Chapter 2 Accused

Olivia's POV

The door creaked open, and I found myself face-to-face with Lennox, his features twisted in seething rage.

His room was an uncharacteristic mess: clothes lay scattered across the floor, shoes littered every corner. The sight threw me off; Lennox was always meticulous, insisting that everything be kept impeccably neat.

The moment his gaze landed on me, a shiver ran down my spine. His hate was palpable, and I struggled to grasp why.

Of the triplets, Lennox had been the kindest to me during my childhood.

Back then, when my father still commanded the respect that came with being a renowned warrior, he would often take me to the pack house to watch their training.

That was where my path often crossed with the triplets.

I was seven, they were twelve, and yet we'd become close friends. I'd return to the pack house often, playing with them while my father supervised other warriors.

But all of that belonged to the past.

Just like Anita, they had cut all ties with me, as though we'd never shared any friendship.

"Who cleaned my room yesterday?" Lennox suddenly demanded, his voice trembling with rage, making my wolf whimper inside me.

I swallowed hard, fear coiling tight in my throat, and managed in a shaky voice, "It was me."

His expression darkened further, and he took another step closer to me. Instinctively, I backed away.

"Then tell me, Omega," he sneered, "where is the diamond necklace I kept in my top drawer?"

My heart lurched. A diamond necklace? I had no idea what he was talking about. My mind frantically searched my memories: had I glimpsed anything like it while cleaning his room? All I could remember was picking up his scattered belongings, folding his clothes, and dusting the surfaces. There was no necklace in that drawer.

"I... I didn't see any necklace," I stammered, my voice trembling as I met his accusing stare.

His eyes narrowed.

"Don't lie to me, Omega," he snarled, his tone thick with rage. "A necklace doesn't just disappear on its own."

"I'm not lying!" I protested, panic creeping into my voice. "I cleaned your room, but I didn't take anything, I swear!"

He closed the distance between us in a flash, his imposing frame towering over me.

"You expect me to believe that?" he spat. "You and your kind, you're all the same: thieves and liars."

His words cut deep. My wolf snarled with fury, but I ignored it. Defending myself against Lennox when he was like this would only make things worse.

"I didn't take it," I repeated, my voice steadier this time. "You can search me if you doubt me. Inspect my room. Search everywhere. I have nothing to hide."

Lennox stared at me for a moment, his jaw clenched. I thought he was going to hit me, but he turned away and began frantically ransacking the room, yanking open drawers, tossing clothes, shoving furniture aside in his hunt for the necklace.

I stood there, lips pressed together, fighting back tears.

The Lennox I knew, the boy who had taught me to climb trees, to swim, to shield me from his brothers' pranks, had vanished. In his place stood a cold, bitter man who saw me only as a thief and a liar.

After several minutes, he stopped, breathing heavily amid the chaos he had created. The necklace was nowhere to be found. He turned to face me, frustration etched into his features.

"I can't find it, Olivia. It's gone. It was a gift for Anita. For her eighteenth birthday. Do you know how much that cost me?"

I swallowed but stood my ground. "I didn't take it..."

"Liar!" he cut me off, furious.

He exhaled, rubbing his temples. "This makes no sense," he murmured. "You cleaned my room. You were the last one here. Don't lie to me, Olivia. Where is it?"

I stayed silent.

His eyes blazed. "You're a thief, just like your father!" he shouted, and I pressed my lips together, holding back the words that might have contradicted him.

The shock of his accusations squeezed my heart.

A thief... like my father.

No matter how hard I tried or how careful I was, this pack would always see me as the daughter of a fallen warrior.

"Only two people entered this room yesterday," he continued, his voice low and sharp, like the growl of his wolf ready to strike. "You and Anita. So tell me, Olivia, who else could have taken it?"

I tensed. The pieces of the puzzle clicked together in my mind.

Anita. Of course. She had been in his room yesterday.

I remembered seeing her near his dresser, pretending to admire a framed photo.

I knew Anita better than anyone. Sly, always reaching for whatever she desired.

I remembered the silver bracelet she had stolen from a pack warrior, then cried her way out of any punishment. Or the time she'd accused a servant of breaking the Alpha's favorite vase, landing the poor girl in the dungeons for a week.

And now, she'd struck again. But this time, I was her scapegoat.

Who else would've dared sneak into Lennox's room to steal something so valuable?

No one.

No one except Anita.

But accusing Anita out loud was impossible. I couldn't. Lennox would never believe me. He'd defend her, just like everyone else.

"I didn't take it," I said again.

Lennox let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head.

"You think I'm stupid, huh?"

I bit my tongue, my wolf growling with frustration. I wanted to scream the truth: Anita wasn't the perfect, innocent girl he imagined. But without proof, my words would be worthless.

And even with proof, she knew how to manipulate the triplets however she pleased.

"You know what, Olivia?" he sneered, stepping toward me again. "I've had enough of wasting my time with you. If that necklace doesn't turn up by the end of the day, I'll make sure you and your mother are severely punished."

A cold chill ran down my spine, but I held my ground, looking him straight in the eye.

"I didn't take it," I said one last time, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me.

Lennox held my gaze a moment longer before turning away, his shoulders taut with anger.

"You have until the end of the day to make that necklace reappear. Get out," he growled.

I didn't need to be told twice. I left the room, my heart pounding wildly. Once I was far enough away, I leaned back against the wall, my legs trembling.

Anita. She had to be the one who'd taken it. I knew it instinctively. But how could I prove it without putting myself in even more danger? The triplets wouldn't believe me, and Anita would deny everything, turning it all back on me.

