Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 251

Chapter 251: 251-Got Myself In Trouble Once Again

Helanie:

“I guess you didn’t want to seem unapologetic?” Lamar muttered, shaking his head. His tone made it clear he was furious that Lord Dewitt was leveraging information to force me into forgiving Rayden.

“Lamar,” Dewitt began, his voice laced with authority, “you’re in my pack. Do you know one of the rules of my pack? Never sleep with my daughter. You come here, guilty of that very crime, and then try to act tough with me?” His words were sharp, calculated. He was a man who wielded power like a weapon, using it to control and silence anyone who dared oppose him.

Lamar didn’t flinch. “Go ahead, punish me. But you’ll have to tell the council and your pack members why. Are you ready to admit that I was between your daughter’s legs?”

The sound of his hand slamming onto the table echoed through the room. Lord Dewitt’s smug smile vanished instantly.

I gripped Lamar’s hand tightly, a silent warning. Jenny wouldn’t appreciate his reckless words, no matter how justified his anger.

“What’s wrong? Not so smug now, huh?” Lamar sneered, pulling his hand free from mine to glare directly at Dewitt.

“Do you want the information or not?” Lady Estella’s calm yet commanding voice cut through the tension. She turned her sharp gaze to me, ignoring Lamar entirely.

In that moment, I realized the gravity of the situation. My complaint against Rayden wasn’t just a nuisance–it was a threat. If they were going to such lengths over a simple grievance, what would they do if they discovered I intended to accuse him of far worse–of rape and murder?

“I’m ready,” I said through clenched teeth. Lamar shot me a look of disappointment, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Helanie…”

I understood his frustration, but I had my reasons. A minor punishment wouldn’t change anything, and expelling Rayden would only send him back to his pack–a safe haven. No, I needed him to stay at the academy, where I could watch his every move and make his life miserable. If I wanted to destroy my enemy, I had to do it while keeping him close.

“I already know who the smarter one is between you two,” Dewitt quipped, his tone mocking before his expression turned serious again. “There’s a pen in front of you. What are you waiting for?”

I gave a small nod and reached for the pen. Lamar grabbed my hand one last time, his eyes searching mine for any sign of hesitation. But I didn’t waver. He let go with a defeated sigh, and I signed the papers, officially withdrawing my complaint.

Dewitt snatched the papers from the table, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.

“Now, my beloved Luna,” he said, turning to his wife, “share what you know.”

Lady Estella smiled, proud and confident, as though she had just won a great battle. She began to speak, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

Lady Estella’s expression shifted back to that same dull, detached look as she began her story. “I was a trainer at the academy once, back when it was first established. The academy wasn’t as polished as it is now, but it gained attention quickly–largely because of the building the Rogue King had secured for himself.”

She paused, her gaze drifting for a moment. “One day, after a long stretch of back-to-back classes, a colleague and I decided to visit a sick student. We were exhausted and chose to take the elevator.”

At this, I noticed Lord Dewitt roll his eyes, clearly unimpressed with her choice. Lady Estella caught his reaction and her face briefly flickered with guilt before she continued.

“I went to tend to the student’s wounds while my friend decided to head downstairs for supplies. But a few minutes later, she came back up–without the aid box. She told me she had been to the tenth floor.”

Her voice lowered as she added, “We were intrigued and decided to try for ourselves. But only my friend could reach the tenth floor.” She stopped, her gaze distant, and I seized the chance to ask, “Was she distressed?”

Lady Estella nodded solemnly. “She was struggling with her mate at the time. It wasn’t long before I noticed her behavior changing. She’d zone out during conversations, leave abruptly, and even skip her own classes. She’d spend hours alone on the tenth floor. Her obsession began to terrify me.”

She paused again, as though the memories weighed heavily on her. “And then, one day, she jumped. Everyone said it was from the rooftop, but I knew in my heart–it was from the tenth floor.”

The room fell silent. Lamar turned to me with a sigh. “And that’s exactly what happened to Lucy. So how does this help us?”

His bluntness earned him a sharp glare from Lady Estella. She didn’t appreciate her story being dismissed.

“My friend died instantly,” she continued, her voice edged with a sadness that hadn’t been there before. “But a week before she died, she told me something chilling. She said the tenth floor knew she was lying about being the victim. It could see through her facade. She said she wasn’t pure enough to free it from its curse–that it needed a simple, innocent soul to break free.”

The weight of her words hung in the air, and I felt my blood run cold.

My eyes welled up with tears as memories of Lucy flooded my mind. She was so pure, so naïve–a gentle, innocent she-wolf who didn’t deserve any of this.

“Alright, so we’re back to the same question,” Lamar snapped, his frustration bubbling over. “How does this help us? Lucy’s in a coma, and–”

Lord Dewitt interrupted, his voice cutting through Lamar’s complaints like a blade. “There’s someone who survived the tenth floor.”

Both Lamar and I froze, the weight of Dewitt’s words sinking in.

“There are rumors,” Dewitt continued, his tone steady and deliberate, “of a person who reached the tenth floor, allowed the entity to take over their body, and yet somehow survived. They managed to trap the entity back on the tenth floor and escape death.” He leaned back, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. “If you can find that person–whether man or woman–you could learn how they did it. And perhaps… save your friend.”

I turned to Lamar, searching his face for a reaction. For a moment, he looked as though he wanted to dismiss it entirely. But then, his expression shifted. The tension in his shoulders eased, and I could see the flicker of hope returning to his eyes.

It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a chance. A small thread of hope we couldn’t afford to ignore.