Chapter 16

SCARLETT

Christopher looked at Thomas, his brows furrowed in confusion. “What on earth are you saying?” he asked, while Thomas nervously ran his fingers through his hair.

“I’ve been wrapping up the investigation, and I found some medical information about Violet,” Thomas began. “I also looked into the clock-in and clock-out times of all the employees, not just the ones at the hospital. I found one employee with a lot of inconsistencies in his schedule, starting about three months ago, right when Scarlett got pregnant.”

I sat on the bed, my mind spinning. “And it’s Hensen,” Thomas continued. “There’s also a guard who’s been escorting Scarlett around, a guard who just graduated this year.”

“Hensen? It can’t be,” I said, turning to look at Christopher. His face was a mask of shock, and he didn’t respond.

Hensen was Christopher’s right-hand man, his assistant. The thought of how many times I’d confided in him, how many times he’d helped me with Caroline, how many times he’d assisted us with ceremonies and even accompanied me to medical appointments made my stomach churn.

“What did you find out about Violet?” Christopher asked, trying to make sense of it all.

“There’s solid evidence that her preeclampsia wasn’t natural,” Thomas replied. Christopher’s face turned red, and he let out a snort before punching the wall in frustration.

“What’s the plan now, Alpha?” Thomas asked. Christopher was visibly agitated, his nostrils flaring.

“We confront Hensen,” he said, his voice filled with a rage I’d never heard before. “Where is he?” His words were more of a pained cry than a question.

“He’s in the meeting room,” Thomas replied. Christopher immediately headed for the door, and I followed him.

He turned to look at me, his eyes conveying a message he didn’t need to put into words.

“We’re in this together, for everything, including battles. I’m coming with you,” I said softly. His expression softened with each word, and he let out a sigh before nodding his agreement.

Thomas followed us, and Karen handed Caroline to my mother before joining us. My heart pounded as we descended the stairs, the meeting room seeming impossibly far away.

My thoughts were a whirlwind, and I couldn’t tell which were mine and which were Christopher’s. When we reached the doors to the meeting room, Christopher pushed them open with a force that echoed through the hall.

Everything happened so fast. Before I knew it, Christopher had crossed the room, grabbed Hensen by the collar, and slammed him against the wall.

“How could you?” His question was vague but piercing.

“Alpha… I…,” Hensen began, gasping for breath. His eyes were wide with fear.

“We know everything, Hensen,” Christopher said, pressing him harder against the wall.

“How did you find out? I thought we were careful,” Hensen managed to choke out. “I hid it because I was ashamed, but I didn’t expect this reaction.”

“You didn’t expect this?” Christopher growled. “You thought I’d be okay with you betraying me?”

“Betraying?” Hensen gasped.

“You’re in on Joshua’s plans!” Christopher accused. “How could you plot against me? Against Scarlett?”

“WHAT? I would never do anything against Scarlett or you. You’re like family to me,” Hensen protested, his voice strong despite his choked breathing.

The shock was palpable. I glanced at Thomas and Karen, who looked just as stunned as I felt. When I turned back to Hensen, Christopher was slowly releasing his grip, setting him back on the floor—trying to make sense of it all.

“What are you talking about, Alpha?” Hensen asked, his green eyes wide with confusion, his suit wrinkled from the altercation.

“We found discrepancies in your work schedule that lined up with when Scarlett got pregnant. We thought you were…” Christopher trailed off, and Hensen looked even more shocked.

“By the Goddess, Alpha, no,” Hensen said, rubbing his neck and running a hand through his hair.

“But what were you talking about? And why the discrepancies in your schedule?” Christopher asked, his voice steady.

The room was silent for a few seconds before Hensen let out a heavy sigh. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again—shaking his head as if he was struggling to find the words.

“I met Viktor when he was escorting Scarlett, but I didn’t know how you’d react, so we kept it a secret and…,” Hensen began, looking down, clearly ashamed.

“Hold on, Hensen, are you saying that…?” Christopher started, his hand going to the back of his head.

He stared at Hensen, who wouldn’t meet his gaze. Christopher moved to stand in front of him.

“Look at me, Hensen,” Christopher commanded, his voice deep and commanding. Every hair on my body stood on end, and I had no idea what he was going to say next.

Hensen slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes red and shiny as if he was on the verge of tears.

“Are you telling me you hid a relationship because you were afraid of how I’d react?” Christopher asked, his voice low and rough.

I took a deep breath, unsure of what would happen next.

“You thought I’d react badly to your relationship? I’ve always been there for you, and you for me. All I want is for you to find someone amazing who will take care of you the way you’ve always taken care of me.” Christopher’s words were cut off as Hensen threw his arms around him in a hug that was more like a father and son than a boss and employee.

I couldn’t hold back the tears that welled up in my eyes.

I remembered Christopher telling me that Hensen had lost his father at a young age. Even though he was Christopher’s assistant, Hensen had always seen him as a father figure. And now, I was witnessing his redemption.

They pulled apart, and Thomas was the first to break the silence.

“So that’s why your schedules didn’t match up,” he said, sounding almost apologetic.

“But you did the right thing by noticing the discrepancy, Thomas. Hensen shouldn’t have tried to hide it,” Christopher said, turning to look at Hensen.

“I’m sorry, Alpha. It won’t happen again.”

“All I want is what’s best for you, Hensen.”

“Thank you, Alpha,” Hensen said, a smile finally breaking through.

“Karen, I don’t want to rush this moment, but we’ve got a wedding to get to,” she said, her hands resting on my shoulders. “Hensen, you take care of our alpha here, and I’ll whisk Scarlett away to finish her preparations.”

She was practically shoving me out the door, and I glanced back to see Christopher chuckling while Hensen was already adjusting his bow tie. I caught sight of Christopher mouthing the words ~I love you~ and I mouthed back ~Me too~, without making a sound.

We returned to the room where the girls helped me slip into the perfect dress. The makeup artist touched up my tear-streaked makeup, and we decided to let my hair fall in loose waves.

When I caught my reflection in the mirror, I realized I had never felt more beautiful.

Little Caroline was dressed in a stunning white dress. We let her curls flow freely and topped it off with a single flower in her hair—she looked like a little princess.

Nervousness began to creep in. I found myself constantly checking the clock and admiring the new ring on my finger.

Then, the knock I had been waiting for finally came—my father was here to escort me. It was time.