28. Unexpected Victories And Blackmail?
Unexpected Victories And Blackmail?
~ E LIZABETH~
"Honestly, Abbie girl, I'm beyond proud," Dad's Russian accent voice carries through the phone, warm and genuine as always. "But five million dollars? That's absolutely insane!"
I laugh, shuffling through the growing pile of mail on the kitchen counter.
"Trust me, I'm still processing it myself. Apparently, someone recorded the whole performance and it went viral." I pause, shaking my head in amazement. "Like, actually viral. The video has millions of views across all platforms."
"As it should!" He sounds so excited I can practically see him pacing in his office, the way he always does when he's enthused about something. "The way you moved with those Alphas – it was revolutionary, sweetheart. Breaking boundaries while maintaining such incredible technical precision..."
"Dad," I groan, though I can't hide my smile. "You're starting to sound like those dance critics in the comments section."
His laugh fills the line.
"Speaking of those Alphas...they're your pack now, ya? The ones in the video?"
I sort another envelope into the growing 'scholarship offers' pile, which has somehow become a daily occurrence.
"Yeah, they are. There's James – you remember him from Harvard?"
"The Morrison boy? Of course! Always liked him."
"Well, he's even more insufferable now," I say fondly, moving into the kitchen to grab some water. "Then there's Carter. He's the one who did the hip-hop portion with me. Total show-off but incredibly talented. Could probably kill someone with his pinky finger but spends most of his time making terrible jokes."
"Sounds charming," Dad chuckles. “Anyone who can make my baby girl laugh is a good one.”
"Felix is the quiet one…well, quieter than the others. Brilliant with computers, probably knows everyone's secrets but is too polite to use them unless provoked." I pause at a particularly fancy envelope, adding it to the scholarship pile. "And then there's Holmes..."
"The one who arranged the IACDE visit?" I had told him my suspicions that he had to be the culprit in that.
Heat rises to my cheeks at the reminder.
"Yeah, that's him. He's...complicated. But in a good way, I think. Definitely more than he appears at first glance."
"Mmm," Dad hums knowingly. "That's the one who kissed you at the end of the video, right?"
"Dad!" I sputter, nearly dropping the stack of mail I'm sorting. "You weren't supposed to see that part!"
"Sweetheart, the whole world has seen that part. It's all over TikTok with that 'romantic tension' sound playing over it."
I groan, leaning against the counter, because why is it MORE cringe having your old man see that shit with current millennial trends.
Embrassing.
"I'm never going to live this down, am I?"
"Not likely," he says cheerfully. "Oh, and speaking of things you'll never live down, Marissa will be at the family dinner."
A laugh escapes me as I pick up a plain white envelope with no return address.
"Of course she will. Wouldn't be a proper family gathering without my replacement trying to prove how much better she is than the family disappointment."
"Elizabeth," Dad's voice carries that gentle reproach he's perfected over the years. "You know you were never a disappointment. Not to me."
"I know, Dad," I say softly, fingers playing with the envelope's edge. "And honestly? I don't even care about Marissa. Never really did. You know that. Let her play perfect daughter all she wants. Doesn’t get rid of me, especially when I’m alive and kicking.
"That's my girl," he says proudly. A beeping sound carries through the line. "Oh, shoot, that's probably the board calling..."
"Go," I encourage him. "Get those deals rolling in seeing as I’ll be home for Christmas I guess.” I can tell from the way he gleefully makes a noise he’s happy about that. “I've got to get ready anyway. The guys are taking me to some club tonight. Apparently it has an actual fighting ring in the middle or something equally ridiculous."
"Just promise me you'll be careful. Now that you’re a mega famous Omega with nice legs and four groveling Alphas around you, it puts you in the spotlight," he reminds.
“Yes, yes. Don’t worry, Papa. I don’t think anyone is stupid enough to play tricks with me, especially when so many eyes are on me, wondering what’s next for the ‘Forgotten Omega’ at Knot Academy. I swear, might as well make a damn club. Forgotten Omegas only. Initiation is being stuck here for more than two years minimum with no pack in sight.”