"There you are, Olivia," a guard announced, approaching. "Levi's looking for you, and he doesn't look happy."

My heart clenched.

"What happened?" I asked, fear gripping my throat.

The guard shook his head. "I don't know exactly, Olivia, but he's furious and demanding to see you."

Damn! What could it possibly be this time?

Chapter 3 Under the Sun

Olivia's POV

"Speak, Olivia... before I lose my patience," Levi ordered, his voice sharp and seething with rage.

I froze, unable to utter a single word, as the accusation struck me again. Once again, I was being accused of theft.

"Olivia!" His voice thundered through the room. "Do not test my patience!" "Where is the stack of cash I kept in my drawer? Speak, thief!"

My eyes widened in shock. Before I could even answer, the bedroom door burst open, and Louis stormed in, his face a mask of fury.

"Olivia, where's the money I kept in my drawer?" he snapped, his jaw clenched tight.

I stepped back, breathless, as Levi and Louis fixed me with blazing rage. My heart was racing, not from guilt, but from utter disbelief. This couldn't be happening. Not again.

"I didn't take anything," I managed, my voice trembling.

Levi let out an exasperated sigh and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Really? Then tell us who could have taken it. Who else has access to our things but you?"

Louis crossed his arms, his frown deepening.

"Don't play innocent, Olivia. Return the money and spare us all this unnecessary drama."

Tears began to blur my vision, but I refused to let them fall. Not now.

I swallowed hard and forced my voice to be heard.

"I didn't take your money," I repeated, louder this time, though my voice trembled with suppressed emotion. "I would never steal from any of you."

"Liar!"

I jumped at this new voice and turned my head to find Lennox in the doorway, his icy, hate-filled eyes fixed on me.

"The necklace I bought for Anita has also disappeared," he announced, turning to his brothers.

The three of them stared at me as if I were the lowest creature.

Levi was the first to step forward, and I tried to flee, but it was useless. The triplets had me surrounded.

Levi grabbed me and pinned me against the wall, yanking my hands above my head, his burning gaze anchored in mine.

"This is your last chance to confess and return what you stole, or you will face the consequences," he threatened.

A tear slipped down my cheek as I held his furious gaze. No matter what I said, they would never believe I hadn't taken anything. They would never believe that their precious Anita was the real thief.

"One... two..." Levi began to count, and I let out more silent tears.

I knew the punishments for theft in this house: some ended up in the dungeons, like my father; others had their hands cut off, and some suffered even crueler fates.

My mind was racing. Was I going to end up like my father, rotting in a dungeon? Or worse?

"Ten," he announced at last.

He released my wrists and stepped back.

"She's just like her father—a stubborn thief," Lennox sneered.

More tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Guards! Bring in some maids!" Louis ordered with authority.

My heart was pounding frantically. What did they have in mind for me? Why send for the maids?

My gaze met Lennox's, filled with an intensity of hatred that made me wonder if he despised me only because of my father's reputation, or if something else was at play. How could a man who had once cherished me now look at me with such contempt?

Three maids entered, bowing their heads before the triplets.

Levi directed the orchestration of my punishment.

"Take her to the roof of the manor. Strip her and apply pepper to her naked body. Let her remain kneeling under the sun."

A tear slid down my cheek, but I said nothing. Compared to the other punishments for theft, this one was less cruel... but it was no less unbearable.

"Take her away," Lennox ordered, his voice icy.

The maids seized me by the arms and led me out of the bedroom. I didn't resist. It wouldn't have done any good.

In the hallways, I saw my mother, sobbing and trembling, but she didn't dare approach. If she had, she would have shared my punishment.

Once on the roof, the maids released me.

"Undress," one of them whispered.

I hesitated, my whole body trembling, but there was no escape. I swallowed hard and began to remove my clothes, tears flowing freely.

One of the maids took a bowl of ground pepper and approached. My body stiffened.

The moment the pepper touched my skin, a cry of agony tore from my throat.

My body convulsed as the burning sensation spread everywhere.

They applied the pepper to every inch of my bare skin, except for my face. The pain was unbearable. My knees buckled, but I tried my best to remain standing.

"You must kneel," one of the maids ordered.

I hesitated, but my body gave in. Slowly, I knelt, sobs racking my entire body.

The blazing sun intensified the torture. My body felt like it was on fire.

How could anyone be so cruel?

I wanted to scream, to beg for the pain to stop, but I knew it would only make things worse.

The sun seemed to be relentlessly beating down on me, the heat consuming me further. My body was burning, and I felt myself fading. The pain was unbearable, and I had never imagined that such torture awaited me.

Through my tears, I looked at the maids standing in a corner, watching me with pity. Burning tears streamed down my cheeks as the pain enveloped me, blurring my vision and making my head spin.

Painful memories flashed through my mind: once, the triplets had adored me. They used to argue over spending time with me, over who would bond with me when we were older.

How had everything changed so drastically?

How could the men who had once cherished me now hate me so much?

I hoped that my father had never been framed. Maybe... then the triplets wouldn't hate me so much.

The burn of the pepper intensified, every breath torturing me more. My knees gave way, my body swaying under the onslaught of pain and heat. The world seemed to reel, and I felt nausea wash over me until my body completely gave out.

I collapsed to the ground, distant voices calling out to me, but I was already sinking into darkness, pulled back into the past—into the days when the triplets had sworn to protect me.

Back then, they fought to cherish me, not to break me.

But those boys were gone. And so was I.