Chapter 160: Deception
Leonardo’s POV
He turned, pulling back his hood and showing his face. His cold, sharp eyes, full of calculation, locked onto mine.
A familiar smirk spread across his lips, a look that used to scare me when I was a kid.
I knew it was Uncle Raymond, but he didn't know I recognized him.
So, I pretended to be surprised, widening my eyes slightly.
“Uncle Raymond?”
I said, trying to sound shocked. He smiled, pleased by my reaction or what he thought was my reaction.
“There it is,” he murmured.
“That look. I always said you wore your heart too easily on your face.”
He turned and walked a few steps ahead, then gestured casually to a metal chair positioned near the center of the room.
“Sit.”
Uncle Raymond spoke calmly, but I sensed the power and expectation behind his words.
I nodded and walked slowly to my seat, being careful with every step.
I sat down, keeping my breathing steady and my hands relaxed.
I pretended to be nervous, but actually, I was in control.
He studied me for a moment, then lowered himself into the chair across from mine.
His face was expressionless, like a statue carved from ice.
“Why was the challenge canceled?” he asked flatly.
I hesitated, just long enough to sell the act. Then I let the words tumble out, sharp and slightly panicked, like someone trying to explain away a disaster.
“Alessandro,” I said, voice low.
“He came to me out of nowhere, grabbed me by the collar, and started yelling about Aurora.
I had no idea what he was talking about, but he kept going, accusing me of taking her… saying I sent him some threatening letter demanding he forfeit the challenge.”
Uncle Raymond’s mouth curved into a smug smile.
“Alessandro…” he said slowly, almost with pity.
“So emotional. I knew taking her from him would render him defenseless… vulnerable.”
I furrowed my eyes, my voice quieter now. Accusatory.
“You kidnapped her, didn’t you, Uncle?”
His smirk deepened. He stood, hands clasped behind his back, as he began to pace slowly, like a teacher indulging a foolish student.
“Well… let’s just say I intervened,” he said, his tone light and unapologetic.
“Alessandro may be a fierce warrior, stronger than you even. And if left unchecked, he would’ve become Alpha.
So, I had to tip the scales in your favor.”
I scoffed, unable to help it.
“So, what, you didn’t believe I had what it takes to win on my own?”
He stopped pacing, looking down at me with a raised brow.
“You’re my one chance at getting what has rightfully been mine a long time,” he said simply.
“I knew that if I had left you without help, you would have lost, and all my plans would have been for nothing.”
I met his gaze, keeping my expression guarded.
“You underestimate me, Uncle.”
His smile faltered just for a split second, but then he slipped right back into that smug, self-assured mask he always wore.
“Come on, Leonardo,” he said smoothly, circling behind me like a vulture.
“Kidnapping Aurora and making her yours… isn’t that what you wanted?
Once you become Alpha, she’ll be yours completely. Alessandro will be banished, stripped of everything.
And then you’ll rule this pack as you see fit… with me at your side.”
I forced a smile, slow and bitter, just believable enough to feed his delusion.
“Yes, Uncle,” I said.
“I want Alessandro to pay for stealing the one thing I cherished.
Once I’m Alpha, I’ll make sure he never sees her again.”
Uncle Raymond laughed quietly, pleased with himself.
I kept the smile on my lips, but inside, I was burning.
Not with hate for Alessandro but for the man in front of me. The man who thought he could twist everything and everyone into his game.
But soon… the game would be mine.
“Can I see her?” I asked, keeping my voice steady, just the right mix of longing and bitterness.
Uncle Raymond studied me for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to read deeper into my words.
Then, slowly, a smile curled on his lips.
“Of course,” he said smoothly.
He raised his hand and gave a small signal.
Almost immediately, one of his rogue guards appeared from the shadows, stepping forward with a slight bow of his head.
“Take him to her,”
Uncle Raymond ordered, his voice calm but commanding.
“Let him see what he's fighting for.”
I nodded slowly, rising from my seat. I couldn’t let my eagerness show.
Not yet. Not until I was with her.
Because once I saw her…
That’s when everything would change.
The guard turned and walked down the hallway, his boots making loud noises on the concrete floor.
I followed quietly, my heart racing. Each step felt heavy, like I was carrying the weight of all my past choices.
We walked past old doors and flickering lights. The building felt cold and damp, like the air was stale.
Then we stopped. The guard unlocked a thick, rusty door and pushed it open slowly.
I stepped forward.
And there she was.
Aurora.
Sitting on a thin mattress in the corner of the room, her knees pulled up to her chest, her hair messy and tangled. Her clothes were worn, her skin paler than usual, but her eyes… her eyes still burned with fire.
The moment she saw me, she stood up slowly, cautiously.
Her lips parted slightly, confusion flashing across her face.
“Leonardo?” she whispered.
I froze for half a second. It was harder than I thought it would be, seeing her like this.
Hurt. Trapped. But still unbroken.
I couldn’t speak, not yet, not with the guard watching.
So I hardened my expression and stepped closer, keeping my voice low and distant.
“I just wanted to see for myself,” I said coldly, my eyes locking onto hers.
“The girl that brought everything crashing down.”
Her face fell, and the hope in her eyes faded a little.
“You… you were involved in all of this?” She asked, her voice quiet, trembling not with fear, but disbelief.
I let out a low smirk, playing the part I needed to.
“Do you really think I’d stand by and let Alessandro become Alpha?”
I said, stepping closer, my voice cold, filled with just enough venom to sell the lie.
“Not on my watch, Aurora.”
Her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but I didn’t let her.
I had to make the scene convincing. Every word needed to reach Uncle Raymond’s ears.
“You’re mine,” I said firmly, my voice echoing slightly in the small room.
“And I’ll never let him take you from me. Never.”
She stared at me, frozen.
Hurt rippled across her face, raw and real, like I had just driven a knife into her chest.
Her voice trembled.
“I can’t believe this… You did all of this… to prove what, Leonardo?”
I held her gaze, my jaw clenched, keeping the mask on because I had to.
“To prove that I’m the only one who truly deserves you,” I said, my tone hard, cruel, and intentional.
“I'm not the weak son everyone thought I was.”
She took a step back, looking disappointed.
I hated seeing her like this. I hated hurting her and watching her lose trust in me.
But she needed to believe it.
At least for now.
It was the only way to keep her safe… to keep me from being discovered too soon.
Hold on a little longer, Aurora.
Just a little longer.
Alessandro is coming to get you.
And when he does, we end this together.
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