Free Web NovelChapter 218: Chapter 218 William’s Trap
Author’s POV
William Blackwood paced the length of his office, his normally composed demeanor shattered by the news his subordinate had just delivered.
"What do you mean she’s not panicking?" he snarled, slamming his fist onto the glass desk. A spider-web of cracks spread across the surface, mirroring the fractures in his carefully constructed plan. "Frostline should be in chaos by now!"
His Beta, Michael, maintained a respectful distance, knowing better than to stand too close to an enraged Alpha.
"The reports indicate business as usual at Frostline headquarters, sir. Ms. Frost held three meetings with major clients today, and word is they all left reassured about their investments."
William’s eyes flashed with a dangerous golden glow as his wolf pushed forward in response to his anger. "That’s impossible. Caesar Conrad publicly severed all ties with them. Their stock should be plummeting!"
"It did drop initially," Michael acknowledged, "but it’s stabilized. And there’s something else—there are rumors that several anonymous investors have been shoring up their positions."
William froze mid-stride, his mind racing. This wasn’t how things were supposed to unfold. Sylvia Frost should have been desperate by now, reaching out to Caesar, creating the perfect leverage he needed against the Wolf King. Instead, she was... adapting?
"Accelerate our plans," William ordered, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "Spread the rumors more aggressively. I want every business contact in the territory hearing that Frostline is on the brink of bankruptcy. Make it convincing enough that their clients start jumping ship."
"And what about our... asset inside Frostline?" Michael asked carefully.
"Tell him to move now. We need those project files before Sylvia has a chance to secure them elsewhere."
After his Beta departed, William walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Northwestern territories. His land—beautiful, prosperous, but not enough. Not compared to what Caesar controlled. Not compared to what he could have if his sister’s obsession with the Wolf King had actually proved useful.
"You think you’re so clever, Conrad," he murmured to the distant skyline. "Taking my sister, threatening my position. But you’ve made one critical mistake—you care for that she-wolf far more than she’s worth."
What William failed to realize was that his desperate moves were playing directly into Caesar’s carefully crafted strategy. Every panicked decision, every aggressive action was revealing more of his network, exposing allies who had previously remained hidden in the shadows.
---
At Frostline headquarters, Leo Harris, ostensibly a recently terminated IT manager, slipped his access card through the reader at the back entrance. The light flashed green, and he allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. William’s intelligence had been correct; despite his "termination" two weeks ago, his access hadn’t been fully revoked.
His mission was simple: retrieve the proprietary data for Frostline’s groundbreaking renewable energy project, the one that could revolutionize power distribution across werewolf territories. William had buyers lined up already—buyers who wouldn’t care how the information was acquired.
Leo made his way through the darkened hallways toward the secure server room. Just as he rounded the final corner, the lights suddenly blazed to life, momentarily blinding him.
"Going somewhere, Leo?" a deep voice rumbled.
As his vision cleared, Leo found himself facing a wall of security personnel—not the regular Frostline guards, but specialized enforcers wearing the distinctive insignia of Eastern Pack Security Services.
"This... this is a misunderstanding," Leo stammered, taking a step backward. "I left some personal items—"
"In the secure server room?" A tall, blonde man stepped forward, his golden eyes reflecting his barely contained wolf. "Interesting choice of storage for your... what was it? Family photos?"
Leo’s hand inched toward the concealed weapon at his waist, but before he could reach it, he was slammed against the wall, a forearm pressed against his throat.
"I wouldn’t," Noah warned softly. "Sylvia specifically requested we keep you alive for questioning."
---
Sylvia’s office was dimly lit, the cityscape beyond her windows twinkling like fallen stars against the night sky. When her phone rang, she answered immediately.
"We have a guest," Noah’s calm voice informed her. "Found exactly where you predicted, trying to access exactly what you suspected."
"Thank you, Noah," she replied, relief evident in her tone. "Is he talking?"
"Not yet, but he will. The question is, what do you want me to do with the information?"
Sylvia hesitated only briefly. "Forward everything directly to Caesar. And Noah... I need another favor."
"Name it." frёeωebɳovel.com
"I need you to help me monitor William’s movements. Caesar may be planning an exchange—Helena for intelligence on William’s network. We need to make sure William’s remaining forces don’t use this opportunity to strike at Frostfang while Caesar’s attention is divided."
There was a pause on the line before Noah spoke again, his voice carrying a note of surprised admiration. "You know about Helena?"
"I do now," Sylvia confirmed.
"Caesar contacted me last week," Noah admitted. "Asked me to quietly secure Frostfang’s borders. He was quite specific that you shouldn’t know about Helena. Said you were too kindhearted and would struggle with the moral implications."
A small smile curved Sylvia’s lips. "He wasn’t wrong. But I’m not as fragile as he thinks."
"Clearly," Noah agreed. "For what it’s worth, I think he was trying to protect you—not just physically, but from having to compromise your principles."
"I know," Sylvia said softly. "That’s exactly what he was doing."
After ending the call, Sylvia remained by the window, her reflection ghostly in the glass. The pieces had finally come together in her mind—Caesar’s abrupt departure, the public severing of ties, his refusal to even see her these past days.
He wasn’t abandoning her; he was insulating her. By creating distance between them, he had given her the gift of plausible deniability, allowing her to maintain a neutral position in what was rapidly becoming a territorial power struggle. He had shouldered the moral weight of holding Helena captive alone, knowing Sylvia would have objected to such tactics, however necessary they might be.
Deep within her, Charna stirred, no longer restless with confusion but whimpering with longing. Her wolf understood completely now—their mate wasn’t rejecting them; he was fighting for them in the only way he knew how. Taking on the darkness so she wouldn’t have to. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Sylvia pressed her palm against the cool glass, as though reaching toward the distant territory where Caesar might be at this very moment, interrogating Helena, negotiating with William, orchestrating a complex web of protection around her and Frostfang.
"We won’t let him stand alone," she whispered, both to herself and to Charna. "Not anymore."
She pulled out her phone, her fingers moving with newfound determination as she composed a message to Caesar:
"I know about William and Helena. I understand what you’re doing. We face this together—as mates should."
She hesitated only briefly before adding a second message:
"Come home to me, Caesar. Your Luna is waiting."