“You’re actually thinking of something swell, my dear,” Dad encourages, making me laugh.
“I’ll make it happen, watch!”
“I’ll be waiting,” he says and I can hear the smile in his voice. "And Abbie?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm beyond proud of you, sweetheart. Always have been, always will be."
The simple sincerity in his voice makes my throat tight.
"Thanks, Dad," I manage before we hang up.
I have to set both the phone and the envelope down for a moment, fanning my eyes to keep the tears at bay. The last thing I need is to ruin my makeup before tonight's adventures.
Deep breaths, Elizabeth. You can get emotional about having the best dad ever later.
Once I'm sure my mascara isn't in immediate danger, I pick up the mysterious envelope again. The paper is high quality – thick and creamy under my fingers – but completely unmarked except for my name in elegant handwriting.
Well, this is either going to be really good or really bad...
I slide my finger under the envelope's seal, pulling out a single sheet of paper that immediately makes my eyebrows rise.
The message, crafted from letters cut from various newspapers and magazines, looks like something straight out of a low-budget thriller movie.
LEAVE YOUR PACK OR DIE IN AN ALLEY LIKE THE WORTHLESS OMEGA YOU ARE!
"Damn," I mutter, turning the paper over to examine the amateur craftsmanship. "These bitches are fast. Can't even have a viral video before I'm getting threatened with death and misery. Fun."
I move to rip the letter, already mentally composing a TikTok about how basic this attempt at intimidation is when Felix's voice crackles through what must be an intercom system I didn't even know existed.
"I wouldn't rip that if I were you."
My head snaps up, eyes scanning the ceiling as if I might catch him hanging from one of the panels like some tech-savvy Spider-Man.
"Felix?"
His chuckle carries through the speaker, warm and amused.
"In the man cave."
"The what now?" I spin slowly, trying to locate the source of his voice. "And how many cameras do you have in this place?"
"Enough," he says cryptically. "Want to find me? We can play Marco Polo."
A laugh bubbles up from my chest, and I have to appreciate the absurdity of the moment. Here I am, holding what's essentially a death threat, and I'm about to play hide and seek with an Alpha who's probably watching me through multiple cameras.
"You know what? Sure," I say, carefully folding the threatening letter and sliding it into my pocket. "But let's make it interesting. Every time I guess wrong, I'll strip off a piece of clothing."
There's a choking sound from the speaker, followed by muffled cursing.
"Fuck," Felix manages finally. "I'll be lost forever then, just to catch footage of you strolling around the house naked."
"Perv," I tease, already moving toward the stairs. "But you know...the faster I find you, the faster we can deal with whatever this is and maybe have some quality time before the others show up."
"Basement level, hidden door between the stairs. There's a panel that looks like part of the wall, but if you press the right side, it'll swing open."
The speed with which he responds makes me laugh out loud.
"What happened to Marco Polo?" I ask, already heading for the stairs.
"Elizabeth," his voice carries that mix of exasperation and amusement I'm growing fond of, "you just offered alone time. I'm not about to waste that playing games."
“Love the bold confidence,” I praise. Still chuckling, I make my way down to the basement. Sure enough, there's a seemingly solid panel between the stairs that gives way when I press it, revealing a hidden passage.
"Very Batman of you," I comment as I step through.
The space beyond the secret door feels like stepping into another world. Banks of computer monitors line the walls, their screens displaying everything from security camera feeds to what looks like complex code scrolling past. Various gadgets and pieces of technology I can't even begin to identify fill the shelves, and the soft hum of powerful equipment fills the air.
Felix sits in what can only be described as a command center, multiple screens arranged in a semicircle around a chair that probably costs more than my entire wardrobe. The blue light from the monitors reflects off his glasses as he turns to face me, his expression a mix of professional focus and personal concern.
"Welcome to my lair," he says with a small smile, but I can see the tension in his shoulders. "Now, let me see that letter."
"Your lair needs a mini-fridge," I observe, pulling out the folded paper. "And maybe some throw pillows. Make it cozy." I further look around. “I can make a little nest here.”
He pauses to look at where I’m looking at, tilting his head which makes his glasses slide lower on his nose.
