99 Times for Alpha’s Bestie novel Chapter 134

The suffocating near-death sensation only made me feel more keenly the violent turmoil raging in his heart.

That terrifying awareness confirmed for me that his trust in Matthew had already begun to fracture.

“Someone as cunning as you should know I am not lying.” I forced out the words with difficulty, my throat straining, as I clutched his icy wrist and tried to pry open a gap.

“I hope when you learn the truth, you give me the apology I am owed and hold this threat true to those who have filled you with lies.”

At last, with a desperate pushing against his firm chest, his deadly grip loosened just enough for me to breathe.

I drew in a greedy gasp of air, my chest heaving as I spoke with a hoarse, testing voice.

“Besides, I’m not naive enough to be your listener to me. There must have been something in your mother’s journal that didn’t match what Matthew told you, right? Otherwise, tonight you would never have brought me to that blind date ambush! You didn’t just want me there as a shield; you wanted to see Matthew’s reaction. Isn’t that right? You know better than anyone that the one thing he fears most is seeing you and me connected!”

Each word was like walking barefoot across razor blades.

I knew that even the slightest misstep in my wording or tone could ignite the violence simmering inside him. He was so close to the edge already. It was his wolf holding him composed.

Lucien didn’t try to argue my words; he sat there silently listening. He stared at me with eyes colder than ice, as if piercing straight into my soul.

That suffocating silence was as good as tacit admission.

It seemed I had guessed his thoughts accurately.

He was starting to see that Matthew was leading him astray.

It was only a matter of time before he found the truth, and I was sure that seeing us together tonight, Matthew would be rushing to cover his tracks or making succession plans to regain his control over

Lucien.

After Lucien dropped me off at Pinecrest Villas, we both went our separate ways.

As soon as I logged into my email, an invitation to the Furniture Design Competition awards ceremony appeared in my inbox.

I clicked the link.

The moment the words “Calgary Reese Group Plaza” flashed on the screen, my body froze as if struck by lightning.

Calgary is where my father, Shawn Reese, built the Reese Group from nothing.

I remembered with absolute clarity the day Reese Group Plaza was completed. My father had proudly held my tiny hand as we walked across the gleaming marble floors.

“See baby, Daddy’s dream is to make Calgary proud because of the Reese Group! And now, I’ve done it, and someday, this will all be yours.”

Now, though the words still echoed, Reese Group remained, while every one of my father’s achievements had been erased. The founder was listed as my uncle Steven, and the heir’s listed were my cousins Jack and Bob.

Each time I searched for Reese Group online, it was like a cold blade stabbing into my chest again and again.

The horrific image of my father’s death broke through the dam of memory. Though my mother, Helen, had desperately tried to shield me from the gruesome truth, I had still learned it-the rock climbing accident on a hiking trail he frequented, the claw marks and crush in his skull, it felt deliberate to me.

Tears blurred my vision again.

And then came my mother’s soft yet unyielding gaze, clear in my mind.

“Claire, until the truth of your father’s murder is uncovered, I will never accept another mate. Do not believe the rumours outside. Remember, your mother is not that kind of woman, and I never will be. The world will always try to hold a strong woman down. Don’t let that happen to you, my precious baby girl.”

“But Mum, why do they call you a bad woman? What is a homewrecker?”

“Women know jealousy, and men ruin what they cannot have-or grow bored once they do. To me, the only true hero in this world was your father. Finding out that he was my true mate was the best gift given of my life, and one I have never for a second regretted.”

“Mum, Alpha Emeric treats you so well- does he like you?”

“Sweetie, always remember this. I would never betray your father. Alpha Emeric would never betray his mate. This has nothing to do with liking or not liking-it is about principle and honour. That is all this is. My heart and body will always be with dad.”

My mother’s words echoed over and over in my mind.

I knew she stayed true to my father, but even in death, the venom from those rejected and jealous feeds the lies circling.

The long night dragged on, and that invitation left me sleepless.

This trip to Calgary was not only to accept an award but also to uncover the truth behind my father’s accident.

I had to give my parents peace in their graves. I know they oversee my steps from the Meadow with the Goddess. I had to make my uncle and cousin, who had stolen my family’s fortune and claimed my father’s empire, understand that even if I was insignificant as an ant, I had never given up.