Chapter 689: Guilty

Hayley’s POV:

Being surrounded by Benjamin’s love for so long had softened me. I struggled to bring myself to truly torment someone now.

“Hayley? Are you just going to leave like this?” Loretta asked, clearly puzzled.

I didn’t respond.

Behind me, Ryder let out a weak chuckle. “See? I haven’t even begged yet, and you’re already feeling guilty.”

“That’s nonsense!” Loretta snapped, her voice sharp. “You’re the one acting despicably, not her!”

I stopped and turned around. Ryder slumped in the chair, raising an eyebrow lazily as if he couldn’t care less about the accusations thrown at him. Loretta clenched her teeth in frustration. But in the end, she followed me out.

As soon as we stepped outside, Benjamin calmly approached us.

“How did it go?”

“He didn’t confess,” I sighed, shaking my head.

“He’s the worst!” Loretta pouted in frustration. “What scum! He’s dead set on framing Hayley!”

I smiled helplessly. I had no intention of hurting Ryder, but he insisted on making things difficult for me. Back when I first took over the Shadow Pack, I wouldn’t have hesitated—Thomas would have cut out Ryder’s tongue before he had the chance to speak. But now, I wasn’t as cold-hearted as before.

As I was lost in thought, Benjamin gave my arm a light pat. “Get some rest. I’ll take care of it.”

Without another word, he opened the door and walked inside.

Ryder’s POV:

As I stared at the man before me and sensed his powerful aura, my wolf told me he was an Alpha. Even if he was an Alpha King, I felt no fear.

Leaning back in my chair, I shot him a disdainful glance. “Another one, huh?”

He remained silent, his gaze steady. The dim lighting cast shadows over his tousled hair, making his deep-set eyes look even more enigmatic.

I waited for a response, but none came. Frustrated, I frowned. “What? Cat got your tongue? Trying to play nice now?”

“Save it. Sweet talk won’t work on me.”

Ignoring my words, he calmly pulled out a chair, sat down, and crossed one leg over the other. His fingers laced together over his knee, and he lifted his gaze, speaking in an even, unhurried tone.

“Ryder Hammond, a Beta of the Frostgale Pack. The youngest recruit of the Physical Boundary Organization. At 13, you won the International Physics Award. After joining the organization, you quickly rose to the core ranks. You’ve been involved in multiple cases of physicist suicides—both domestic and international—and have successfully evaded capture.”

Hearing him recite details of my hidden past sent a jolt of panic through me. Still, I kept my expression neutral and forced myself to ask, “Who are you? How did you manage to dig into the Physical Boundary?”

No ordinary Alpha should have access to that kind of information.

“You don’t need to know,” he said, his voice steady but carrying an unmistakable weight that made my wolf shudder. “You just need to tell me—why did you target Hayley?”

I clenched my jaw. “I have nothing to say.”

“Do you think staying silent will stop me from uncovering the truth? I’m just offering you a way to survive—if you talk.”

Though his voice was even, the pressure he radiated sent a cold chill creeping down my spine.

“It looks like I won’t make it out of here alive unless I talk,” I muttered with a bitter chuckle, lowering my head.

“Well then, go find the answers yourselves!”

With that, I made up my mind and bit down hard on my tongue, prepared to end my life.