Chapter 14
Meru
“Do you still remember you’re a werewolf? Preston’s voice cut through the cold air, sharp and unforgiving. “You looked so pathetic, begging for mercy like that. It makes me sick. He sneered, “If the Silver Stream Pack found out their Alpha’s daughter was such a weak and useless coward, what would they say?”
Georgia’s knees wobbled beneath her, her body swaying as if caught in a sudden storm. She had told herself she could face all of this without breaking, that the wounds within her heart would never bleed again. But the weight of those words
crushed her resolve.
The daughter of the Silver Stream Pack’s Alpha?
A bitter smile twisted her lips. It was Preston who had sent Derek to deliver his damning declaration to the pack. Because of that, her father had no choice but to cast her out. She was no longer one of them–not a daughter, not a sister, not even a member. She was a rogue now, a shadow lost to the world, marked by the three years she had spent behind bars and stripped of everything she once held dear.
Preston’s fury simmered beneath his composed exterior because Georgia remained silent, her face still bowed to the ground.
Without a word, Preston stepped forward. People passing by glanced at him, murmurs rippling in his wake, but he ignored them all. He moved with purpose, his intentions a mystery to the crowd.
Georgia’s eyes caught the sight of a figure stopping before her. Polished black leather shoes, meticulous in their shine, spoke of fastidiousness and control. Her heart stumbled in her chest as the long legs bent slowly at the knees, and she finally looked up to meet the face above them-a handsome face, stern and unreadable.
“Are you really Georgia?” Preston’s gaze searched her, cold and unwavering
A violent shudder shook her as if some invisible force had struck her down. She remained mute, swallowed by the weight
of the moment. After what felt like an eternity, Preston straightened and commanded, “Come with me.”
She obeyed, trailing him silently to the office on the top floor. Once there, she stood before him, fragile and exposed.
A sharp knock broke the silence. “Come in,” Preston called.
The door opened to reveal Charlotte’s entrance.
on the A ripple of unease passed through Georgia as her eyes darted between Preston, now seated casually on the sofa, and Charlotte, her expression carefully neutral. She had no clue what game Preston was playing this time.
“Mr. Hill, Charlotte greeted formally, “what can I do for you?”
Georgia noticed the strange deference in Charlotte’s tone–almost as if Preston were her superior. Unbeknownst to her, he was indeed Charlotte’s boss.
Having spent three years inside the werewolf prison, Georgia found herself adrift in a world that seemed to have shifted beneath her feet.
Preston glanced sideways at Georgia. “Do you know who she is?”
Charlotte’s expression tightened, a flicker of recognition crossing her features. She cast a quick, furtive glance at Georgia, a nervous smile pulling at her lips. “Mr. Hill, did Georgia offend you? Please don’t be angry. I’ll speak with her.”
Georgia caught the protective edge beneath Charlotte’s words. She had expected reprimand or dismissal from the notoriously tough Charlotte, but instead found a shield. Gratitude bloomed quietly within her.
Charlotte’s eyes narrowed at Georgia once more, silently judging. “She’s been careful, quiet, and trouble–free since she started. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be risking this,”
Preston watched the exchange with cool detachment, reading the unspoken tension between them.
“Who interviewed her?” he asked Charlotte abruptly.
Charlotte’s face paled, a sheen of sweat appearing at her brow. Preston’s gaze pinned her like a spotlight.
14
“I did,” Charlotte confessed with a tremor in her voice.
Preston raised an eyebrow, skepticism clear in his tone. “You interviewed her? For a cleaner?”
Charlotte swallowed hard, her nerves taut, yet she didn’t dare wipe the sweat away. “Miss Cooper didn’t qualify for any other roles,” she explained, flushing slightly. “And she applied for the cleaner position.”
Her voice grew steadier. “But Mr. Hill, Georgia has been diligent and hardworking.”
Charlotte didn’t supervise closely, but something about Georgia stirred a vague familiarity, a resonance she couldn’t quite
place.
After her unexpected defense, Charlotte glanced anxiously at Preston.
Leaning back elegantly, Preston said smoothly, “Charlotte, transfer her to the Public Relations Department.”
Charlotte blinked in disbelief. “Mr. Hill, did you say… Public Relations?”
She thought she must have misheard.
Preston’s lips curled into a sardonic smile. “A hardworking and talented employee like Georgia deserves a higher–paying role. You should know better than to judge candidates only by their applications. Miss Cooper is quite the actress, it
seems.”
Georgia’s body froze, the cold realization settling over her.
Preston’s voice dropped, heavy with veiled menace. “The Public Relations Department needs talent like hers. And as for pleasing men? I’m sure she’ll excel.”
Her pale face elicited no mercy from him.
He savored the desperation in her eyes, wondering silently, ‘Can you still keep your pride now, Georgia?”
He refused to believe the proud woman he once knew could be so utterly broken. He wanted to see if she was truly humbled or just playing a part.
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