Chapter 256:

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An uncontrollable rage surged up from the pit of my stomach. My years of carefully cultivating a perfect public image, destroyed by the jealousy of a foolish woman.

“Find out,” I ordered Milo through gritted teeth. “Find out exactly who those kidnappers are! And bring Charly to me. Now.”

Milo stared at me in terror. He had never seen me this furious.

I stared out the window, feeling like a king who had been publicly shamed. Whoever was behind this had succeeded in enraging me.

And Charly, if this was truly her doing…

A violent glint flashed in my eyes.

𝗥𝗈𝗺a𝗻𝖼e 𝗇𝗈𝘃e𝗅ѕ 𝘰𝗇 𝗴а𝘭𝗇𝘰𝗏𝘦𝗹s.с𝗼𝗆

She was about to pay a very high price for her stupidity.

Darren Contreras POV

I sat behind my desk, my fingers drumming a restless, angry rhythm on the polished wood. Each tap was a countdown on my dwindling patience.

The door opened and Charly swept in. She was dressed in another one of her ridiculously expensive gowns, her face a carefully constructed mask of panic and distress, as if she were the victim here.

“Darren!” she cried, rushing to my side and grabbing my arm. “Did you hear? The rumors—it’s all Haven! That bitch is trying to frame us! You have to help me!”

Her immediate attempt to shift the blame extinguished the last spark of my patience. I ripped my arm from her grasp.

She stumbled back, her eyes wide with shock. “Darren, you—”

I rose from my chair, stalking toward her, my voice as cold as a tomb. “I’ll ask you one time, Charly. Did you send those men?”

The color drained from her face. Her eyes darted around the room, unable to meet mine. “No… it wasn’t me. I would never…”

Her lie was so pathetic it made me laugh, a harsh, ugly sound. “Not you? My informant just confirmed that the middleman who hired those thugs for you was your father’s steward. Do you still want to say it wasn’t you?”

Her body began to tremble. She knew she was caught. The tears started then, a pathetic attempt to win my sympathy. “I just wanted to teach Haven a lesson! She’s so arrogant! I did it for you, Darren! I couldn’t stand seeing her embarrass you!”

“For me?” I repeated the words, feeling a fresh wave of disgust. “You did it ‘for me’ by trying to kidnap Demetri’s mate? You did it ‘for me’ by making the entire capital think that I, Darren Contreras, can’t control my own people?”

My voice rose with each question until it was a roar. “You foolish woman! You’ve ruined my reputation! You’ve turned me into a laughingstock!”

I raised my hand, and the sharp crack of my palm connecting with her cheek echoed in the silent room.

She let out a piercing scream as she crumpled to the floor, clutching her rapidly swelling face. She stared up at me, disbelief warring with terror in her eyes.

She had never seen this side of me. In her world, I was the charming, doting Alpha who indulged her every whim.

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