Chapter 110: His Brother

​Alaric’s heart sank. This had always been his greatest fear. He had been terrified that Sofia would find out she looked just like his late wife. It was true that at first, he only wanted her because she reminded him of Elizabeth. But after getting to know her, he had actually fallen in love with Sofia herself.

​But Sofia didn’t believe him. To her, he was just a man living in a dream.

​”I am so sorry, Sofia,” Alaric said, his voice filled with genuine regret. “I am sorry about the clothes. I should have cleared them out years ago. And I am sorry for saying her name. It was a mistake, an unconscious act. I love you for who you are, not for who you look like.”

​”I don’t believe you anymore,” Sofia whispered, shaking her head. “I can’t breathe in this house. I feel like I’m disappearing. I need to leave. I feel suffocated here.”

​She turned to leave, but Alaric stepped in front of the door.

​”I can’t let you go, Sofia,” he said firmly. “It isn’t safe.”

​”You can’t keep me prisoner!”

​”It’s for your safety!” Alaric raised his voice slightly, his eyes filled with worry. “I still haven’t found out who broke into your apartment. I don’t know who wrote that death threat on your wall. If you leave now, you are walking right into a trap.”

​He reached out, trying to touch her arm, but stopped himself. “Please. Just stay for a few days. Give me time to find out who did this. I will have the servants take away all of Elizabeth’s things. I will buy you new clothes—whatever you want. Just stay until I know you are safe. After that, if you still want to leave, I won’t stop you.”

​Sofia looked at him, her chest heaving. She hated being near him right now, but she remembered the red paint on her wall. She knew he was right about the danger outside.

​”Fine,” she said sharply, wiping a tear from her cheek. “Only a few days.”

​Relief flickered across Alaric’s face. He stepped forward instinctively, reaching for her. But Sofia immediately stepped back. The movement hit him harder than any slap. His hand slowly dropped to his side. His heart sank as he watched her walk away and sit on the edge of the bed, turning her gaze toward the window so she wouldn’t have to look at him.

​Feeling a deep ache settle in his chest, Alaric said nothing more. He simply turned and left the room. The door closed softly behind him. The silence that followed felt heavy.

​”What are you thinking?” her wolf asked quietly inside her mind.

​Sofia didn’t answer. She didn’t know what to think anymore… or what to believe.

Alaric had sounded sincere… but her trust in him had shattered.

​”A few more days won’t hurt…” Sofia murmured softly to herself.

​A moment later, there was a gentle knock. She asked the person in, and the door opened as three maids stepped inside. They immediately lowered their heads in deep bows.

​”My lady,” one of them said respectfully.

​Sofia quickly stood up. “Please—don’t bow,” she said awkwardly. “You don’t have to—”

​But the maids had already moved past her. They walked straight toward the closet. Sofia watched in silence as they stepped inside and began carefully taking down the dresses, shoes, and handbags. One by one, they placed Elizabeth’s belongings into large velvet-lined boxes. Another maid gently wrapped the jewelry cases. A third carefully folded the gowns. They worked quietly, almost reverently, like they were handling something sacred.

​Sofia stood in the doorway of the closet, watching. Out of curiosity, she asked, “Where are you taking them?”

​One of the maids responded without looking her way. “To the basement.”

​Sofia swallowed hard and turned away, unable to stand the heavy atmosphere in the room any longer.

As she walked down the hallway, she found herself thinking about Elizabeth… wondering if the dead woman’s ghost might hate her now.

​Sofia stopped at the top of the stairs when she heard the sound of men’s voices echoing from the foyer below.

​”Alpha Alaric just left for the council meeting,” she heard a guard say. “He should be back before dinner.”

​Sofia slowly walked down the stairs, her hand sliding along the cold marble railing.

When she reached the bottom, she saw a man sitting in one of the grand leather chairs. He looked to be in his late thirties, dressed in a dark tactical jacket, looking like he had just come off a long journey.

​Hearing her footsteps, the man turned.

The moment he saw Sofia, he jumped to his feet.

Sofia froze on the last step of the grand staircase, gripping the marble railing.

The man standing in the foyer was a younger, slightly leaner version of Alaric. He had the same sharp jawline and the same intense gaze, but while Alaric’s eyes were like dark forests, Jeremy’s were a piercing, lighter green.

​Jeremy didn’t just look at her; he stared as if he were seeing a ghost.

​”Who are you?” he breathed, his voice barely a whisper.

​The guard standing nearby cleared his throat, sensing the thick tension. “Sir, this is Miss Sofia. She is Alpha Alaric’s special guest.”

​Jeremy didn’t seem to hear the guard. He took a slow step toward her, his eyes scanning her face, her hair, and her height. The resemblance was terrifying. If he closed his eyes for a second, he could almost believe the tragedy of five years ago had never happened. But as he got closer, he saw the subtle differences—the youthful softness of her skin and appearance, and a slight curve to her nose that Elizabeth didn’t have.

​”Sofia,” Jeremy repeated slowly, tasting the name as if trying to convince himself she was real.

A strange, bitter smile touched his lips. “Of course. “My brother always had a habit of taking exactly what he wanted… no matter who paid the price.”

​Sofia felt a prickle of unease. “You’re Alaric’s brother,” she said, trying to hide her unease.

​”Beta Jeremy,” the steward interrupted, stepping forward to bridge the gap. “He has just returned from a business trip.”

​Jeremy ignored the steward, his focus entirely on Sofia. He circled her slowly, like a predator inspecting a new addition to the cage, but before he could speak again, the front door opened.

Alaric walked in.

The moment Alaric saw his younger brother standing so close to Sofia, his expression darkened instantly.

Even his wolf stirred violently, howling in his mind as a strange feeling he had buried long ago suddenly resurfaced.

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