99 Times for Alpha’s Bestie novel Chapter 140

He was one of the house omegas from the Crown of Thornes pack?

My heart jolted, a picture flashing in my mind.

Back when we had first moved to the Crown of Thornes territory, aside from Bart, there had indeed been another old omega running the packhouse under the leadership of Alpha Emeric. But within two years, that omega had supposedly retired due to illness and returned home.

And now, here he was in my family’s old house.

Could this be something the Thorne family had arranged in secret?

“I remember now! But Carson, why are you here? Don’t tell me-”

My heart jerked at the thought that out of vengeance, Lucien claimed this as his.

“Ms. Reese, the Thorne family asked me to live here and watch over this house for you. Your mother was concerned about others coming to claim it while it lay vacant. All these years, the pack has sent people annually to inspect and repair it. That’s why the house is still so well preserved. Ms. Reese, you and your friend showed up inside.”

Carson’s explanation made my chest tremble.

Given that Emeric had been half-paralyzed and uninvolved all these years and Bart never dared to cross Lucien, could it have been Lucien who had been silently protecting my parents’ old house after Alpha Emeric stepped down?

The moment I pushed open the living room door, memories surged like a tide.

The family portraits on the wall, childhood toys, awards, and trophies-all had been kept intact.

Carson hadn’t just preserved the house’s original form; he had maintained it with care and order, as though time had never passed.

“Claire, so this is where you lived as a kid? It’s really nice. I can tell your parents had great taste-the style still feels modern even after all these years,” Liyah said as she looked around with admiration.

“There used to be so many valuable antiques and paintings, but others stole those. If Emeric hadn’t shown up back then, even this house might not have survived.”

I led Liyah upstairs and opened the door to my old bedroom.

After so many years, everything inside was coated in the dust of time. The curtains were yellowed and torn, yet oddly enough, the familiar scent still lingered.

Tears welled uncontrollably.

I wiped her eyes and dialled Lucien’s number.

His familiar voice came through. “What is it?”

“Lucien, I-the house in Calgary. You were the one who had people maintain it all this time, weren’t you?”

There was a brief silence before his firm answer followed. “Yes.”

I felt a wave crash through my chest. After a long pause, I whispered into the phone, “Lucien, thank you.”

“You went back?” Lucien’s puzzled voice sounded in my ear.

But before I could answer, a loud crash erupted downstairs, followed by a swell of chaotic shouting.

“What are you doing? If you’ve got something to say, say it! Stop smashing things!”

It was Carson’s terrified voice.

“So little Miss Precious Claire is back, huh? Perfect! Tell her to come down. I want to know when she’s planning to repay the money her mother borrowed from us!”

“Claire! Get your fat ass down here!”

“Claire! Brave enough to come back, but too scared to face your family? Still such a coward after all these years, like mother like daughter!”

The string of curses reached mine and Liyah upstairs.

Liyah was struck speechless. “Claire, those people downstairs-‘

I already recognized their voices. I didn’t have time to say anything more to Lucien-I hung up, wiped my tears, and rushed downstairs to protect Carson and my home.

When Liyah and I came downstairs, we found more than a dozen young men sprawled across the sofas in the living room like they owned the place.

Three of them, seated in the middle, had faces bearing a few similarities to my own. I instantly recognized them at once-Susie, Solomon, and Sullivan.

They no longer looked like they had as children. Bitterness and Greed have a way of aging a person. But the air around them was the same as ever-sleazy, thuggish, and violent.

Clearly, they had caught wind of my return from Jack and came to seize the chance to loot more that was not theirs.