Watch Me Win, Alpha

Chapter 24

Amelia turned to Chole like she’d been slapped.

“You-what are you talking about?” Her voice trembled. “That’s not what happened!”

2

Chole’s eyes were wild, rimmed red with tears that hadn’t fallen. “It is what happened!” she shouted. “You said you couldn’t pay Olivia that much! That she was milking the Hawthorne family for everything they had!”

“I never said-” Amelia faltered, her voice dropping as the crowd leaned in.

I crossed my arms and said nothing. Watching them collapse into finger-pointing and self-preservation was almost surreal. These were the people who had once controlled my life like I was just another pawn on their polished chess- board. Now look at them-turning on each other like cornered rats.

“She raised the amount from $150 million to $250 million,” Chole sobbed, her tone sharp and rehearsed. “You said she was extorting the family! That if I really cared about Ethan, I would help fix it!”

“You approached me first,” Amelia snapped, face flushed. “You said you knew how to get her signature! That she didn’t deserve that money!”

“And then you said not to leave any evidence behind!” Chole cried. “You said I could contact someone to make her ‘understand’ her place!”

Each word hit harder than the last. And with every accusation, every pathetic denial, more heads turned. More whis- pers stirred the air.

I glanced at Ethan.

He stood still, like stone, but I could tell by the sharpness of his jaw and the fire behind his eyes that he was unravel- ing inside. This was the reputation he’d spent years building-crumbling under the weight of the very people he trust- ed most. His mother. His mistress.

That’s the price of betrayal, I thought. It always collects interest.

“I didn’t want it to go that far,” Chole whined. “I just wanted to scare her-get her to sign, not… not this!”

Her voice cracked, and she looked straight at me.

“I’ll pay for your hospital bills,” she said suddenly, the words blurted out like a bribe. “I’ll take care of it, I swear. I’m sorry. Just… don’t press charges.”

She dabbed at dry eyes with shaking fingers, trying to muster some sympathy from the crowd. A few of the guests looked away in discomfort. Others just stared.

0.0 %

13:30

I tilted my head.

voice calm. “I’ll never

Her hand froze mid-dab.

added,

lice.”

rippled through the

it in her face-the hope dying out in

one more thing.” I straightened. “I know this

Chole blinked, confused.

continued. “A good Samaritan. They stopped everything. I’m alive, untouched… and you’re still

that followed was

stood frozen, lips trembling. Ethan took a single

he asked, his voice strained, low.

didn’t even look at him. Just stepped

didn’t deserve my

muttered, almost to herself. Then louder, as if disbelief alone would undo it, “That hotel is in

sharply, her voice shrill with panic. “Who could have saved you, huh? What, was it an angel or

stared at Chole, her face twisted

had to call him an angel,” I said slowly,

obey me anymore… I remembered his scent before I could remember his face. It was clean, steady. The scent of

crossed, scoffing. “Angels aren’t real. You just don’t

now.”

I didn’t flinch.

33.2 %

13:31

sharp, each word a clean slice through the growing tension. “If Iwasraped, I’d still be the victim. You and your

a moment, I saw the ugliness she had been trying

crocodile tears.

crap,” she snapped. “If you’re gonna lie, at least make it believable. You say someone saved you? Then bring him

I didn’t respond.

Not because I couldn’t.

Because I wouldn’t.

I was still breathing. I couldn’t throw his name out just to prove something to these people. He didn’t belong here, not in this circus of

Chole smirk with triumphant

were caught with

“She’s not lying.”

was

near the back of the