Page 10 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Writer

ARIEL

I arrived at Sterling’s executive office early, greeting the morning as it broke over the skyline of Huntington Harbor.My stomach was in knots as I clutched my notebook.Today I was going to dig deeper into Sterling’s past, and I had to be careful.For every probing question I asked, he put up five roadblocks.But I was going to get to the core of Sterling Nightfang, even if I had to piss off the big bad wolf to do it.

Sterling was at his desk when I entered, his dark hair tousled and brown eyes downcast as he reviewed a stack of documents.He barely acknowledged my presence.“You’re early.”

“I like to be prepared,” I said, injecting cheer into my voice.I sat across from him and clicked my pen.“Ready to talk about your soccer career?”

He exhaled and leaned back in his chair.“What do you want to know?”

I started with his early days on the field, the thrill of his first professional game.His responses were short, almost curt, as if he was reluctant to revisit those memories.But I needed more.I needed to understand the man behind the legend.So, I pressed him, gently prodding for more details.

His voice softened as he recounted his team, the camaraderie, the rush of scoring a winning goal.I could see the ghost of a smile playing on his lips, his eyes distant, lost in the past.“It was like nothing else,” he murmured, more to himself than to me.“The roar of the crowd, the adrenaline.It was intoxicating.”

And then, the injury.His face darkened, the smile vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.“It was a routine play,” he said, staring off into the distance.“I’d done it a thousand times.But this time…” He paused, swallowing hard.“I heard the snap before I felt the pain.It was like a gunshot, loud and final.”He looked down at his legs, flexing them as if remembering the feeling of the moment.“My career was over in an instant.”

I paused, my pen hovering above the page, his words hanging heavy in the air.I could feel the weight of his loss, the echo of his shattered dreams.“That must have been devastating,” I said softly, my heart aching for him.

He shrugged, but not before I saw the flash of pain in his eyes.The muscles in his jaw bunched.“It was.But I couldn’t just sit around feeling sorry for myself.I had to reinvent myself.”He looked up at me, his gaze steady and sure.“Life doesn’t stop for anyone, you know?It keeps moving, and you either move with it or get left behind.”

Right now, I was getting a rare glimpse of the man behind the grumpy billionaire persona.The man who had faced adversity and come out stronger.The man who had taken his pain and turned it into power.I found myself drawn to him, his strength and resilience calling to me like a siren’s song.

As I sat there, my mind raced with possibilities.I needed more, more than just the surface-level information I had on Sterling Nightfang.I wanted to delve deeper, to understand the roots that shaped him into the man he was today.And who better to provide that insight than his older brother, Dean Nightfang?

I recalled the brief mentions of Dean in my research.He was a shadow, a ghost from Sterling’s past.Dean was rarely spoken about, but besides Sterling, he was the only Nightfang to escape the family.If I could get Dean to open up, perhaps I could uncover the truths that Sterling himself might not even be aware of.

After the interview, I went to Dean Nightfang’s penthouse, my thoughts a jumbled mess.The building was luxurious and modern, but the inside of his apartment was a chaotic mess.Next to half-built robots with their wires and circuits exposed were piles of fabric samples and color swatches.A giant wedding mood board leaned against one wall.As I stepped inside, a voice spoke from the ceiling.“Welcome, Miss Hayes.Mr.Nightfang is in the study.Please try not to trip over his wife’s insanity.”

Dean greeted me with a warm smile.“Don’t mind the mess.Nina is going to become Huntington Harbor’s premier wedding planner.”His chest seemed to puff with pride as he spoke of his wife.

I laughed.“It’s nice to see a home that looks lived in.”

After we got comfortable, I began the interview.As our conversation shifted to Sterling, Dean’s smile was replaced by a grim solemn expression.“Leaving the family was not an easy decision,” he began.“It was a matter of survival.I had to save myself first.”He paused, his eyes reflecting a pain that ran deep.“I always regretted not taking Sterling with me, but it was impossible.He was so young…”

I nodded, my pen gliding across the paper, capturing not just his words but the emotion behind them.“And now?Do you think he regrets staying?”I asked, genuinely curious about the dynamics of their past.

Dean hesitated, his fingers tracing the rim of his whiskey glass.He shook his head slowly.“Sterling is not the type to look back.He has always been strong-willed and hellbent on forging his own path.But that doesn’t mean it has been easy for him.The Nightfang family is not just powerful, Ariel.We’re cruel.Our father was the one who doled out the punishment, but our mother…she has ways of making sure her people stay in line.”He swallowed hard, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the glass tighter.“She would lock us in a sealed room for days, no food or water, just to teach us a lesson.And Rafe, our youngest brother, he’s incredibly loyal to her.He’s dangerous, more so than you can imagine.He’s a monster, Ariel, a monster with no conscience.If he sees you as a threat to the family, he won’t hesitate.”

I felt a shiver run down my spine at his words, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.I could see the caution in Dean’s eyes.He was genuinely concerned for my safety.To see a powerful man like him react that way made me pause.“I’ll be careful,” I promised, my voice steady despite the turmoil within.I kept my expression neutral, not wanting to show the fear that was slowly creeping into my heart.But inside, I was terrified.I had heard whispers about the Nightfang family.If Rafe was half as dangerous as Dean made him out to be, I was in way over my head.

The ride back to my hotel felt longer than usual.A sense of unease crept over me as I stepped onto my floor.It was too quiet, except for the distant hum of a vacuum three doors down.My keycard slipped twice in the lock before the light flashed green.When I opened the door, it swung open with a groan.

Then I saw it.

My room had been ransacked.There were piles of clothes on the floor, dresser drawers pulled out, and my belongings tossed all over the place.My laptop was open, and the screen was cracked.A single sheet of paper was on the bed with a message written in bold, jagged letters.

Stay out of our business.

My heart pounded as I picked up the note and my hands trembled.Rafe’s warning was clear, and the violation of my personal space sent a wave of fear washing over me.I clenched my teeth and forced myself to remain calm.This wasn’t just a threat.It was a reminder of the dangerous world Sterling was trying to escape.

My phone felt heavy in my hand as I dialed Sterling’s number.I tried to keep my voice steady, but the words shook as they came out.“Sterling, I need to see you.”

His response was immediate, concern sharpening his tone.“What is it?”

“My hotel room.Someone broke in.They left a note.”

“Stay there.I’m on my way.”

It didn’t take long before there was a knock on the door.I opened it to find him standing there with a dark expression on his face and his jaw clenched.He strode in, and his large form seemed to fill the space, making the room feel smaller.His nostrils flared as he took in the disarray, and then he snatched the note from my hand, crushing it in his fist.

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