Page 124 of Stolen Omega

“She was brainwashed when she was taken, by a psychiatrist named Warren Corvina.”

Brainwashed? Wait. Where do I know that name from?

“Warren Corvina … Isn’t that the guy who runs those Omega clinics? The ones that are supposed to help Omegas who’ve been traumatized?”

“Oh, he owns those clinics, and you don’t want to know what they’re really used for.” Zane’s bright eyes darken for a moment, and he closes them briefly, as if he’s shaking something off.

He saw or heard about something terrible when he went down that rabbit hole, then.

He feels angry, and I realize it’s been easier to read his emotions since I’ve been out here.

Whatever barrier he was hiding them behind before is gone.

When he opens his eyes again, he’s a little more composed, but I can still sense his emotions.

“He’s a psychopath,” Zane asserts. “He’s manipulative, and narcissistic, and he’s one of the richest men in the country. Some of that wealth was built up legally, and some of it comes from illegal activity. I’m certain a lot of the money comes from human trafficking, but that’s a whole other can of worms.”

“I’m assuming you didn’t find any solid evidence for your suspicions?” I ask, because it’s Zane and he might not even have realized he should call the cops if he’s discovered something that heinous.

He shakes his head. “He’s careful, but there are codes he uses on phone calls that match codes I’ve seen on the dark web. In chatrooms for men who are looking to buy Omegas.”

Oh, fucking hell.

He went that deep with this? No wonder he feels so mad talking about it.

Just thinking about him reading what creeps like that talk about makes me feel sick.

I don’t know how he managed to do that. I never could.

“Corvina sold the Ortegas the custom-built mansion he had made next to his own, after he gave them the cash to cover the costs. That family was lower working class before they moved in next to him, the same month of the same year that Zoey was kidnapped.”

“Wait. You’re telling me the human trafficking creep bought them a house?”

He shakes his head. “He owns them. He’s using them to launder his dirty money, and he’ll probably set them up to take the fall if any of the shady shit he’s been doing comes out. They’re letting him use them because he has something on them.”

“So, they did something illegal, and he’s getting them to do something even more illegal in exchange for not shopping them to the police?”

“I think their daughter died, and Warren Corvina covered it up for them.”

“You think—Holy … You’re saying Zoey was kidnapped to replace Zelena?”

“Yeah. I’m not sure about the details, but I’m sure the original Zelena Ortega is dead. I researched into their past, and the Ortegas used to live pretty different lives. They lived in a tiny apartment in Cressidan City, and he was always working while she raised their child. The girl, by all accounts from their old neighbors, was a quiet little mouse who liked to find hiding places to read her books. No one had ever heard her sing. And every last one of them thought Zelena was a Beta.”

“You actually went to Cressidan City and interviewed the Ortega’s old neighbors?”

He shrugs at me. “I had to be sure, Dale. I know you think I got the idea that Zelena was Zoey and that was it. I spent a lot of time trying to get a real confirmation. Eventually, I realized that wasn’t possible, but by then I’d gotten enough to be certain. I know who that woman is. All I want is to help her remember who she was.”

He knows that woman is Zoey. Alpha instinct told him that the second he heard her sing, and he spent years gathering information just to be sure. I can’t believe I doubted him. Can’t believe I thought he was holding onto a delusion. This is real.

Holy fucking shit.

“She’s really Zoey?”

Tears spring to my eyes. I let our girl go so long ago that this feels like a dream.

He nods, coming in closer and putting an arm around me. “She’s really Zoey.”

This time, I let myself lean into him.

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