“Are we thinking the same?” I mutter.
“I can’t believe it.” Eric frowns. “It looks like someone paid him to kidnap Juliet.”
“And this, here,” I point at the first transaction. “If what you said is right, then that was for Coralie and Léna.”
“Do we know where the transaction came from?” Eric asks.
“I have seen the account number somewhere,” I admit.
“No kidding!? Then, use those brain cells of yours and think!”
“Fine, but if you tell me that I need to visit my memory palace, I might have to punch you,” I say. I have no idea how to search my memory. Arden told me how he does it, but I have no training and never did it before. I just know I saw the account number before.
When I last transferred money or received it? No, that was before I came to Paris. And I haven’t done any transactions here.
The only thing I saw was—
“Wait a moment,” I blurt out, my heart sinking. “Do you know the account number of Arden’s dad?”
Eric raises his head and looks at me. “Did you just say what I think you said?”
“There was no time to talk about it,” I say. “It was right when Léna and Coralie got abducted, and our focus was on saving them. Arden said he had no proof, just a feeling and a logical string of events that led him to it. I am sure he told you about it.”
“He did. But we had no time to look into it because Léna and Coralie disappeared at that time,” Eric says. He looks sad. “No way.”
“I just know that he showed me the caller log and, also, some transactions. The account number was the same,” I say. “Arden thinks his dad is involved with Night, and I am sure he is right.”
Eric slams his hand down on the table. “Fuck,” he curses. “I had a feeling something was off when Arden told us that Vander went to his pack. That’s why I sent warriors with him. That asshole! Selling off his own pack members to traffickers. And for what? For some petty revenge on his own children? I swear this is going to be his end.”
“Eric.” I stand up. “Arden said Night will want to go down with a bang. He can’t get to Meg because the council building is one of the most watched places. And Night has not come here, either.”
“And this mess here, it’s just thanks to Arden’s father,” Eric says. “In a way he ruined Night’s business.”
For a split second we just look at each other wordlessly, then we jump up at the same time. “Can you drive my car as fast as you did the motorbike?” Eric blurts out his question.
“Yes!”
He tosses the keys at me before bellowing commands at his warriors. “Team A stays here to guard the hideout. Everyone else follows me to Alpha Matthieu’s pack. Prepare for a possible attack happening there!”
Meanwhile, I frantically try to reach Arden or Gustave, but neither of them pick up their phone. Please, let them be alright!
Chapter fifty
Vander
*VANDER*
The moment I knew Léna was safe, I headed out of the council building and took a taxi to my old pack. Arden will be pissed, I know he will be, and I feel sorry for going directly against his orders and my promise to him, but I’m just so angry. Léna got hurt because of Dad, just because of him. Arden is a horrible liar, and I knew something was off. Putting two and two together wasn’t that difficult. Of course it was Dad who was involved. Who else could have done it?
How could he do this? How could he sell off Léna and Coralie? They did nothing to him, they did nothing wrong, and they certainly didn’t deserve this. Fuck, Léna is my girlfriend. He knows she is with me. He knows I like her.
How could he do that!?
Dad, how could you?
Does he hate me so much? He has so much hatred in him against us, and I don’t get why. Arden never did anything to him. He always was diligent and brave and the perfect son and brother, yet it was never enough.
I know I was stupid for still hoping to have a relationship with him. When he attacked Arden and basically kicked us out of the pack, I still held onto the belief that maybe we could all reconcile. We could all become a family again, like before Mom died. Everything is changing so fast. I don’t even know where my home is anymore. How am I supposed to move past this?