Alex.

There was no way I was going to divorce Ella.

The thought struck hard, final, leaving no room for doubt or reconsideration. It didn’t matter what had happened between us, it didn’t matter that I had rejected her, pushed her away, treated her like she meant nothing.

By law... she was still my wife and that was something I wasn’t willing to give up.

I clenched my jaw tightly, my grip on the letter tightening as anger simmered beneath the surface. The paper crumpled slightly in my hand, but I didn’t loosen my hold.

I couldn’t believe it, she had actually gone to seek help from my rivals.

Ironclad.

Of all places... she chose them.

A bitter scoff almost escaped my lips as the thought settled in deeper. Did she even understand what she was doing? Or was this intentional?

Was she planning on getting me killed?

The possibility crept into my mind, dark and unsettling, twisting everything I thought I knew about her. My chest tightened, not just with anger, but with something sharper.

Betrayal.

And now...I didn’t know who to trust anymore.

The realization hit harder than anything else.

Eva.

My expression darkened instantly as her name surfaced in my thoughts. The message on her phone replayed in my mind, each word cutting deeper than the last.

She was working with Thomas.

There was no denying it.

And if that wasn’t enough... the way the message was written, the familiarity, the tone...they might even be having an affair.

My hands clenched into fists.

I couldn’t believe it.

I had just married her.

Brought her into my life, into my space...only to find out she might be working against me. Planning my downfall from within.

A cold anger settled deep in my chest.

Without another thought, I pushed myself off the bed, my movements sharp, controlled despite the storm raging inside me.

The omega who had brought the letter was still standing there, waiting.

"Leave," I said curtly, not sparing him a glance.

He didn’t hesitate, and within seconds, the room was empty again.

I didn’t stay.

I moved straight for the door, my steps quick, purposeful, as I left the room behind and headed down the corridor. My mind raced with every step, thoughts colliding, plans forming, anger fueling each one.

By the time I reached my study, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

I needed to think.

I needed to strategize.

Everything was shifting too fast, and if I didn’t act carefully, I could lose everything.

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply as I paced once before stopping.

"Eva..." I muttered to myself, my voice low and cold. "As for you, I will keep you close until I make you regret what you are doing."

A slow, calculated resolve settled in my gaze. I wasn’t going to confront her, not until I got all the answers I needed.

And if the only way to get it was to pretend... to play along... to act like everything was normal, like I was still the same man she thought she could deceive...then so be it.

Even if it meant acting like a fool. Even if it meant playing the role of a loving husband. I would do it and when I found out everything...I would make her pay with her life.

My jaw tightened as my thoughts shifted again.

"Ella..." I muttered under my breath, the name lingering, heavier than before. "You are still my wife," I said quietly, the words firm, unyielding. "And no matter what happens... I will never divorce you."

That was not an option. My grip tightened again, my gaze hardening as a final thought settled in my mind.

It was a good thing...I hadn’t killed her yet.

"Alpha!" Philip’s voice cut through the silence of the study as the door opened behind him.

His steps were quick, purposeful, his presence immediately commanding my attention.

"We found her," he continued without delay. "She is in the Ironclad Pack."

For a brief second, the room felt still.

I didn’t turn immediately. Instead, I inhaled slowly, letting the weight of his words settle before I finally spoke.

"I know that, Philip," I said, my voice low, controlled.

My fingers curled slightly against the edge of the desk as I exhaled, my thoughts already racing ahead.

"But I don’t care what they want," I continued, turning slightly to face him. My gaze hardened, sharpened by the resolve building within me. "If the Alpha triplets are holding Ella hostage to spite me and force her into divorcing me..." I paused, the words hanging in the air for a moment. "...then I have no choice but to act."

"Alex!" Philip’s voice came again, firmer this time.

I stilled.

He only called me that, when something was serious, when whatever he was about to say carried weight I couldn’t ignore.

I turned fully to face him now.

"I don’t think they are holding her hostage," he said carefully, stepping closer.

My brows furrowed slightly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my tone sharpening.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his device, tapping on it briefly before turning the screen toward me.

"From the footage we saw," he explained, "they were clearly... pampering her."

Pampering.

The word didn’t sit right and my eyes immediately dropped to the screen and then I saw it.

One of the triplets, standing tall, composed, holding Ella in his arms like she was something precious, like she belonged there, like she was his.

My chest tightened unexpectedly.

A sharp, unfamiliar pang shot through me, catching me off guard. My gaze lingered on the image longer than it should have, my mind struggling to process the reaction.

Why?

I had never seen her that way, Ella had always been a tool, a means to an end, a source of power and security. Nothing more, nothing less.

So why did this bother me?

Why did something twist uncomfortably in my chest at the sight of her in someone else’s arms?

My hands clenched into fists at my sides, the tension in my body rising without permission.

I tore my gaze away from the screen, my jaw tightening as I forced my expression back into something controlled.

It didn’t matter, truly none of it mattered because, whatever was happening over there... whatever they thought they were doing...It wasn’t going to last.

"Prepare, Philip," I said firmly, my voice steady despite the storm building inside me.

He straightened immediately.

"We might pay the Ironclad Pack a visit soon." I turned slightly, my gaze darkening as my thoughts settled into a single, unyielding resolve. "I need to get back my wife."