Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 119

**Healing Slowly But Surely**
By R. Joseph

119 Must’ve been a fool.

Zevran.

“Now, I’ve hit you. Next time, don’t say I did something I didn’t do, because then I’ll really do it.” I hate to admit it, but Leilani’s parting words to Chalice in the parking lot echoed in my mind, gnawing at me relentlessly.

Every time I closed my eyes, her face would materialize, a haunting presence that filled my thoughts. She was there, smiling at me one moment, frowning the next; and the image of her blowing on her palm after slapping Chalice replayed in my mind like a broken record, an incessant loop I couldn’t escape.

After Leilani stormed away, Chalice had turned to me, her expression shifting dramatically. For a fleeting moment, a shadow passed over her eyes, darkening her features before she quickly dropped her gaze, batting her lashes like a wounded doe. “She hit me and you let her go?” she cried, her voice a mixture of betrayal and disbelief.

I found myself staring at her, caught off guard by the intensity of her reaction. I shook my head, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling that had settled in my stomach. “She looked battered too, so obviously, you both hit each other,” I said, my voice steady but lacking the conviction I wished it had.

The surprise on Chalice’s face was palpable, and I could almost hear the unspoken thoughts swirling in her mind. She had been expecting me to defend her, to take her side, to punish Leilani for her audacity. But that wasn’t the truth I had witnessed, and it left me feeling flustered and confused.

It was maddening, this internal battle. No matter how hard I tried to push those thoughts away, they clung to me like a shadow. With a sigh of resignation, I grabbed my phone and dialed Jim, one of our special investigators.

Jim answered on the first ring, his deep voice resonating through the speaker. “Ahh Alpha. Good day!”

“Hello Jim,” I replied, my mind racing.

“Hello… is there anything you want me to do for you, Alpha?”

I nodded instinctively before realizing he couldn’t see me. “I’ll send you the address of a hospital. Please retrieve the security footage of its parking lot from last night.”

There was a brief silence on the line before Jim’s voice broke through, a hint of caution lacing his words. “What exactly am I supposed to be looking for? You know, to aid faster progress.”

“I don’t know…” I muttered, frustration creeping into my tone.

“Come on, Alpha. Anything… anything at all. You could describe the person you’re after… the car, since it’s a parking lot… you know, something like that!”

His insistence made me sigh. I closed my eyes, mentally replaying the chaotic events of Leilani and Chalice’s confrontation. Suddenly, a spark of clarity ignited within me, and I felt a rush of excitement. “It’s two girls. They got into a fight, and I want to… you know, see what happened. One has beautiful silver hair, and the other has auburn hair.” I spoke quickly, the details spilling out before I could stop myself.

“Okay?”

“The one with silver hair ended up getting into a pink car. And at some point, you’ll see me approach them. Get the footage preferably today and send it to me. Okay?”

“Okay, Alpha!” he replied, and I ended the call, feeling a strange mix of relief and anxiety.

As silence enveloped the room, I took a moment to breathe, my heart still racing. I knew I should trust Chalice; she was sweet, soft-spoken, and gentle. But Leilani… there was something about her that felt more substantial, more grounded. I couldn’t dismiss her words just because Chalice had said so.

Lost in thought, I stood up, grabbed my car keys, and headed out the door, my mind set on one destination: the hospital.

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