Ruthless Decisions

**Dimitri**

Haizel’s words still echoed in my mind as I walked back to the office. Each step seemed to reverberate through the mansion, the walls absorbing the weight of my thoughts. The main hall, once a place of strategy and unity, now felt colder, as if the air itself had been tainted by the darkness of her revelations. My heart, heavy with a boiling mix of anger and betrayal, pounded in my chest, each beat a reminder of the gravity of the situation we were now entangled in.

I couldn’t shake the image of Angel from my mind—the way she had looked, vulnerable and wounded, after the brutal confrontation with Lucian. The memory was seared into my consciousness, fueling a fire of rage that threatened to consume me. The thought that Haizel, someone I had trusted implicitly, had played a part in that near-tragedy was a bitter pill to swallow. My fists clenched at my sides as I walked, the anger bubbling just below the surface, demanding release.

But anger alone wasn’t what gnawed at me. It was the sense of betrayal that truly cut deep, a betrayal that had shattered the trust I had placed in Haizel. Trust wasn’t something I gave easily, and for her to destroy it so carelessly was unforgivable. Even though I knew I had to keep my emotions in check, to think clearly, the thought of what might have happened to Angel—of what still could happen—made it nearly impossible to focus.

As I reached the office, the door creaked open under my touch, and I found Leonardo waiting for me inside, his posture rigid with concern. He was standing near the window, his gaze distant, as if lost in his own thoughts. When he turned to face me, the worry etched into his features was unmistakable. He knew the weight of what had just transpired between Haizel and me, and the gravity of what it meant for our future.

“Dimitri,” he began, his voice low and measured, but carrying the weight of unspoken questions. “What did Haizel say?”

I took a deep breath, trying to steady the torrent of emotions swirling inside me. “She admitted she was involved with Lucian before all of this started,” I said, my voice tight with barely controlled fury. “She claims he manipulated her, controlled her, made her do things she didn’t want to do. She says she couldn’t resist him.”

Leonardo’s eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing in contemplation. “And you believe her?” The question hung in the air, loaded with implications.

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I turned toward the large window that dominated one wall of the office, looking out at the darkening sky. The sun was setting, casting long, blood-red shadows across the landscape, a fitting reflection of the turmoil inside me. When I finally spoke, my voice was cold, almost detached. “I believe she was manipulated, yes. But that doesn’t excuse what she did. Her actions almost cost Angel her life. That’s something I can’t forgive, Leonardo. Not easily.”

Leonardo’s jaw tightened, a muscle in his cheek twitching as he processed my words. “So, what do we do now?” he asked, his voice steady but laced with tension. “Haizel could still be useful. If she has information that can help us take Lucian down, we might need her. But if she’s lying…”

I turned back to face him, my decision already made. The fury that had simmered within me was now a cold, ruthless resolve. “She’s going to have to prove her loyalty,” I said, my voice as hard as steel. “And not with words. I want actions. I want concrete proof that she’s willing to make things right. She will have one chance to redeem herself. One.”

Leonardo held my gaze, his loyalty unwavering. He understood the stakes as well as I did. “And if she fails?”

There was no hesitation in my response. “If she fails, there will be no mercy.” The words came out like a death sentence, final and unyielding. There was no room for doubt, no space for second chances. Haizel had crossed a line, and if she did so again, the consequences would be swift and unforgiving.

The silence that followed was thick with understanding. Both of us knew that the future of the pack hung in the balance, and there could be no room for error. Haizel’s next steps would determine not only her fate but possibly the fate of everyone under my command. She would have to navigate the treacherous waters she had helped create, and the slightest misstep would seal her doom.

“We need to move quickly,” I continued, breaking the silence, my tone sharp with determination. “Lucian will know that we’re onto Haizel’s betrayal, and he might try to use that to his advantage. We can’t let him get the upper hand. I want tighter surveillance on Haizel. Any suspicious activity, no matter how small, is to be reported directly to me. We can’t afford to give Lucian any more chances.”

Leonardo nodded, already mentally preparing to carry out my orders. His efficiency and loyalty were never in question, and I knew he would do whatever it took to protect the pack. “The pack will be on high alert,” he assured me. “And what about Angel? Does she need to know?”

At the mention of Angel, my chest tightened painfully. I turned back to the window, my eyes following the last rays of sunlight as they dipped below the horizon. The thought of her suffering even more because of Haizel’s actions was almost too much to bear. “Angel has been through enough because of this,” I said quietly, my voice filled with a mix of sorrow and determination. “She deserves to know the truth, but not yet. Not until this is resolved. I won’t let anything else hurt her.”

Leonardo didn’t press further. He understood my need to protect Angel, to shield her from the chaos that was closing in around us. “Understood,” he said, his tone gentle but resolute. “I’ll make sure Haizel is watched closely. And you, Dimitri? How are you holding up?”

I let out a slow, heavy breath, the weight of everything pressing down on me. “I’m dealing with it,” I replied, my voice a little more subdued. But the truth was, I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep this up. The burden of leadership, of making the right decisions in the face of overwhelming odds, was taking its toll. But there was no time to falter. Not now.

Leonardo didn’t push me further. He knew the toll this was taking on me, but he also knew that there was no room for weakness. We were in the fight of our lives, and we couldn’t afford to lose focus. He left the office to carry out my orders, leaving me alone with the weight of what was to come.

I walked to the window and stared out at the darkening forest. The last light of day was fading, leaving the world bathed in shadow. The sky was a deep, angry red, as if reflecting the blood that had been shed and the blood that was yet to be spilled. The air was thick with the promise of more violence, more death. And I knew that we were heading into something much darker than any of us had faced before.

I needed to be ready. Stronger than ever. For myself, for the pack, and for Angel. Whatever it took, I would do it. Even if it meant making the hardest decisions of my life.

As the night closed in around me, a cold, relentless determination settled in my heart. I wouldn’t let Lucian win. I wouldn’t let him destroy everything we had built, everything I held dear. I would fight, and I would make sure that when the dust settled, we would be the ones left standing.

From this moment on, everything was at stake. And I was ready to fight until the bitter end.