The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Rowan’s POV

Finished

“Stole?” she whispered, pain flashing through her eyes. “I didn’t steal anything. I bought it at the pack flea

market.”

The lie hit me like an insult to my blood.

“Liar. This bracelet is one of a kind,” I growled, my alpha power rippling outward, forcing the weaker wolves nearby to stiffen. “Custom–crafted by Blackfang’s finest jeweler. I gave it to Lylah for her birthday.” My voice dropped, lethal. “How does something like that end up on a flea table?”

It didn’t make sense. I wouldn’t allow it to.

I had never seen Lylah wear it after the day I gave it to her–but I knew she treasured it. I knew she kept it in her jewelry box, taking it out at night, admiring it in quiet moments she thought I didn’t notice.

“Alpha, you’re mistaken,” another student said carefully, stepping forward under the weight of my aura. “There’s no way that piece is the same as Lady Lylah’s. We bought these at the market nearly three weeks ago.” She lifted her emerald necklace. “They sell cheaply for students like us who can’t afford luxury. There’s no way something belonging to the Alpha’s woman would be priced so low.”

Her words barely reached me.

Because I recognized the necklace.

I had given that to Lylah too. Long before the bracelet. A gift chosen during a rare moment when I believed she would keep it forever.

Cold realization crept through my veins.

Something was very, very wrong.

“What’s going on here?” Cora demanded as she pushed through the crowd, her scent sharp with alarm. “Why is everyone gathered around Alpha Rowan?”

I didn’t answer.

I turned and walked straight past them, my strides long, unforgiving.

“Rowan! Wait! What happened?” Cora called, struggling to keep up.

I didn’t slow down. I got into my car, the engine roaring in response to my agitation.

I drove like a wolf chasing prey.

The estate greeted me with unbearable stillness.

I climbed the stairs. Lylah’s room was exactly as it had been the day before–the bed perfectly made, the vanity untouched.

1:20 pm

Chapter 37

I opened the wardrobe.

Half of her clothes were gone.

Finished

Only the costly pieces were left behind–the ones I had bought for her. Coats and gowns worth fortunes. Nothing she had ever chosen on her own.

I went straight to her jewelry box.

Empty.

“Lylah!” I snarled into the silence. “You sold everything I gave you? For scraps? For nothing?”

I pulled out my phone. Message after message unread. I hit the call button.

The line didn’t even ring. She had blocked me.

A sharp unease cut through my chest.

The surveillance.

I strode into the monitoring room and pulled up the recording for her bedroom.

Dark.

She had disabled it.

“Lylah,” I muttered, fury and something dangerously close to panic threading my voice, “this isn’t funny. I don’t like your games.”

Outside, I cornered one of the maids and demanded the address of Lylah’s part–time job. I had never asked before, had never wanted to know. The idea of my woman working a menial job when I could provide her with everything had always scraped against my pride.

It wounded my alpha ego more than I cared to admit.

The restaurant was crowded when I arrived.

I stormed inside.

“Alpha!” Gavriel looked up in surprise. The Corlis Prima team sat with him, halfway through their meal. “Alpha what happened?”

“Where is Lylah?” I barked at the nearest waitress.

“S–she quit a long time ago, Alpha.”

My jaw tightened.

“She’s still missing?” Gavriel asked quietly.

“Call her,” I said coldly. “She won’t answer my confidants or me, but she worked with you. Make the call.

Now.”

2/3

1:20 pm

Chapter 37

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