Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Isabella’s POV
After three days in the house Dimitri had taken Adele and me to, we finally returned to the penthouse—thank goodness. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel Adele and I were safe there. The problem was that, on the first night, Dimitri and I had crossed a line.
By the next morning, when reality came crashing down on me like a tidal wave, I’d shut him out—told him it meant nothing, when in truth, it meant everything.
The following two days were torture. Avoiding someone you lived with—and shared a daughter with—was nearly impossible. Awkward didn’t even begin to cover it.
So yes, I was relieved to finally breathe air that didn’t taste like his intoxicating scent. Relieved not to have to suppress my wolf or force my body to behave every time he was near—which was often.
I locked the door behind us—both locks, plus the chain—and watched as Adele dropped her bag by the couch and immediately went to switch on the television.
I finally turned on my phone. It had been off because Dimitri wanted to make sure we couldn’t be tracked. Almost instantly, it buzzed alive with notifications—dozens of messages, most from Crane. And before I could even scroll through them, the phone started ringing.
Crane’s name flashed on the screen.
Right before I turned my phone off three days ago, I’d sent him a short message: Adele and I need to lay low for a few days. Don’t worry.
Clearly, that hadn’t worked.
I answered. “Crane—”
“Where the hell have you been?” His voice exploded through the speaker, equal parts fury and relief. “Three days, Isabella. Three days of radio silence. Do you have any idea what I’ve been thinking?”
“I’m sorry. I told you we were fine.”
“A text message saying you’re ‘laying low’ is not fine.
That’s code for something terrible happened, and I’m trying not to panic you.
” He took a breath, and I could picture him pacing his office in Zurich, running a hand through his hair the way he always did when stressed.
“What happened? Are you hurt? Is Adele hurt?”
“We’re okay. Both of us.” I lowered my voice, glancing at Adele, who was flipping through kids’ channels on YouTube. “There was an incident. Someone tried to—” I hesitated. “Someone attacked us. But we’re safe now.”
The silence on the other end was deafening. I could practically feel the storm brewing behind it.
“Pack your bags,” Crane said finally, his voice deadly calm. “Both of you. I’m sending the jet. You’re coming back to Zurich. Today.”
“I can’t.”
“Isabella—”
“I can’t, Crane.” I moved into the kitchen, putting more distance between myself and Adele. “It’s not that simple anymore.”
“The hell it isn’t. Someone tried to kill you. You think I’m going to let you stay there and wait for them to try again?”
“Adele’s father is here, and they only just reunited. She’s happy with him. I don’t want to take that away from her.”
Crane knew Adele’s father was in Virginia—but that was all he knew. He didn’t know it was Dimitri, and he’d never asked.
“If that’s the case, we’ll figure out the custody arrangement from here—with lawyers and proper channels. But you need to be somewhere safe, and clearly Virginia isn’t—”
“No.” The word came out firmer than I intended. “Whoever attacked us can still trace us back to Virginia and finish the job. I need to find out who’s behind this—who wants us dead. Because until I know that, until I have proof, we’re not safe anywhere.”
“And you think you can find proof by staying in the middle of it?”
“Yes.” My voice didn’t waver. “I have a feeling it has something to do with Ravencrest Global.”
Not just a feeling. I knew with absolute certainty. My instincts had settled on Selene from the moment the attack happened. The timing was too convenient, right after she’d made a scene at the board meeting.
There was a sharp inhale on the other end of the line.
“Isabella,” Crane said quietly, the calm in his voice turning razor thin, “Ravencrest Global isn’t just another corporation.
It’s a powerhouse. People would kill for a share in it.
Even if it’s just one percent.” His voice hardened.
“If someone has set their sights on that company, they won’t care that Adele is four years old.
If she’s a threat to their ambitions, they’ll eliminate her without hesitation. ”
“I know.” My voice hardened. “But the good thing is that I have access now. A seat on the board. Resources. I can watch them up close. Figure out who’s making moves against us.”
“Or you could get yourself killed.”
“I won’t. I’ll be careful. I’ve already doubled security for Adele, and I’m not taking any unnecessary risks.”
Crane sighed, long and heavy. “You’re being stubborn.”
“I learned from the best.”
“That’s not funny, Isabella. This is serious. You have a daughter to think about.”
“I am thinking about her. About the fact that someone sent us a bloody animal heart with a death threat. That someone tried to shoot us in broad daylight. My daughter is in danger—and I need to know why. I need to know who is behind this.”
“Be careful, Isabella. If this is pack politics, it’s more dangerous than you realize. I should know—I’m an Alpha myself.”
“I know. I’ll be careful.”
“And if things go south—if you change your mind—”
“I’ll call you.” My tone softened. “I promise.”
“I mean it. Anything you need, any time of day or night, you call me.”
“I will.”
We said our goodbyes, and I ended the call feeling both reassured and unsettled. Crane was right to be worried. This was dangerous.
But what choice did I have? Run again? Spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder? Let whoever was behind this think they’d won?
No. I wasn’t that woman anymore. I wasn’t going to run, and I wasn’t going to let them break me a second time.
Adele and I spent the rest of the morning watching TV. Thankfully, she’d recovered from the shock of what happened—thanks in no small part to Dimitri. She felt safe. Reassured. And that was all I ever wanted for her.
By afternoon, my phone beeped. An email notification from Ravencrest Global.
Emergency Board Meeting – 3:00 PM.
I stared at the message, unease curling in my stomach. Two hours’ notice? That was never a good sign.
I wanted to ignore it. Stay home with Adele, keep her close, keep her safe.
