Bella turned to face the crowd, her smile disappearing as she addressed them with calm professionalism. “Thank you all for coming today. I would like to make a personal response to Mr. Cupper’s statement from three days ago. I kindly ask that you hold your questions until the end. I will take only three, and they must not be speculative or gossip-driven.”
Luke couldn’t help but smile. She was poised and commanding, clearly in her element. He felt a swell of pride as he watched her—his Bella, accomplished, confident, and deeply respected. He had always known she was destined for greatness, had told her so during their time together as friends and lovers. He’d predicted she’d make an exceptional lawyer and an asset to the pack’s legal department. He remembered how she used to blush at his compliments. Goddess, he thought, I want her back.
She took a deep breath before continuing, her piercing jewel-green eyes locking directly onto the camera, just as he had done during his own press conference. She looked stunning—powerful and composed.
“I do not believe you meant me no harm, Mr. Cupper,” she began, her voice firm yet even. She held up a black envelope, instantly recognizable to Luke. “This letter, however, speaks otherwise. Its intent is quite clear.”
In one hand, she held the letter, and in the other, a small vial. Luke immediately recognized both—the envelope was one he’d sent, and the vial contained a single wolfsbane flower.
“This letter states, ‘I will have you brought in.’ Inside was this vial,” she said, tapping it gently on the podium. She paused to address the crowd, her tone calm but cutting. “For those watching, this flower is known as wolfsbane. It is highly toxic. The drug detected in my system, forcibly injected by the men who took me under your order—an order you have publicly admitted to—was confirmed to be wolfsbane, the same substance as this flower.” She tapped the vial again for emphasis.
Luke’s frown deepened as the weight of her words settled over him. This was not how he had envisioned her response unfolding. He had anticipated anger, perhaps some accusations, but not this—calculated and public. His mind churned with unease, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen.
Do I even want to hear the rest of this? he wondered. Probably not. But seeing her, hearing her voice, even if it was directed against him, was something he couldn’t give up.
“As for the monetary debt to you and your family,” Bella continued, holding up a check, “I will repay it. This check, for the full amount, will be mailed directly after this press conference. My legal team—” she gestured to the men standing behind her, “—has even calculated any interest owed, and it has been included as my way of showing you that I intend to be free and clear of you. No lingering debt. Period.”
Maddis snarled in Luke’s mind, pacing with barely contained fury. “Free and clear of us? No lingering debt?” His wolf was incensed by her words, but Luke reminded him to stay calm. She didn’t yet know they were her Mate.
“As for the mediation you requested…” Bella’s voice hardened. “I’m not interested in hearing what you have to say. The courts will determine whether you are guilty of the charges against you. I think you know as well as I do what really happened.” She tapped the vial on the podium again, a sharp click that echoed through the microphone. “I also know that I attempted to contact you within the three-day time limit you gave me. My phone records will confirm this. I believe you’re aware of this truth as well, as I called the number listed in this letter, and your right-hand man, Benzy, answered the phone. If I recall correctly.”
Her tone grew icier. “I am also not interested in you personally meeting my children to apologize to them. I strongly advise you to stay away from me and my children. From now on, deal directly with my legal team.” She paused, her gaze sweeping the gathered reporters. “By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of Ben Billy. He is the head of my legal team.”
Ben stepped forward to the podium, his expression calm but authoritative. “Please direct all further questions, queries, or statements to me personally, Mr. Cupper. Any further harassment of my client will only add to the charges you already face.” His words were precise, calculated. With that, he stepped back, letting Bella reclaim the spotlight.
“I’ll answer three questions now, if you have any,” Bella offered to the crowd. The response was immediate, a cacophony of voices shouting over one another. She waited, poised, before carefully selecting which ones to address.
The first question she chose to answer was, “Did you really grow up with Mr. Cupper within the Cupper Corporation?”
Luke felt a twinge of annoyance. What a useless question, he thought. The check in her hand had already made that obvious. A wasted opportunity, but clever of her to choose it—it kept the conversation light and unchallenging.
“Yes, I did,” Bella replied simply, her tone even.
The second question came next. “Why did you leave and not fulfill your contract?”
Bella’s response was pointed. “I was told to leave by Mr. Cupper himself and ordered never to return. I simply obeyed his directive.”
Luke clenched his jaw. Her answer framed the situation to her advantage, subtly implying that any breach of contract was his fault, not hers. It cast him in a negative light, making it seem like she owed him nothing.
The third question hit harder. “Miss Freeman, do you truly believe Mr. Cupper intended to harm you?”
Bella hesitated for a moment before answering, her voice softer now. “Unfortunately, yes, I do.”
There was a faint sadness in her tone that reached her jewel-green eyes, dulling their usual brilliance. The pain in her expression was like a dagger to Luke’s heart. Her belief that he would harm her cut deeply, leaving an ache in his chest he couldn’t ignore.
Luke sighed heavily, feeling Maddis’s fury simmering in the back of his mind. Bella’s stance was clear—defiance, again, and this time, very publicly. She had chosen the human world as her battleground, where Luke’s influence was constrained and his ability to act was limited. For now, she was out of reach.
But only for now.
