Chapter 29-Lars Follows Me Selene's POV Aaron spent two days organizing everything for my grandmother's transfer to a hospital in Switzerland. He had planned to accompany me to the airport this morning to send her off, but his phone was ringing nonstop. I couldn't tell if he was hiding something from me. He seemed buried in work. For the past two nights, I'd heard him pacing around in his study, his deep voice drifting through the closed door as he took calls. I didn't want to take up any more of his time, so I told him to focus on his business. I'm planning to take my grandmother to the airport next week, so I've already booked a direct flight. Also, there's one more thing I need to wrap up this week-not because of Aaron, but because of an internship offer. Thompson Publishing Company had called yesterday for a phone interview, and I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't a dream. When the official job offer popped up in my inbox, I screamed so loudly that I'm sure I scared the birds outside. Moon goddess, this was Thompson Publishing. The dream of any aspiring editor. My grandmother, as always, supported me, encouraging me to seize this opportunity. Aaron took it a step further and hired a bodyguard to ensure her safety in Switzerland so I wouldn't have to worry. With both of them supporting me, how could I not take this step? Now, I had a mission: to buy a professional outfit. Thompson wasn't the kind of company where jeans and hoodies would cut it, so it was time for a style upgrade. As I walked toward the bus station, a car suddenly honked at me. I turned around, and my heart sank when I saw the last person I wanted to deal with-Lars Armand. "Get in!" he barked, leaning out of the window. I shot him a side-eye and continued walking, deliberately ignoring him. He wasn't worth my time. "I need to talk to you. Get in!" he shouted again, gradually steering the car closer to the curb, matching my pace. "Say it!" I shouted back, louder than he'd called me. He didn't dare make a move on me in public after the scandal involving him and my grandmother. Every move he made was under scrutiny. Even so, I stayed cautious. He squinted, gripping the steering wheel tightly, clearly trying to maintain his composure. "You need to clarify things with the Council about Vanessa. It's a misunderstanding. She didn't harm you or steal anything. She was just playing around. Prison's too harsh for her." Of course, this was the only reason he'd come to find me. "Not happening," I said coldly. "This isn't a misunderstanding. She tried to kill me. She deserves everything she gets." His jaw tightened, and I could see cracks in his facade of forced calm. "If you help me free Vanessa, +1876 78.38% < Chapter 29-Lars Follows Me I'll let you back into the pack. What do you say?" I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him. He smiled smugly, thinking he had me cornered. I flashed a wide, toothy grin. "Wow, tempting offer. But I'm not interested." My smile vanished, and my face became a stone mask. "You-you-" "I'm no fool, Mr. Armand." I flipped my hair, cutting him off. "Last time, you tried to lure me into becoming Vanessa's replacement bride, and I almost married Damien Hale-the devil himself. Do you think I'm stupid enough to fall into the same trap twice? Not a chance." "You ungrateful little brat!" He slammed his fist onto the steering wheel. "I'll report you and your partner for scamming me out of $1 million! Both of you will rot in prison. Think carefully!" Ah, the mention of $1 million-it must have been bleeding his heart out. I rolled my eyes. "Go ahead. If you have the evidence, make your move." Aaron had assured me that the money never went directly into his account, and there were no written communications between them. That cleared things up: it wasn't fraud. And most of that $1 million was used to cover my grandmother's medical bills-something Lars should have paid from the start. The old man was absolutely furious. He threw open the car door and stepped out, and I immediately got into a defensive stance. But before he could take a step, a green Aston Martin whipped around the corner, speeding toward us and crashing into his car with a deafening bang. The back end of his car crumpled like an empty soda can. Aaron yanked off his seatbelt and stormed out of the car, his expression as cold as ice. He grabbed Lars by the collar and slammed him into the wreckage of his vehicle. "You've got some nerve," Aaron snarled. Lars struggled to free himself from Aaron's iron grip, his wolf claws twitching in frustration. Clearly, in human form, he wasn't a match for Aaron. "I've got some nerve?" Aaron roared. "You've got the nerve to keep harassing my mate? I should tear you apart right here!" His fist came down hard on Lars, though Lars's wolf claws extended, eager to break free and fight Aaron. "Stop this!" I cried, rushing between them. I placed my hands on Aaron's arm, gently coaxing him, "Not here, Aaron. This is the city. Exposing our wolf identities will cause a stir." "Lars, if you don't want to make a scene, control your wolf!" I warned him. Lars staggered backward, panting hard, his claws slowly retracting. Blood dripped from his mouth, and he coughed violently. Even in his weakened state, his arrogance didn't fade. "You two filthy rogues," he spat. "If you don't rescue Vanessa, you'll regret it!" 15:16 78.24% I had to grip Aaron tightly to keep him from lunging at Lars again. I turned to Lars, my voice icy. "Your attitude isn't exactly motivating me to help," With that, Aaron ushered me into the car, and we drove away, Lars's furious curses echoing behind us. Leave a comment 15 16 78.38