But another part of me—the part that remembered Crane’s advice about watching the snake up close—knew I couldn’t. I needed to be there.
I forwarded the email to the security company Dimitri had contracted, requesting additional protection for Adele.
Within minutes, I got confirmation: two guards outside the building, two in the lobby, and Sarah inside the apartment with Adele.
No one—absolutely no one—was allowed near my daughter without my explicit permission.
It would have to be enough.
I got dressed, kissed Adele goodbye, and headed out.
The conference room was already half full when I arrived. Board members clustered in small groups, whispering in low tones that stopped the moment I entered. Eyes followed me—curious, hostile, assessing.
I kept my expression neutral and took my seat—the same one I’d occupied two weeks ago, when Dimitri had announced Adele’s inheritance.
Dimitri sat at the head of the table, expression unreadable.
Our eyes met briefly, and something flickered in his gaze.
My traitorous body responded instantly. My wolf whined inside me, but I forced her to focus.
This wasn’t the time to think about how good his mouth had felt against my skin, how he swallowed my moan with his kisses when he thrust his fingers inside of me, how perfect he’d felt inside me—
Fuck. I was doing it again.
I tore my gaze away, landing on Selene. Her glare was sharp enough to cut steel. I met it head-on, letting her know I was onto her, whatever game she was playing.
Edmund sat to Dimitri’s left, his weathered face grave. When he caught my eye, he gave a small nod, a gesture of quiet support that meant more than he knew.
The last few board members trickled in, and finally, the man Edmund had introduced as Ethan Thorpe, the man who had been staring viciously at me at the last board meeting, stood.
“My name is Ethan Thorpe,” he began. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I apologize for the inconvenience, but the matter we need to discuss couldn’t wait. ”
He pressed a button on the remote, and the screen behind him flickered to life.
Motion for Impeachment of CEO.
My blood ran cold.
“As many of you are aware,” Ethan continued, “Ravencrest Global has experienced instability in recent weeks, leadership decisions that have raised questions about judgment and priorities. Actions that have put this company’s reputation at risk.”
Several members shifted in their seats. A few nodded.
“It is with great reluctance,” Ethan said smoothly, “that I move for the impeachment of Dimitri Ravencrest as CEO of Ravencrest Global, effective immediately.”
The room went dead silent.
“On what grounds?” It was Edmund who asked.
“The grounds are clear,” he continued. “Mr. Ravencrest has allowed personal entanglements to compromise his ability to lead effectively. He’s made unilateral decisions without prior board approval. He’s—”
“I had board approval for every major decision,” Dimitri cut in, voice low and dangerous. “Including Adele’s inheritance and Isabella’s appointment.”
“After the fact,” Ethan shot back. “You announced it without prior discussion or vote. That’s not leadership. That’s dictatorship.”
“It was within my rights as majority shareholder.”
“Rights you’re now sharing with a child.
And her mother.” Ethan’s gaze flicked to me—cold, cutting.
“A woman who abandoned this pack five years ago. Who has no loyalty to Ravencrest or its interests. Furthermore,” Ethan continued, switching slides, “there’s the matter of the recent attack.
Broad daylight. Targeting Mr. Ravencrest and his…
companion. This is the kind of attention this company can’t afford. ”
“The attack had nothing to do with company business,” Dimitri said.
“Didn’t it?” Ethan arched a brow. “Your distraction, your divided attention, your personal drama—it all creates vulnerability. For you. For this company. For the pack.”
That’s when Selene stood. Of course she did.
“I didn’t want to speak,” she began, her voice soft and sorrowful. I rolled my eyes internally at her theatrics. “This is difficult for me, but I can’t stay silent when the future of our company—of our pack—is at stake.”
Her gaze found me, full of false pity.
“Isabella Garrett,” she said, and somehow my name sounded like an accusation.
“She has systematically worked to undermine my husband’s position since the moment she returned to Seattle.
She’s used her daughter—Dimitri’s daughter—as leverage to gain power and influence she hasn’t earned.
She comes from tainted blood. Her mother destroyed Alpha Asher, tore this pack apart with lies.
And now the daughter is doing the same—seducing Dimitri, distracting him from his duties, compromising his judgment. ”
Her voice rose, gaining momentum. “And let’s not forget—she works for Crane Internationale, a competing conglomerate. How do we know she’s not feeding them information? How do we know she’s not sabotaging us from within?”
The accusations hung in the air like poison.
Murmurs rippled around the table. Many were in agreement. None were in support. The rest who didn’t agree didn’t refute it either. Clearly, I wasn’t popular amongst this crowd. They’d never liked me in the first place.
And in that moment, I understood exactly what Selene was doing.
She was forcing me into an impossible choice: reject Dimitri publicly—prove my loyalty to the company—or walk away entirely. Either way, she won.
Part of me wanted to do it. To tell them all to go to hell, grab Adele, and disappear.
But something stopped me.
Maybe it was pride. Maybe it was the memory of Dimitri taking a bullet for us. Or maybe it was the way he’d held me three nights ago, promising to always choose us.
So, I stayed silent, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me fret.
The silence stretched until Ethan spoke again.
“Mr. Ravencrest, you have a choice. You can resign voluntarily—step down with dignity—and allow someone else to lead this company forward. Or we can put it to a vote, right here, right now.”
He paused, gaze sweeping the room. “I’ve already counted. The board is split evenly. Twelve for impeachment, twelve against.”
Which meant one vote would decide everything.
“So,” Ethan said, smiling thinly. “What will it be, Mr. Ravencrest? Resignation? Or humiliation?”