Chapter 159: No Point

"Look what I found." She waved a letter over her head as she hobbled toward the stairs, using the wall as support. "I thought something was wrong so I went upstairs to check."

"What do you mean?" Keenan asked, turning to look at her. He stood in the middle of the stairway.

Her straight blonde hair barely moved even as she hunched over, pushing herself away from the wall. She stopped at the top of the steps, panting a little.

"W-well, I suddenly heard voices," she replied through her pants. "Almost yelling. I don’t think they realized the house wasn’t empty."

"They?" Keenan asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Maya and her maid." She forced herself to stand to her full height. Her expression showed her strain, and she grabbed the railing for support.

"I saw them when I was leaving the mansion. They seemed to be in a hurry," Theo added as he stepped closer. Moonlight from the window shone directly on him.

"Theo," she cried. "Are you injured? Is that blood on you?"

"I am fine. What did you hear?" He asked, his face hardening.

"Yes! Maya kept yelling that they had to leave now."

"What did you find?" Keenan said and stepped up the stairs.

"This," she said and stretched the letter toward him, but her hand on the railing slipped, and she began to fall forward.

Keenan rushed up another step, easily catching her. She hit his chest, shaking. "So sorry, Alpha. I haven’t been able to get rid of my stomach flu. I am still weak from all the throwing up I did."

"It’s fine," he said and steadied her before snatching the letter from her grip. "Where did you find this?"

The letter was different from the one he had received from Vilhelm, the one she’d read aloud. Despite how rumpled it was, he could immediately tell he wasn’t looking at the same one.

He could pick up several scents from the letter, but not hers. He could be mistaken—his nostrils were filled with the smell of blood, after all.

His jaw tightened even after the physician arrived, Asher was still bleeding. If Winnie hadn’t gone after him, he would have been dead before they found him.

"Underneath her dresser. I only found it because I lost my footing, as I did just now. When I heard them yelling, I left my room and went to hers, but it was already too late. They were gone. I heard the commotion and slowly made my way down again. Was someone injured?"

"Yes! Asher was attacked," Theo replied, walking forward. "He might not survive." He glanced back at where Maya lay on the ground, glaring at her.

Alaina let out a loud gasp, gripping the railing until her knuckles turned white. "How dare they? Alpha, you never should have married her. I knew they were up to no good. Like father, like daughter."

Keenan unfolded the letter, and his eyes darkened. He squeezed the edges, nearly ripping it. It was a little hard to see with very little moonlight streaming through the window but all he needed was a few words to understand the message of the letter.

"What does it say?" Alaina asked eagerly, leaning forward to see even though she couldn’t read.

"They planned this," he said and crumpled the letter. "The maid was sent specifically for this."

Keenan felt his vein stretch thin. She could have left. The King was going to let her leave. Yet she had stayed and done this.

"Alpha Keenan," her voice reached him.

She sounded hoarse and in pain. He didn’t care. It was best if he didn’t see her. He didn’t even have any questions to ask. It was no use. What was he going to ask anyway? Why? He has been asking that.

"Theo, you should have let her escape."

"She is the reason my brother is hurt! We can’t keep letting the High Alpha and his family treat us like we are lowlifes."

Keenan turned to Theo. Blood stained his teeth, and there was a dark look in his eyes that he didn’t quite recognize. The younger brother was usually passive; his hurt brother must have taken a toll on him.

"He is upstairs in Winnie’s room. She is with him and so is the physician."

Theo rushed past him as soon as he heard, taking the stairs two at a time as he fled in the direction of his brother, not caring that he was naked.

"Alpha, what are you going to do about her?" Alaina softly asked as she watched Maya struggle to come closer.

Keenan made tight fists. Like a moth to a flame, he was gullible again. At no point had he been able to execute his revenge—rather, she had been pulling him along like a puppet on a string.

"I’ll take care of it," Alaina suddenly said. "The house is still empty. I am guessing they are still at the beach, and the men Theo was talking about. You have to—"

"Do whatever you like," he cut in and tossed the letter. "It doesn’t matter anyway."

He marched down the stairs, watching her struggle to face him. She sat upright, then fell on her side. She was favoring her left hand, and from the smell, she was bleeding.

Was it when Theo caught her?

Keenan nearly punched himself. He was doing it again. He was letting how good she was at playing the victim get to him.

"Alpha Keenan," she called as he got closer. "I didn’t run. I promise. I was—"

Her dress was ripped, and there were twigs in her hair. She dragged herself on the ground and tried to grab him with her hand, but he jumped over her hand.

The rest of her words died in her throat, and he saw her pull her hand to herself. He didn’t look back as he walked past her, ignoring her bleeding frame on the floor.

He didn’t dare look back. He had to get out of here. He couldn’t let her deceive him one more time. There had to be a limit to how many times he fell for her crap.

Asher was terribly injured, and there was a high chance he wouldn’t survive. He had to keep his thoughts on what was important.

There was no point in trying to pursue revenge that cost him so much. Tomorrow, he would send her back to her father. They deserved each other. But tonight, he didn’t want to see her face.