LOGINChapter 62: An Awkward Dinner.~ Yates ~"You told me that she lives incredibly close to your house, Yates. I want to know exactly where she lives," Fanny demanded, her posture remaining perfectly rigid."Why do you care?" I asked, leaning against the doorway."No reason," she replied, shrugging her shoulders with a careless toss of her hair.I gave her a flat look, entirely unconvinced. "Fanny, come on.""What? I don't even have the right to know where my direct competition lives?" she snapped back, her eyes narrowing."So now she's your competition?" I scoffed, shaking my head at how ridiculous this was getting."Anyone who tries to challenge me in my own territory is exactly that," she stated coldly.I let out a long sigh, realizing she wasn't going to drop this until she got what she wanted. "Okay, fine," I said in defeat. I reached out, grabbing her hand and leading her up the stairs to my bedroom. I walked over to the glass and pointed through the frame. "See that house over the
Chapter 61: What's His Deal?~ Yates ~We remained locked in that visual standoff for a long moment, neither of us blinking, until he finally broke eye contact. He turned his head away, but not before shooting me a thoroughly disgusted glare. I stood there, slightly stunned by the sheer hostility rolling off him. He shifted in the plastic chair, restlessly bouncing his legs as if he were working against a ticking clock.I started to walk past him toward the exit, intending to mind my own business, but curiosity won. I stopped right in front of him, deciding to at least try and exchange a few words to see what his deal was."Hi," I said, keeping my tone casual.The guy looked up at me, let out a harsh scoff, and immediately looked away. It was incredibly rude, but I forced myself to keep my cool. I wasn't going to let a guy in police custody bait me into an argument."Look, I'm Yates Underwood, and—""Yeah, I already know exactly who you are," he interrupted, cutting me off flatly with
Chapter 60: Do I Want Him Again?~ Gwen ~Jerome stayed at the house for the rest of the day, refusing to leave my side until my aunt finally walked through the front door later that evening. Since Aunt Anne already knew exactly who Jerome was from his family's reputation in RavenBane, there was no awkwardness, and it honestly felt like they shared a quiet understanding. Once dinner was over and he was sure I was in safe hands, he politely excused himself and headed home."He really is a true gentleman, don't you think?" Aunt Anne remarked as she gathered the empty dinner plates from the table, carrying them over to the sink so I could start the washing up."Yeah," I murmured, staring down at the soapy water. "He definitely is."She paused, leaning against the counter and looking at me with a perceptive gaze. "Is everything alright, Guinevere? You've seemed incredibly anxious and restless ever since I got back from work tonight.""Oh, um...it’s nothing, really," I lied, quickly scrubb
Chapter 59: My New Nemesis.~ Yates ~The drive down to the RavenBane Police Department—or the RBPD, as everyone in town called it—didn’t take long. I parked my car in the main lot and jogged up the concrete steps, slipping through the heavy glass doors into the bustling lobby. On my way down the corridor toward the elevators, a familiar voice called out my name, causing me to stop in my tracks."Yates man! What on earth are you doing down here?"I turned around and found Justin Bowen walking toward me. He was Elodie’s father, a respected Beta in my dad’s pack, and easily one of my father’s oldest and most trusted friends on the force. He had been calling me 'Yates man' since I was a little kid running around the pack house."Hey, Uncle Justin," I said, offering a small smile as he reached me. "I actually came down to see my dad. He needed me to run home and grab a specific file from his desk. Is he up in his office right now?""He is, yeah, though he’s entirely buried under paperwork
Chapter 58: Is It Jealousy or Curiosity?~ Yates ~The second my feet hit the pavement outside Gwen's house, I hit the ground running. I was incredibly lucky that Jerome had been focused on the front porch; otherwise, he would have caught me slipping right out of her bedroom window. I crossed the street in record time, slipping inside my own house and locking the door behind me.I leaned against the wood, letting out a long breath. "Phew. That was way too close," I muttered to the empty hallway.Desperate to wash off the leftover grime from the block party and the scent of the woods, I stripped down and threw myself under a steaming shower, quickly scrubbing my skin and brushing my teeth. Once I felt human again, I wandered downstairs to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. My stomach was entirely empty.Instead of food, I found a handwritten note sitting on the kitchen counter. I recognized my dad's messy handwriting immediately. I picked up the paper and skimmed the line
Chapter 57: Fabricated Lies.~ Gwen ~"That’s Jerome. He’s going to knock on the front door any second, so you need to get out right now," I whispered frantically.I scrambled across the mattress, snatching his discarded shirt and heavy jacket from the chair, shoving them toward him. But moving that fast was a massive mistake. A sharp wave of dizziness hit me, and the pounding in my head flared up so badly that my balance gave out completely. I staggered sideways. Yates moved instantly, catching me by my upper arms before I could hit the floor."Hey, are you alright?" he asked, his brow furrowing with immediate concern."I’m fine," I lied, quickly pulling out of his grip and forcing the bundle of clothes into his chest. "Just put your clothes on and get out.""How am I supposed to leave when Jerome is literally standing on your front porch?" he pointed out, quickly throwing his shirt over his head and pulling his jacket on."When you snuck in here last night, did you walk through my f







