Page 65 of Knot my Alphas

At first glance, it appears to be a report of some sort. Scrolling past the cover page, we find the document dotted with Captain Burton’s photographs.

“What is this?” I ask.

“This is all the information the military has on him,” Julian mutters. “This is super confidential, so would be peachy if you never spoke of it to anyone.” He’s grinning but I know he’s being very serious.

I nod. “No worries,” I say, squeezing his hand. “No one will know.”

He gestures back at the screen. “Let’s see who he was.”

Despite the information on the screen, I can’t help but stare at the photographs before me. Captain Burton is the main subject in all of them.

Most of them show him leading men into military parades or posing with them during formal occasions. His green eyes are full of life and determination. There are also a few casual photographs where he’s smiling.

My fingers itch, wanting to grab the mouse away from Julian so I can zoom in to take a closer look at the man.

“He was killed during an attack on his base,” Julian says in a grim tone, snatching my attention back on him. “It was one of the very first raids conducted by the Black Widow.”

“What?”

Julian points at the screen. “Read this paragraph.”

My gaze scrolls through the long paragraph that describes a sudden strike carried by a group of rebels. The incident sounds similar to the attack that happened on Solveig estate this week.

Captain Burton and his men hadn’t been prepared to face an attack of that scale. Over two hundred soldiers lost their lives and the entire estate was destroyed by multiple bombings.

“What the fuck?” I say through gritted teeth. “I didn’t hear about the Black Widow until three years ago, but this report says they were responsible for an attack that happened twenty years ago.”

Julian gazes at me. “The leading investigator must’ve suppressed the news from going public.” A thoughtful expression descends over him. “Do you remember the attack on the mayor’s mansion? Callahan didn’t leak any info to the public. There must’ve been countless incidents related to the Black Widow that he’s been suppressing over the years.”

Iamthe Black Widow, Callahan’s voice whispers in my mind, reminding me of the awful truth of who he really is.

“Callahan’s responsible for killing my father,” I say as icy water spreads through my veins.

“Iris...”

“Let’s see what else this report has to say,” I say, grabbing the mouse and scrolling further down.

“Wait! Who’s that?” Julian blurts, placing his hand over mine.

We both stare at a wedding photograph of a bride and groom. The woman in the picture is wearing a gorgeous white dress while the man is intently staring at her.

“She looks just like you,” Julian breathes, zooming onto the photograph. “Wow...” He leans against his chair, suddenly looking lost.

“What’s wrong?”

He shakes his head, still staring up at the ceiling. “I didn’t believe any of this to be true,” he says in a low voice. “I kept thinking Callahan took you away and mind-fucked you into thinking you belonged somewhere else. I thought he was tricking you into trusting him.”

“You should’ve been there when he professed his love for her,” I say, remembering the crazed look on the asshole’s face. “He worships her. It’s my face that has him obsessed. He doesn’t care I’m not the same woman he was in love with.”

“Fuck, they look happy,” he says, staring at the beautiful couple’s picture.

“I know...” A sense of loss overcomes me, leaving me breathless with a suffocating choke in my throat. The truth is finally sinking into me, tearing a hole in my heart.

My parents look like they were deeply in love. My mother’s smile brightens her young face while my dad is staring at her with the deepest emotion in his eyes.

“They must’ve loved their baby,” I say as tears roll down my eyes.

Turning toward me, Julian wraps his arms around me. “Of course, they loved you,” he says in a gentle voice. “I’m sure of it.”

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