The Alpha's claim

🌷 CHAPTER 07 🌷

The price of loving someone is never loving anyone again.

Meng Yao leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together as he gazed out the window of the Qishan Wen headquarters. Beside him, Wen Ruohan sat with his eyes fixed on a stack of documents, his expression unreadable.

The silence between them was comfortable, a testament to their years of working together. But it was broken when the door to the office slid open and Wen Chao, Wen Ruohan's younger son, strode in.

Wen Chao strode into the office, his eyes locking onto Meng Yao with a mixture of disdain and hostility. His gaze lingered for a moment before shifting to his father, Wen Ruohan.

"Why do you call me 'Father'?" Wen Chao spat, his voice dripping with venom.

Wen Ruohan's expression turned icy, his eyes flashing with anger. He took a deliberate step closer to his son, his hand rising in a swift, sharp motion. The slap that followed was loud and resounding, leaving a crimson mark on Wen Chao's cheek.

Wen Chao's eyes widened in shock, his face burning with humiliation.

"Don't you dare question me," Wen Ruohan hissed, his voice low and menacing. "How dare you attack him without asking us?"

Wen Chao's eyes dropped, his voice taking on a sulky tone. "I was helping you."

Wen Ruohan's expression turned incredulous. "How so? Did you succeed?"

Wen Chao's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with defiance. "No, but I will next time."

Wen Ruohan's face darkened, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "There's no next time. Don't you dare ever do anything without telling us."

Wen Chao's eyes blazed with resentment, his voice rising in a challenge. "You think I'm stupid? You think I don't know what you two did? Don't think of me as a naive fool that I didn't know you're the one who killed Madam Yu."

Wen Ruohan's expression turned glacial, his eyes narrowing into slits. "You think it was easy? You don't know how much planning we've done, how many risks we've taken."

Wen Chao's smile was a cold, calculated thing. "And I'm helping you get rid of him too."

Wen Ruohan's gaze turned piercing, his voice dropping to a warning. "Sean Xiao Zhan is not an easy target. He's a formidable opponent, and we can't afford to underestimate him."

The air was thick with tension, the silence between them heavy with unspoken threats and unresolved conflicts.

You know what he did? Wen Ruohan said.

Wen Chao's expression remained impassive, his eyes gleaming with a hint of defiance. "What are you talking about, Father?" he asked, his voice low and even, devoid of any innocence.

Wen Ruohan's expression turned thunderous, his voice rising in anger. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! You think your little 'help' went unnoticed? Three shipments, all loaded and ready to go. Someone came last night and burned them to the ground. Not a single person on those ships survived."

Wen Chao's eyes dropped, his face paling. "I...I didn't mean for that to happen," he stammered.

Wen Ruohan's voice was icy, his words dripping with venom. "You didn't mean for it to happen? You didn't even consider the consequences of your actions! The investigation team said it was done by a single person. And I think you have a pretty good idea of what kind of person is capable of such a thing."

Wen Chao's eyes flashed up, a spark of fear igniting within them.

Wen Ruohan's voice dropped to a growl. "And you know what the worst part is? You have no idea how much money I lost because of your 'help'. Millions, Chao. Millions. And it's not just the money. It's the reputation, the connections, that's been broken."