Chapter 53: Chapter 53

"Ah? In the car?" The group leader is clearly stunned. Who wouldn’t be surprised that a ring worth hundreds of thousands of dollars had been lost and that the woman who lost it has decided not to supervise the search.

"After all, our Lily is a popular celebrity. If she were to stand here and watch you searching for the ring, it would probably only be moments before she was surrounded by movie fans," Annabelle says.

The group leader nods. “You’re right. Please go about your day. We’ll contact you the moment we find something.”

Lily's car is parked nearby.

I can see Lily and Annabelle sitting there, looking smug, staring at me through the windshield as the entire contents of the dumpster have been upended onto the street for me to comb through.

Before Lily walked off to her car, she’d said, “Remember what happened to you in prison, you worthless mutt. I own this city. You’re nothing. It was only because of Sean that you had even a glimpse of a better life.”

Foolishly, I’d taken the bait and answered, “Our relationship wasn’t based on money or power, Lily.”

Lily lost her mind hearing that. “You remember the beatings, the way they broke your fingers and ripped your nails out… that’s nothing. Nothing. You’re going to wish you were still in that cage, Grace…”

“Your sister’s death was an accident.”

“You liar!” Lily hisses. “You wanted revenge for your pathetic grandfather.”

“I did want revenge, I admit. “On you. The car crash… that was an accident! I am innocent. And I regret that Jennifer died as a result of it.”

Annabelle had dragged Lily away at that point.

Which is just as well. My sanitation team was definitely paying attention and seeing that Lily is a movie star, these humans pay rapt attention to her.

“You’re going to pay!” Lily promises.

Her threat echoes in my head.

I’m not afraid for my life. There comes a point where your mind and body just can’t sustain that level of fear any more.

But I don’t want to go back to jail.

And I don’t want to be tortured again.

Bags of garbage are strewn in front of me. The stench of rotting food and refuse is overwhelming. My wolf, she would’ve rioted at the smells.

I breathe through my mouth and keep sifting through the trash for some imaginary ring all while these awful she-wolves watch.

It’s several hours later and the tension is rising.

My boss and the Director of the Sanitation Center…they do NOT want to be embroiled in some scandal involving a ring and some socialite.

My shift ended two hours ago, but I don’t bother asking to leave because my boss already said that ‘no one is going home until the ring is found.’

Claire and the rest of my team have been roped into this fiasco. Claire doesn’t say anything. But I get a lot of dirty looks and I hear the rumblings from the others. They blame me for having to stay late and for having to dig through trash.

I remove my plastic gloves and pull my cell phone from my pocket. I dial quickly. r My call is answered on the second ring. "Jay, it's me, today I'm... there are some issues at the center, I'm afraid I'll not be back until very late. Make a little something for yourself for dinner, you don't have to wait for me."

"What happened?"

His voice instantly calms me. The shift in my mood is so pronounced that it makes me realize how anxious I’ve been this whole time.

“It’s just... uh, some work-related issues. Anyway, you don't have to wait for me.” The group leader is glaring at me and I hurriedly end the call. I put my gloves back on and continue working.

* * * * * * * *

TERRENCE “Grace?” Jason tries her number again and it goes straight to voicemail.

He growls. Then looks at me. “Terrence, go and look into what's happened to Grace at the Sanitation Service Center."

“Yes, sir.”

As I walk out of his office, I wonder what new mess this woman has fallen into. In the call now that I overheard, it’s clear something is wrong. Jason knows it too. Grace’s voice was laden with worry. She was afraid of something.

Hiding whatever that is from Jason…that wouldn’t go over well. I’m still puzzled at my Alpha’s choice to embroil himself with this woman, but it is not my place to question.

I enter my office and start making calls.

It takes me less than ten minutes to get the full rundown of events.

When I walk back into Jason’s office ready to relay the information I’m already bracing for what his reaction is going to be.

“Well,” Jason says… “Let’s get on with it.”

I sigh. "Lily is alleging that she has lost a ring worth hundreds of thousands. She called the director of the Sanitation Service Center, and he ordered Miss Cummins to go through the rubbish then and there to look for the ring."

Jason's eyes narrowed immediately. "Go through the rubbish?"

The iciness of his tone lets me know his opinion on the matter. "Yes."

"Is it worth going through rubbish for one stupid ring?" Jason laughs coldly. He mutters to himself momentarily before continuing, "Since Lily likes searching for rings so much, then let her look for it properly until she's had enough of it!"

I have been at Jason's side for many years and I know the signs of Jason’s temper. There have only been a few instances that have angered him so much.

And at this moment, I’ve never seen my Alpha more furious.