---- Chapter 20 LAURENCE POV: The moment | stepped back onto Black Moon territory, | felt my full Alpha power surge back into me. The weakness from the silver faded, replaced by a cold, sharp-edged resolve. My first command was to Felix. "Freeze every account, every line of credit, every asset tied to Rosalie Harris and her mother. Cut them off from all pack resources. Effective immediately." "Yes, Alpha," his reply was swift and unquestioning. My second command was to the pack's legal team. "Draw up charges against Rosalie Harris for conspiracy, treason, and the murder of a pack member's kin. | want her prosecuted to the fullest extent of pack law." The lawyers were stunned into silence for a moment before they scrambled to obey. The hunt had begun. ROSALIE POV: The humiliation was unbearable. ---- | was in my favorite designer boutique, my arms loaded with new season handbags, when the salesgirl ran my card. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Harris," she stammered, her face pale. "It's ... declined." | laughed, thinking it was a mistake. "Try it again, sweetie." She did. "Declined." She tried another one of my cards. "Declined." The other wealthy patrons in the store were starting to stare, whispering behind their hands. My face burned hot with shame. | dropped the bags and stormed out of the store, my mind racing. | immediately called Laurence's private line. To my surprise, he answered. "What is the meaning of this?" | shrieked into the phone. "My cards are being declined! Fix it!" His voice was a shard of ice. "Come to my office. Now." | stormed into the Black Moon corporate headquarters, ready to give him a piece of my mind. But the moment | saw his face, the angry words died in my throat. The warmth and adoration he used to have for me were gone. In their place was a look of pure, chilling disgust. He tossed a file onto the desk between us. The same file he had given Josie. ---- "Explain this," he said, his voice a low growl. My blood ran cold as | saw the bank statements, the messages. | started to deny it, to weave a web of lies as | always had. "Laurence, darling, this is a misunderstanding! That Omega bitch must have faked these..." "Don't," he snarled, rising to his feet, his Alpha presence pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. "Don't you dare lie to me again. | know everything." He leaned across the desk, his eyes boring into mine. "You are a parasite, Rosalie. And | am done feeding you. Get out of my sight. The pack council will summon you for your trial." Security guards appeared and dragged me, kicking and screaming, from the building. In a blind panic, | reached out with my Mind-Link, searching for the one person | thought might still help me. "Chris! Please, you have to help me! Laurence has gone insane! That bitch Josie has poisoned his mind against me!" His mental voice came back instantly, not with sympathy, but with the force of a tidal wave. It was the voice of an Alpha protecting his own. "You will refer to the future Luna of the Silver Creek Pack with respect," he commanded, the power in his voice making me stumble on the sidewalk. "You tried to kill me, little sister. Did you really think | wouldn't find out? You are on your own." ---- The connection slammed shut. | was alone. Truly alone. | ran home, tears streaming down my face, bursting into the house and collapsing at my mother's feet. "It's Chris!" | sobbed. "He's turned against us! That witch has him under her spell!" My mother's face hardened with anger. "That ungrateful boy," she hissed, pulling me into a hug. "How dare he? After everything we've done for him." She still didn't understand. She had no idea the tidal wave was about to crash down on us both.