Chapter 348: Betrayal
Hayley’s POV
Tanner bared his fangs, and Teri immediately silenced herself. “Our studio doesn’t tolerate traitors,” he stated coldly. “I won’t repeat myself.”
She glanced at me with a pleading expression, hoping for mercy. I ignored her completely.
I had always been kind to her, offering guidance with her designs, yet she chose to betray me in such a manner. I was already showing restraint by not tearing her apart for her betrayal.
“Tanner, let me explain! It’s not what it looks like!” Madeline’s voice was desperate, but Tanner’s expression was filled with disgust.
“Ms. Kilmer, out of respect for the years we’ve known each other, I’m offering you one last shred of dignity. Leave now, or I’ll have no choice but to involve the police.”
Madeline’s shoulders sagged in defeat, and she stood frozen, too humiliated to move. In the end, Tanner called security to escort Madeline and Nina out. Despite Madeline’s repeated attempts to beg for mercy, he didn’t waver. He merely motioned for the guards to speed up the process.
Once the two of them were gone, Tanner turned his attention to me, his expression softening with regret. “Hayley, I’m truly sorry. Your design getting leaked was my fault. I take full responsibility,” he said sincerely.
I looked at the draft in my hands for a moment before ripping it into pieces without a second thought. “It’s just paper,” I said with a shrug. “What truly matters is here.” I tapped my head. “No one can take away what’s in my mind.”
Tanner nodded approvingly, smiling. “Now I understand why Ben chose you as his mate—and why you’re destined to be the future Luna of the Midnight Pack. Your wisdom is remarkable,” he said.
“Wisdom? Hardly,” I replied with a wry smile. “I’m still annoyed that my design got stolen.” Despite my words, I wasn’t truly upset. The draft was incomplete, and while the situation was frustrating, Tanner now owed me a significant favor—something far more valuable than a simple drawing.
“Let’s just move on,” I said. “The new draft might take me a couple of extra days to finish.”
“That’s fine,” Tanner assured me. “Take all the time you need.”
“Oh, about Teri…” I hesitated, bringing up her name.
Teri had shown real design talent, and I wasn’t sure if Tanner had completely made up his mind about dismissing her. “Teri was part of our design team and served as my assistant, but her actions are unacceptable in this studio,” Tanner said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.
I gave a small nod, showing that I understood his stance. While I couldn’t deny her design talent, I felt no pity for Teri after what she’d done.
Returning to my office, I stretched lazily before settling at my desk to work on new designs. Yet, despite my efforts, creativity eluded me. Frustration built as I discarded sketch after sketch, crumpling them into a growing pile of wasted paper on the desk and floor.
Benjamin knocked softly on the door when he arrived, but I was so lost in my drawing that I didn’t even notice, let alone respond. Without waiting for an answer, he stepped inside and began gathering the crumpled papers scattered across the floor, carefully smoothing them out. Each one was a discarded piece of my incomplete designs.
The faint rustling snapped me out of my trance, and I turned toward him. “Why are you here?” I asked in surprise.
He looked up from the papers and met my gaze. “Have you even checked the time? It’s late—we should leave.”
I glanced at the clock and realized how long I’d been at it. Embarrassed, I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. “You’re right. There’s nothing else I need to finish here. Let’s head home.”
But instead of leaving, Benjamin moved closer, stepping behind me. “What are you doing?” I asked, puzzled by his sudden proximity.
Before I could say anything more, his strong hands rested firmly yet gently on my shoulders.