Free Web NovelChapter 217: Chapter 217 Caesar Never Betrayed
Sylvia’s POV
"Sylvia," my sister said breathlessly when I answered. "I’ve been trying to reach you all day!"
"Selene? Aren’t you supposed to be at orientation?"
"Don’t hang up," she said immediately, her voice uncharacteristically urgent. "I’m on my way to your office. I have something you need to see."
Before I could respond, she continued, "It’s about Caesar and Frostline. Please, Sylvia—this is important."
"Fine," I conceded. "I’m still in my office."
Twenty minutes later, my office door burst open, and Selene rushed in clutching a laptop and several flash drives. Her typically immaculate appearance was disheveled—her honey-blonde hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, dark circles prominent under her eyes.
"You look like hell," I remarked, unable to keep the surprise from my voice.
"Thanks for the assessment," she replied dryly, dropping her equipment on my desk.
She immediately began connecting the flash drives to my computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard.
"Since when did you become a financial forensics expert?" I asked, watching as she pulled up complex spreadsheets and banking records.
"Since I suspected something wasn’t right with the story everyone’s being fed," she muttered, not looking up. "Caesar isn’t stupid, Sylvia. He wouldn’t tank his mate’s company without a damn good reason."
"Look at this," Selene said, pointing to a series of transactions. "These are Frostline’s accounts from the past six months. See these deposits? They’re coming from an anonymous source, always exactly when we need them most."
I leaned closer, examining the numbers. "These deposits started right around the time we began working with Vertex."
"Exactly," Selene nodded. "And the routing patterns? They’re identical to how Vertex shields their more... discreet financial operations."
"How do you even know about Vertex’s financial patterns?" I asked, giving her a suspicious look.
She had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "I may have been keeping tabs on your relationship with the Vertex."
Selene sighed, looking genuinely troubled. "There’s more. Helena Blackwood hasn’t been seen in public for weeks."
The name sent a chill down my spine. Helena—William’s sister, Caesar’s childhood friend, and the woman who had made her interest in him painfully obvious at every opportunity. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
"What does Helena have to do with this?" I asked, though I was beginning to connect the dots.
"William’s people have been asking questions about her whereabouts," Selene explained. "They’re getting increasingly desperate. And the timing aligns perfectly with Caesar’s sudden ’betrayal’ of Frostline."
Our eyes met, and for perhaps the first time in our lives, we shared a moment of perfect understanding.
"He’s holding her," I said slowly, the realization dawning. "Caesar has Helena."
"As collateral against William," Selene finished. "It’s a power play—probably to protect you and Frostfang territory from whatever William was planning."
I turned to look out the window, processing this new information. "But why cut ties with me? Why not tell me what was happening?"
"Because you’d try to stop him," Selene said simply. "We both know you have... moral objections to certain Alpha tactics. And this is definitely in that category."
She was right. The thought of anyone—even someone like Helena—being held against their will made my skin crawl. But at the same time...
"The video," I murmured, turning back to Selene. "Someone sent me footage of William discussing plans to destroy Frostline to get to Caesar through me."
I showed her the video, watching her expression harden as William detailed his scheme.
"That bastard," she whispered. "He was planning to use you as bait all along."
"And Caesar knew," I said, pieces falling into place. "He pushed me away to keep me out of the crossfire."
I sank into my chair, staring at the financial records still displayed on my screen. "All this time, he’s been supporting Frostline in secret while pretending to abandon us."
Charna whined inside me, restless with the need to find our mate, to stand beside him rather than be protected from afar.
"I need to see the interrogation records," I said suddenly.
Selene frowned. "What interrogation records?"
"If Caesar is holding Helena, there will be transcripts, recordings—something," I explained, already reaching for my phone. "I know someone who might have access."
Dylan, Caesar’s Beta, answered on the second ring. When I requested the information, there was a long silence.
"He specifically ordered that you not be involved in this, Sylvia," he said finally, his voice low and conflicted. freewebnoveℓ.com
"Dylan," I pressed, "I’m already involved. Please—I need to understand what he’s doing."
Another pause, then: "Check your email in five minutes. But I was never the source."
True to his word, five minutes later my inbox chimed with an encrypted file. When I opened it, hours of video and transcription appeared—Helena, confined to a luxurious but secure room, being questioned by Caesar himself.
Selene and I watched in silence as Caesar methodically extracted information from Helena about William’s plans.
The final recording was from just two days ago—the day before Caesar had publicly severed ties with Frostline.
"William knows I have you," Caesar told Helena. "He’s made his counteroffer—your freedom in exchange for leaving Sylvia and Frostfang alone."
Helena’s eyes widened. "You’re giving me back to my brother? After everything I’ve told you?"
"With conditions," Caesar replied coldly. "The first being that if anything—anything at all—happens to Sylvia Frost or her interests, I will personally ensure the Blackwood line ends with your generation."
I closed the laptop, my hands trembling slightly. Beside me, Selene was unusually quiet.
"If our positions were reversed," I asked softly, more to myself than to her, "what would I have done? If someone threatened Caesar and my pack, would I make the same choices?"
The answer came with startling clarity. Yes, I would. Perhaps not in exactly the same way, but I would have moved heaven and earth to protect him—even if it meant making difficult, morally ambiguous decisions.
I remembered all the small ways Caesar had protected me throughout our relationship: the security upgrades at my apartment, the background checks on new employees, his insistence that I learn self-defense. He’d been preparing for this threat all along.
"What will you do now?" Selene asked, breaking the silence.
Instead of answering her directly, I picked up my phone and dialed Noah Smith.
"Noah? It’s Sylvia Frost. I need a favor."
