Page 30 of Betrayed By the Alpha

She nodded. "Okay, I’ll go get them." He helped her to her feet, and she led him to her room, where she kept the letters in a drawer. "There are so many of them I wonder how Hayley managed to sleep at night with things like this going on. I think, at some point, she just stopped reading them. But I couldn’t. I was terrified. Each letter was worse than the previous one. The last was written in blood." She brought out a book and opened to a page where she kept the letters, folded neatly.

Zach’s eyes scanned through them. They were all short sentences, and every one of them promised Hayley’s death if she didn’t forget the inheritance and return to the city.

"Who would do this?"

The first person who came to Zach’s mind was Monroe. In the past, Hayley had talked about how Monroe didn’t think she was responsible enough to own her father’s properties. Zach remembered a big case the previous year that involved Monroe being accused of duping his customers. He didn’t know the full story, but he didn’t think Monroe received any punishment. The man was best friends with the Mayor. Monroe could also be friends with the judge.

"I don’t know, but—wait. I know this handwriting."

"You do?"

"Greta, I know the person who took Hayley. I have to go! Stay here and don’t open the door for anyone except me."

"But—" she tried to call but gave up when he was already hurrying out of the house.

Chapter 15 - Hayley

"Hello? Who is there?" she shouted. "Hello? Anyone?" She breathed heavily, looking around, but she couldn’t see anything. The room was filled with an impenetrable darkness. Hayley closed her eyes and tried to use her powers to generate light. It was a little spell her father had taught her when she was little, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t access any of her powers. "That’s impossible," she whispered. She tried to calm down. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, then concentrated again. But still, nothing.

She heard a flick, and the light came on. Hayley’s eyes snapped shut immediately, nearly blinded by the sudden change. It took her a while to get used to the light after minutes of aggressive blinking. When she finally adjusted, she had the chance to get a better look at her surroundings. It was an incredibly small room, and to make matters worse, the ceiling was very low. Hayley almost felt claustrophobic. There were no windows in the room. She couldn’t see behind her because she was tied to a chair.

"Who is there? Show yourself!" she shouted. Her reply was an echo of her own voice. It scared her even more than the fate she feared awaited her.

She heard approaching steps. They stopped just behind the door. Through the tiny space at the foot of the door, she could see someone’s feet. The rattle of chains followed, and soon, the door was unlocked. Two very familiar faces walked in. Hayley let out a sigh of relief when she saw them. "Oh, you found me. I was sleeping, and some men attacked Greta, and they took me. How did you find..." She paused when she saw they weren’t smiling or moving to help her. It dawned on her immediately. "Wait. You aren't here to help me."

"You should have listened, Hayley," Monroe said. "You could have just left, returned to the city, and then we wouldn’t have to do this." He was standing behind Bruce, who was already walking toward her.

"What? You’re the one behind the letters?" She looked over to the Mayor. "You too? Why?" She groaned, trying to free herself, but the heat from the ropes only multiplied, burning her skin. "Fuck!" Hayley yelled. But she didn’t stop fighting against it.

Bruce stood before her, looking unbothered by her screams. "You should stop moving if you don’t want to kill yourself before I have my fun with you. Also, you can’t use your magic with those ropes around you, so don’t even try." He sighed. "I didn’t want this. I never wanted us to be in this situation. That’s why I tried to make things easier by sending my men after you, but you just won’t die, will you? Stubborn like your father."

Hayley saw red. "Leave my father out of this, you fucking traitors. Why would you do this? Because of the inheritance?" She looked over to Monroe. "I can’t believe you would do this. You were my father’s best friend."

"I was. I had done so much for your father, stood by his side through everything, giving him advice and helping him become the man he was. But when it came to writing his will, my name wasn't even mentioned. I mean, you and Greta got everything, but not a single penny for Monroe?"

"Advise him? My father constantly criticized your advice, he told me it was horrible. The only reason he didn’t sack you, even with all the negative rumors about you, was because he considered you a friend. You didn’t help my father achieve anything, so why are you so entitled?" Now that she thoughtabout it, she didn’t understand why Monroe never crossed her mind. Of course, he had to be the one behind the letters. He never thought she was ready, and whenever they spoke of the inheritance, he had a sour look on his face. He always said her father had made a terrible decision to leave everything in her hands. He should have been the prime suspect from day one, but instead, Hayley chose to ignore the letters.

"I’m entitled, bitch? How about you, getting back with a man who rejected and embarrassed you in front of everyone just because you can’t survive without daddy’s money?"

"Fuck you, Monroe! It’s not my fault you are living a sad life. My father worked hard. It’s only normal that I honor his hard work by continuing it."

"I always knew you were a spoilt brat, but to your father, you were always his little princess. His Hayley could do no wrong. Whatever she said goes, even though my decisions would have been best for his business. I begged, but he wouldn’t listen. I even tried to drop hints, asking if he wouldn’t remember his good friend, but he only laughed. Well, now he’s dead." He glanced at Bruce. "Sad."

He didn't need to say it before Hayley took the hint. They were the ones behind the death of her father. He’d been found dead in his office by Greta. Of course, it made sense. They made the whole thing look like suicide. That’s why no one suspected Monroe, who was the only one—aside from her—who was allowed access to her father’s office.

"You killed my father." It wasn’t a question.

Bruce, who had been watching the two exchange words back and forth, gave her a reply. "In my defense, after killing your boyfriend’s father, I was supposed to become the Mayor of this town, but then the people decided I might not be fit tobecome the Mayor. They wanted to hand it over to your father—those ungrateful brats. Your father was the most powerful wizard, and I? I would have been no one."

"You areno one. That’s what you will forever remain, you disgusting piece of shit. I swear, the second I get out of here, I will skin you alive!" She pushed forward and nearly toppled the chair, trying to grab Bruce, if possible, with her teeth, but he stepped back quickly. Luckily, with the help of her feet, she caught her balance.

"Can you please not interrupt when I’m speaking?" He palmed his forehead. "So rude. Monroe, place tape over her mouth, please."

"Yes, sir." Monroe gave a slight bow and hurried to do as instructed. He brought out tape from his back pocket and walked over to Hayley.

"I spoke to your father several times," Bruce continued as Monroe got busy with the tape. "I advised him to focus more on his daughter and leave this position for me, but he refused. So, if you look at it my way, he brought it on himself."

"You’re sick! I’ll kill—mmh!" Hayley’s words were cut short as Monroe carried out his task.

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