Chapter 332: I’m Not Interested in Elena

Riley dragged Whitney out for a full day, and it was pure chaos.

From the moment they stepped outside, Riley refused to let Vito control a single thing. Every time he opened his mouth to give instructions, she cut him off with something sharp enough to make even a dominant male pause.

Females from powerful packs are usually trained to smile through everything. Even when facing sworn enemies, they keep their voices sweet and their claws hidden. Reputation matters. Control matters.

Riley didn’t care.

She spoke exactly what she thought. No softening. No fake courtesy. She treated everyone the same Vito, Harlan, even strangers. If a stray dog crossed her path, she would probably scold it too.

Vito couldn’t understand her. He didn’t know how to respond to someone who didn’t play by pack rules. He couldn’t stoop to her level, because he had a name to protect. An image to maintain.

Still, none of that mattered to him as long as Whitney was smiling.

When the day was ending, Vito glanced at her carefully. Riley had made her wear a glowing cat-ear headband, and Whitney had actually agreed. Her cheeks were flushed from laughing too much. Though she was twenty-five, she looked barely eighteen. There was no maturity in her aura just something fragile and bright.

Usually she looked like a shadow. Quiet. Hollow.

Today she looked alive.

When we got into the car when they got into the car Vito finally asked, softly, “Did you have fun?”

Whitney’s smile disappeared in a second. It was like watching a door slam shut.

Her voice turned cold. “I broke the rules. If you’re angry, just kill me.”

There was no drama in her tone. Only acceptance.

She had endured so much since childhood that death didn’t scare her anymore. With Elena gone, she had already prepared herself for anything.

She waited for punishment.

Instead, Vito pulled her into his arms.

“Why would I kill you?” he murmured against her ear. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you this happy.”

Whitney stiffened. She didn’t understand this version of him.

“I told you before,” he continued gently. “I don’t want to hurt you anymore. As long as you don’t try to leave me, you can indulge sometimes.”

His kindness frightened her more than his cruelty.

Vito had always been unpredictable. One moment he would tear into her like a beast claiming dominance. The next, he would soothe her like she was precious.

Her hands trembled as she grabbed his clothes. “If you’re upset, punish me. Just don’t hurt Janice. She’s innocent. She’s kind.”

He looked down at her tearful face and wiped her cheeks slowly.

“Why would I hurt Mrs. Pearson?” His smile deepened slightly. “But you… you know who Mute Girl is, don’t you?”

Whitney froze.

Every time he smiled like that, her body remembered things she wished she could forget.

When she was five, he had once approached her in a crisp white shirt, suspenders, bow tie. He looked like a perfect young Alpha heir. Gentle. Refined.

He handed her a plate of food.

When she reached for it, he dropped it on the ground and laughed.

“Kneel. Lick it clean.”

She was five.

That kind of memory doesn’t fade.

Now her voice shook. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Vito’s tone stayed calm. “Mute Girl suddenly grew close to Yael. He even brought her near you. When she’s around, you eat more. Even food you usually refuse. Only Elena could make Yael uneasy like that. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

He wasn’t worried about being exposed. There was no proof. The past was buried too deep. The dead stayed silent.

Whitney clenched her fists.

“You’ve known all along… why didn’t you expose her?”

He hugged her again.

“I just want you to be happy,” he said softly. “Don’t be afraid of me. I know I’ve treated you badly. I’ll change. I’ll learn to be a good mate. We can build a family.”

Tears streamed down her face.

He had destroyed her family. Made her witness things no child should ever see. Turned her life into a nightmare she couldn’t wake from.

And now he spoke of building something together.

It was almost laughable.

But she didn’t dare say what she was thinking.

Instead, she whispered, “Please don’t hurt them.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him desperately, like a sacrifice.

“I won’t run. I’ll listen to you. Just don’t kill Elena… she already died once.”

He kissed her tears away.

“I’m not interested in Elena,” he said quietly.

When I woke up, it was dark.

The memory of collapsing in Lewis’s arms hit me instantly.

Whitney.

I tried to speak, but no sound came out.

I turned my head and saw him beside me. Lewis was holding me tightly, like he was afraid I would disappear if he loosened his grip. His breathing was uneven, like he hadn’t truly slept.

Under the faint streetlight coming through the window, I studied his face.

I had memorized every line of it. Drawn it in my mind a thousand times. And still, it wasn’t enough.

As if he sensed me watching him, his eyes opened slowly. They were heavy with exhaustion. And guilt.

“Elena… I’m sorry, I ”

I didn’t let him finish.

I leaned forward and kissed him.

Not gently. Not shyly.

Carl, I never blamed you.

I understood why he had done it. If Whitney had truly been in immediate danger, she wouldn’t have survived this long. Vito cared about her in his own twisted way. And as long as Vito stood between her and Yael, nothing would go too far.

But that didn’t stop my heart from aching.

I remembered Whitney sitting alone on the windowsill, hugging her knees. I wanted to be there for her. Even if I couldn’t speak, my presence made her eat a little more. Sleep a little better. Feel less alone.

And yet, my stubbornness had made Lewis restless and sleepless.

I was the selfish one.

So this time, I kissed him with everything I felt. On the island, I had thought I would never see him again. I had prepared myself for a life without him.

Now he was here. Warm. Solid. Mine.

We held each other tightly in the darkness, like two beings driven by instinct and need. Not gentle. Not careful.

Desperate.

I couldn’t speak, but my hands slid to his waist, urging him closer.

Closer.

Let there be no space between us.

Carl…

I love you.

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