Chapter 253:

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Haven Kramer POV

I watched the storm brewing in Demetri’s eyes and chose a partial truth. I couldn’t let him hear Charly’s name. He would obliterate the Kramer family before sunrise, and my own plans for her would turn to ash.

“I ran into some trouble with rogues in the merchant district today,” I said, my voice carefully level. “It was a minor incident. I handled it. This is just a scratch from the scuffle.”

My casual tone did nothing to soothe him. His cold fingers traced the faint discoloration on my skin. “Trouble? Just trouble?” The fury in his voice was a tightly coiled snake.

𝖠𝗰𝘵𝘪𝗏𝘦 𝗰о𝗺𝗆𝘶nі𝘁y 𝘰n 𝘨𝘢𝗹𝘯𝘰𝘃𝖾lѕ.co𝘮

I could feel his inner wolf clawing at the bars of his control. I felt the faint psychic press of his mind against mine, a probe through our mate-bond. I immediately flooded my thoughts with complex medical terminology, a chaotic wall of jargon he couldn’t penetrate.

He didn’t seem to read anything, but his suspicion remained. “I’ll have Jett investigate,” he said, his voice a low growl. “It seems the security in the capital needs to be re-evaluated.”

My heart tightened, but I kept my face a placid mask. “That won’t be necessary, Demetri. I’ve already had my new assistant handle it. He’s ensuring they’re handed over to the magistrate.” I gave the credit to Sonny.

Demetri gave me a long, searching look. He seemed to be weighing my words. Finally, he let it go, but the dark cloud of his anger didn’t dissipate.

“I don’t want there to be a next time,” he said before leaving my study. I knew what that meant. He had just doubled his invisible guards around me.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I had bought myself some time. Now I had to move faster.

The next morning, I summoned Phoebe in secret. I handed her a heavy pouch of silver coins and a small, folded note.

“Phoebe,” I instructed, “I need you to find the most well-informed people in this city—not the nobles, but the street urchins, the beggars, the dockworkers. Give them this silver and have them spread a ‘story’ throughout the capital.”

Phoebe took the note. Her eyes widened in shock as she read the contents, but her expression quickly hardened into one of resolute determination.

The story was simple: a gang specializing in kidnapping young women was operating in the city. The two men caught yesterday were rumored to be underlings of a minor boss in Darren Contreras’s faction, trying to raise money to pay off gambling debts.

“Make it sound authentic,” I stressed. “Add details. Say the thugs were heard bragging about their connections while drunk. It needs to sound like a truth whispered up from the streets, not an attack from a rival house.”

Phoebe nodded, her face grim. “I understand, my Luna. I’ll see it done.” She turned and left, her steps quick and silent.

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