“That can be arranged, though we’re almost done with your main nest at Holmes’ place.”
“Wait.” That’s new. “I have a nest in Holmes’ place?”
“Yes,” though he frowns. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”
“Well, too late,” I say in glee, trying to tame my beating heart that’s going wild at the reveal.
That another part of this feels more permanent than some trial to appease our personal goals.
He accepts the letter with a snort of amusement, but his expression grows serious as he examines it.
"Did you touch the actual cutout letters?"
"Only the edges of the paper," I say, watching as he carefully places the letter in what looks like a clear evidence bag. "Though I have to say, if someone wanted to threaten me, they could at least be original about it. This is giving very much 'I just watched my first crime drama' energy."
“Or mean girls,” he mutters and I guess that makes sense just without the pasted scrapbook. The theme of the letter screams Burn Book material.
Felix's lips twitch slightly, but his eyes remain focused on the letter.
"Sometimes the most basic attempts can be the most dangerous. People who get creative usually want attention more than action. It's the simple, direct threats we need to worry about."
I lean against his desk, watching as he begins typing rapidly on one of his keyboards.
"You think this is serious?"
"I think," he says carefully, "that someone went to the trouble of finding out where we live, which isn't public information, and managed to get this letter past our security systems. I know it’s easier with us being at Knot Academy, but even with how shitty this school is, this part of Hard Knot Wing doesn’t play around with security. This was able to slip through their analysis, which means it could be an inside hit." He glances up at me. "So yes, I'm taking it seriously."
"Fair point," I concede, trying to ignore the chill that runs down my spine. "Any ideas who might have sent it?"
"Several," he mutters, his fingers flying over the keys. "But let's gather some evidence before we start pointing fingers. I'm going to scan this for prints, analyze the paper type, and see if I can match the font styles to specific publications."
I blink, impressed despite myself.
"That's...thorough. Don’t you think you’re going overboard with it? I mean…it’s just a letter. Probably a joke.”
"You're a part of our pack now," he says simply as if that explains everything. And maybe it does. “We don’t accept our Omega receiving threats of any kind from anyone. We protect what’s ours and I guess we’re going to have to make note of that if it means people get the message.”
"So much for our quality time," I sigh dramatically, but I can't hide my smile when he shoots me a look over his glasses.
"Give me twenty minutes with this, and then we can have all the quality time you want before the others show up." His voice drops slightly. "Unless you'd rather wait and let them know about this right away?"
I consider it for a moment, watching the screens fill with data as he works.
"No," I decide finally. "Let's see what we can figure out first. No need to ruin everyone's night out if this turns out to be nothing. Personally, I don’t want them to know just yet if it’s not serious. Holmes will be all anal and cancel Thanksgiving plans, and truthfully, I don’t want to miss it now that I have the chance to go."
Felix nods approvingly.
"Smart choice. Besides," he adds with a slight smirk, "I'd hate to waste this rare opportunity for alone time just because someone decided to get crafty with scissors and glue."
I laugh, settling in to watch him work his technological magic.
"My hero," I tease. "Saving me from arts and crafts gone wrong."
But under the playful banter, I can't quite shake the memory of those crude letters spelling out my potential fate.
Someone out there wants me gone badly enough to risk sending this message.
“Think it’s Victoria?” I end up asking as he gets to work.
“Sorry but Victoria is too stupid and far too impatient to pull this dumb art project off,” he admits, but pauses his scan to look back at me. “But I made sure to scan her fingerprints first,” he says with an added wink that makes me laugh.
“Good to think alike,” I hum in delight. “Just to be sure, do your thing. I’ll sit over here.”
“You sure?” he seems concerned with me sitting on the floor, but I’m already moving to the collection of books on his miniature bookshelf in the corner with various books, manga, games, and a few consoles.
“I have plenty of entertainment here. Don’t mind me,” I assure him. “But better be twenty minutes ‘cause your Omega is thirsty.”
And he knows I don’t mean for water.
He’s blushing when she looks back at him before he rushes to the computer.
“Fifteen minutes.”
I smirk and get comfortable.
Fifteen minutes it is.