Chapter 808 Claiming My Place
Hayley’s POV:
Just as I finished speaking, a tall, broad-shouldered man pushed through the crowd with a cocktail glass in hand. From his presence alone, I could tell he was a Beta.
“Who told you I was here?” Frederick snapped, clearly annoyed.
As an Alpha werewolf, if my inner wolf couldn’t manage something this simple, I might as well downgrade myself to an Omega.
But I had no intention of explaining anything to him or giving away my identity.
I let out a dry chuckle. “With the perfect chance to keep tabs on me, I figured you wouldn’t want to miss it, Captain Langston.”
He exhaled slowly, trying to keep his cool. “Fine. I’ll look into it. And if what you said checks out, nobody’s walking away clean.”
He paused, then added with weight in his voice, “You know I’m not just talking about tonight.”
“Of course,” I said with a shrug. “If I’ve done anything wrong, feel free to arrest me anytime.”
He didn’t respond.
Alan barked, trying to take control again, “Alright! That’s enough drama for one night. We’ll deal with the rest later.”
I looked at him, feigning innocence, and nodded. “You’re right. Let’s get back to business.”
“Do you still have something to say?” Alan frowned and leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Michelle, if it’s personal, save it for later. We’ll talk as a family once the guests are gone. There’s no need to make a scene in front of outsiders.”
“Oh? Worried I’ll drop more dirt on Freya?” I shot back with a cold smile.
Alan froze, clearly caught off guard and unable to respond.
I said flatly, “Relax. More than enough people are lining up to take her down. I’m not interested in her, for now.”
Alan sighed heavily.
I left him standing there and walked over to the buffet table. I picked up a small dessert spoon and gently tapped my champagne glass. The crisp clinking sound echoed across the room, drawing everyone’s attention.
I raised my voice. “Everyone, I’ve got some exciting news I just have to share! I know I’ve been away these past few years, living my own life and staying out of the Sanders’s business. But since I’ve come back, I’ve had a change of heart. I finally understand how much work my dad and sister have put into this."
“So starting today, I, Hayley, will officially be stepping into the management of Sander Group. I’ll be helping oversee both the company and the regional packs under our jurisdiction. I’m here to pull my weight.”
The entire room went dead silent.
Freya was the first to react. “Absolutely not!”
Realizing she’d spoken too loudly, she quickly lowered her voice and forced a smile. “I mean, that wouldn’t be fair to you, Hayley. You’re still in college. You should be enjoying life, not stressing over work. There’s already one daughter in this family doing the hard stuff. You should focus on school and just live your life.”
I gave her a pointed stare. “So you’re saying I’m not qualified?”
“If you’re really asking–yeah.”
She folded her arms and added smugly, “You don’t have what it takes to manage Sander Group. You’re just an Omega. Most of our employees rank higher than you. You think they’ll respect you in charge?”
She paused again, like she wanted her words to really sink in. “You’ve been dealing with school clubs and group projects. Meanwhile, we’re managing multiple packs, not to mention Sander Group pulls in hundreds of millions a year. You’re just not cut out for this.”
I narrowed my eyes, arms crossed. “Oh, I see. But someone who embezzled company funds is qualified, huh?”