Chapter 209: Pure luck

The council had not been idle either. According to reports from the Alphas, they had successfully swayed several more packs who held a vested interest in buying up land across our city.

Askold had also officially aligned with the union. Curiously, in the absence of the Under-City’s leader, Askold had stepped up to claim the position himself, seizing total control of the territory. It seemed Raymond Leone was far less concerned with maintaining order than he had led everyone to believe.

Yet his carelessness played directly into our hands. Every slip they made became our tactical advantage. We moved with absolute discretion, ensuring we drew no unwanted scrutiny, and our quiet maneuvering appeared to have paid off.

Still, Raymond had thoroughly incensed my husband—and continued to stoke his wrath by sending elaborate floral arrangements to our estate every single day. Our security detail intercepted every courier before they could even set foot on the driveway, turning them away without exception. The mere knowledge of Leone’s brazen courting drove Magnus into a ruthless, burning fury from behind bars.

When the repair bill for the steel door Magnus had bent in his rage arrived, the figure quoted was astronomical. Naturally, Sayan had no intention of paying it. Magnus had personally relayed instructions as to precisely where the prison authorities could shove the invoice without folding it first, though I personally wouldn’t have risked soiling my hands with it.

A stack of ivory envelopes sat neatly on the desk, each invitation bearing my personal signature. In the corner of the room hung a pristine white gown alongside a tailored black suit paired with a breathtaking shirt—one that wouldn’t survive intact past our wedding night.

We had postponed the ceremony three times already.

There would not be a fourth. I was prepared to choke the life out of Raymond with my own hands if necessary, but I was going to marry my Alpha, and no one was going to stop me. No one would ever stand between us again.

Besides, I had two magnificent surprises waiting for my man. I wasn’t entirely convinced he would appreciate either of them, but then again, who was asking for his permission?

Smirking at my own wicked thoughts, I gently rested my hands over my abdomen, caressing the slight swell beneath my fingers. Hang on just a little longer, little girl. It’s almost over.

***

"If someone manages to abduct you on the way, Magnus will rip my head off—and that’s probably the mildest thing he’ll do to me," Sayan grumbled from the driver’s seat, his tense gaze locked onto the frost-dusted windshield.

"Mind sharing the prescription for those sedatives of yours? I’m starting to think you’re abusing them and built up quite a dependency," I drawled, my anxious eyes sweeping over the crowd gathering outside the courthouse.

A cold shudder ran across my skin at the sight of the heavily armed guards and swarming reporters. Fortunately, half of those camera-wielding vultures had been bought off by us in advance.

"Oh, that’s a remarkably subtle way to accuse me of addiction. You’re the epitome of grace," Sayan scoffed. "The pack should be so proud! Though that dress you threw on for a reception with the First Lady of the Continent is a bit too revealing. I’m afraid your youthful charms might trigger a migraine in her from pure old age."

"Your speech isn’t even slurring today. I’m proud of you, Sayan—no, scratch that, the whole pack is proud of you!"

"Sarcastic creature."

"Panic addict."

"He’s going to tan your hide, chop off my family jewels, and force me to bury them with full honors right under the apple tree," the man growled, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "You might as well have come to court in your underwear!"

"The dress is perfectly respectable. You’re overreacting," I chuckled. "Calm down. That kind of stress at your age inevitably leads to performance issues."

Our usual banter and quick jabs helped ground us both ahead of the madness we were about to pull off. Magnus knew nothing about this reckless scheme, and yes—damn it all—we were putting every single thing on the line.

"I’m willing to lose my manhood if it guarantees you get your ass spanked," Sayan exhaled heavily, smoothly parallel parking near the main entrance as he tried to flush the tension from his system. "Tonight, I’m getting mind-numbingly drunk, burying my face in the chest of some beautiful Omega, and sobbing my eyes out all night long."

"Crying over your lost jewels, or are you revealing a secret kink?" I asked innocently, my shaking hands gathering the bouquet of flowers from the passenger seat along with the black document folder. "Don’t worry, Sayan, everything’s intact."

"Everything’s standing tall as it should! But if he cuts them off..." The man slumped his head back against the headrest with a groan. "How can you be so calm? It physically nauseates me to touch her or be near that filth. When I dug up everything on her, I was shocked Magnus didn’t strip her skin for leather five years ago."

"We’ve cleared out the lice, so stop stressing," I said detachedly, watching through the tinted glass as our security detail approached the car doors.

"I won’t survive this. But I hope that son of a bitch is thoroughly pleased with this outcome," he snarled, swinging his door open into the freezing morning air.

I sincerely hoped Raymond Leone would be thrilled to unexpectedly meet his true mate. Fate had truly dealt that pathetic woman a vicious, cruel card.

It had brought her face-to-face with my man. Who could have ever guessed that the nurse who once gave false testimony against me would end up residing in Adam’s crumbling, ruined house?

It was a stroke of pure luck, though I couldn’t view it as anything short of a gift from fate. Angels of vengeance were undoubtedly hovering above our heads, fearlessly illuminating our path with blazing spears.

Thanks to Magnus’s direct intervention, Greta Holm had been reduced to a miserable existence on the streets. Stripped of her medical license, blacklisted from every decent job, and forced into the harshest manual labor, she had lost all her property to the bank long ago.