning to the company will make you feel better..."
His eyes briefly moved toward Avery.
"I'll let you decide how she's punished."
Aurora looked at me in disbelief.
Apparently...
Even she hadn't expected Kendrick to say something like that.
I slowly walked toward Avery.
Each step made her retreat another half step until her back nearly touched Kendrick's arm.
I stopped less than a meter away.
Looking directly into her frightened eyes, I spoke quietly.
"Fine."
"I only have one condition."
Kendrick waited.
"So does she."
My gaze never left Avery.
"I want her to kneel."
Avery's pupils contracted violently.
"I want her to lower her head."
"I want her to beg for my forgiveness."
The hallway fell completely silent.
Aurora sucked in a sharp breath.
The two warriors looked away awkwardly.
Even Kendrick froze.
A Luna demanding another wolf submit completely...
Everyone understood exactly what that meant.
Avery's face turned deathly white.
She had probably imagined countless ways this meeting might unfold.
Never this one.
"Evelyn."
Kendrick's voice darkened.
"Don't go too far."
I looked at him.
For several long seconds...
I simply looked at him.
Then I smiled.
"Too far?"
My voice remained soft.
"When Avery handed me my dismissal papers and threw me out of Quinn Corporation..."
"Wasn't that going too far?"
"When she mocked me in front of the entire finance department, calling me outdated and telling me to make room for younger wolves..."
"Wasn't that going too far?"
"When she moved into the home I decorated..."
"When she drove the Aston Martin you gave me..."
"When she spent your money while standing in the place that should have belonged to your Luna..."
I took one slow step toward Kendrick.
My voice rose for the first time.
"Tell me, Kendrick."
"Who is the one who truly crossed the line?"
The words landed between us like a slap.
Kendrick's expression stiffened.
His lips parted.
Nothing came out.
For the first time since I had known him...
The Alpha who always seemed to have every answer was speechless.
Just then, my phone vibrated inside my pocket.
The sound broke the suffocating silence.
I glanced at the screen.
Damian Vinci.
I answered immediately.
"Mr. Vinci."
"Ms. Moretti," his calm voice came through the receiver. "I've arrived downstairs."
"The documents are ready."
"I'll bring them up now."
A quiet smile curved my lips.
Perfect timing.
I lifted my eyes to Kendrick, whose gaze remained fixed on me.
"Looks like our conversation is about to become much more interesting."