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

Her hand froze mid-dab.

I added,

lice.”

through

lips parted in shock. I saw it in her face-the hope dying

“I know this will disappoint you… but I

Chole blinked, confused.

good Samaritan. They stopped everything. I’m alive, untouched… and

silence that followed was

frozen, lips trembling. Ethan took a single

telling the truth?” he asked,

didn’t even look at him. Just stepped

deserve my

muttered, almost to herself. Then louder, as if disbelief alone would undo it, “That hotel is in the middle of nowhere! It’s private, locked, and no one even

shrill with panic. “Who could have saved you, huh? What, was it

at Chole, her face twisted in disbelief

had to call him an angel,” I

me and my body wouldn’t obey me anymore… I remembered his scent before I could remember his face. It was clean, steady. The scent of someone who didn’t panic. Who

rolled her eyes, arms crossed, scoffing. “Angels aren’t real. You just don’t want Ethan

now.”

I didn’t flinch.

33.2 %

13:31

slice through the growing

and for a moment, I saw the ugliness

crocodile tears.

believable. You say someone saved you? Then bring

I didn’t respond.

Not because I couldn’t.

Because I wouldn’t.

into this cesspool. He wasn’t part of this story-he was the only reason 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

Chole smirk with

“You were caught with rogues, and now you’re playing

“She’s not lying.”

was

near the