The Alpha's Secret Legacy

Chapter 7

Gemma's POV

I was regretting everything.

Every lie.

Every decision.

Every step that led me here.

But I couldn't stop now.

Not when everything was connected.

Not when Chrissy's disappearance was tied to something much bigger than any of them understood.

I sat on my bed, staring at my phone.

This wasn't supposed to get this complicated.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

I answered without checking the caller ID.

"Hello, this is Gemma. Who is this?"

"Gemma," a sharp voice said.

My stomach dropped.

Clifford.

"Oh—hey babe," I said quickly, forcing a light tone. "What's up?"

"What's up?" he repeated coldly. "Do you want to explain the video from last night?"

Silence.

My grip tightened on the phone.

"The one where you attacked Christine Horan?"

I closed my eyes.

Harry already told him.

Of course he did.

"And apparently," Clifford continued, "I've been cheated on with the VP of Horan Corp?"

I exhaled slowly.

This was going to be messy.

"It's a misunderstanding," I said quickly. "You know I would never hurt anyone."

A pause.

Then—

"Are you sure, Gemma?"

My chest tightened.

He sounded hurt.

Not just angry.

Hurt.

"I'm sure," I lied softly. "I love you."

Another pause.

Then he sighed.

"...I forgive you."

Relief hit me instantly.

"But Gemma," he added firmly, "don't ever let it happen again. Christine means a lot to me."

Then he hung up.

No goodbye.

Just like that.

I stared at the phone.

My hands were shaking.

I hated this.

I hated lying.

But I couldn't stop now.

Because this wasn't just about relationships anymore.

This was about something bigger.

Something dangerous.

Something I'd been investigating for months.

Clifford wasn't who he said he was.

Five months together.

Five months of watching him carefully.

And I'd found things.