Chapter 172 Needed to trust her
Damian’s POV
The next morning, I was at my branch office by seven, which meant Rick was already there waiting with coffee and a tablet full of reports.
The first thing I did was tell him to compile a complete investigation into Holt Enterprises.
"Alpha?" Rick’s eyebrows rose slightly. He knew better than to question my orders, but curiosity flickered across his face.
"Holt Enterprises," I repeated, settling into my chair. "I want everything. Financial records, business partners, pending deals. All of it."
Aria had told me she wanted to handle her revenge herself. Normally, I’d respect that—let her have her justice the way she needed it.
But Ethan had made the mistake of crossing into my territory last night, harassing my wife, interrupting my time with her.
If I didn’t respond, people would think I’d gone soft.
*Soft, *my wolf snarled. *We are never soft.*
"Holt Enterprises is preparing to expand their territory," Rick said, pulling up data on his tablet.
"Land acquisition’s set for next quarter. They’re leveraging Pack connections to fund the expansion, but their financials are... shaky. A lot of debt buried in subsidiary companies."
"Land acquisition?" I felt my lip curl. "Or going bankrupt?"
They probably couldn’t tell the difference themselves at this point.
"Alpha, your grandfather specifically reminded me to warn you—" Rick’s tone turned cautious.
"The Royal Pack can’t be seen targeting smaller Packs over personal matters. "
"Do you really think I need a sledgehammer to kill an ant?" I cut him off coldly. "Holt has projects, doesn’t he? Contracts pending, development deals?"
"Several, yes."
"I’m interested in all of them. Outbid them. Quietly." I leaned back, fingers steepled.
"And have our people in Silver Creek’s business sector spread some concerns. Subtly. Just enough to make their potential allies nervous about backing the expansion."
Rick’s eyes widened slightly. "You want to choke off their territorial expansion without directly attacking them."
"Exactly. No one can prove the Blackwood Pack did anything. We’re just pursuing legitimate business interests." I smiled without humor.
"If Holt can’t compete, that’s his problem. Not ours."
*Quiet is boring, *my wolf muttered. *I’d rather rip his throat and be done with it.*
*Noted. Denied.*
"Understood." Rick made notes rapidly. "This will take some coordination, but it’s doable. And your grandfather won’t be able to object since we’re not explicitly—"
"He won’t know unless you tell him," I said quietly.
Rick nodded. We both understood my grandfather’s position—he wanted the Royal to maintain its pristine reputation, to be above petty Pack squabbles.
Noble in theory. Impractical when someone disrespected your Mate.
"There’s something else," Rick continued, pulling out another file.
"You asked me to investigate Sylvia Smith and Nathan Smith. I’ve got preliminary information on their recent activities and business networks."
He set the folder on my desk. I reached for it, intending to review it later, when something in the Holt Enterprises file caught my eye.
Listed under recent capital investments: V&A Group.
My hand froze.
"Rick." My voice came out sharper than intended. "Who authorized this investment from V&A Group into Holt?"
Rick grabbed the file, flipping through rapidly. "V&A Group invested in Holt? That’s—"
He paused, scanning the documents. "This information was encrypted. Hidden. I didn’t even see it in the initial report."
My jaw tightened. "Find out who authorized it. Now."
There were only two possibilities, and neither sat well with me.
Option one:Sylvia or Nathan, the relatives trying to push Aria out.
They might be funding Ethan’s expansion as a way to undermine her, knowing the connection between them. Keep the ex-husband afloat, use him to apply pressure.
But option two...
Option two was that Aria herself had authorized the investment.
The thought sent cold fury through my veins. Why the hell would she fund the Pack that humiliated her? The man who marked another woman while stringing her along?
*She wouldn’t,* my wolf snapped, hackles rising. *Our mate does not lie. Our mate does not betray the den.*
*Then why does it feel like the floor’s tilting?*
*Because you’re letting fear speak louder than instinct. Trust what you know. Trust her scent last night. Trust her hands on us.*
"yeah,you are right.It can’t be her," I said out loud, more to convince myself than my wolf.
"Alpha?"Rick confused.
"Nothing. Just find out who signed off on it. I want names."
Rick nodded and left quickly, sensing my mood had gone from bad to dangerous.
I sat alone in my office, staring at that line in the report. V&A Group invests in Holt Enterprises.
Aria had access to Smith funds now. She was the primary heir. If she’d wanted to invest in something, she could.
But she wouldn’t. Would she?
She’d been so cold when she talked about Ethan, so utterly done with him.
The way she’d responded to me last night—there was no hesitation, no hidden longing for someone else. Just pure, honest desire.
Still, the doubt crept in like poison.
*Stop,* my wolf growled, and for once he sounded less feral, more grounded.
*You smell her fear when she talks about him. Fear, not longing. Don’t confuse the two just because your human mind likes to torture itself.*
This was exactly what I hated about falling for someone.
The vulnerability. The constant second-guessing.
I wanted to trust her. Needed to trust her.