Fake Mate Beta Rises to Alpha Heiress (Natalie and Landon) novel Chapter 124

Chapter 124 Help Me Out

Aaliyah’s POV:

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In less than half a day, that article vanished from search results, and the online buzz about Natalie died down. Maritime City TV issued a rumor-refuting statement. I’d been dialing Norman’s number nonstop, but it just went straight to voicemail. Over in the class group chat, folks started owning up and saying they shouldn’t have bought into the rumors. Someone tried to tag Natalie, only to find she’d left the group.

When questioned, Landon just shrugged and said he had no clue when she’d bailed.

Landon’s POV:

I figured Natalie had seen me standing up for her today. But there she went, slipping out of the group without a peep.

Did all my efforts amount to nothing but a pipe dream?

The phone’s busy signal sent a wave of seething anger and an indescribable ache through my chest. I was the heir to Thorn Pack. When had I ever stooped so low? I’d been hounding Natalie with calls. Finally, when she answered, I told her I’d seen those scurrilous news stories and that I was worried she’d ruffled some feathers. I even dropped hints for her to come back. But what did Natalie say?

“Stay out of my business. Focus on the Richardson Group,” she shot back, her voice cold and sharp.

Pathetically enough, I thought I caught a whiff of the old-school concern in there. Back then, no matter how rough things got for her, Natalie always had my back and that of the Richardson Group.

That little glimmer of hope made my heart twinge with regret. “Natalie, you know what it’s like to be on your own now. Your room’s always kept clean. Stop running yourself ragged out there…” I heard myself practically begging.

And then, the dreaded beep of the call ending.

Just like that, she cut me off, no second thoughts.

My heart plummeted, and a wave of furious indignation washed over me. I had spoiled Natalie rotten! Couldn’t she tell I was genuinely worried about her? Was I just supposed to keep groveling while she kept pushing me around? My Alpha pride and bruised ego were screaming for revenge.

Just then, Aaliyah’s call came through, like a bad omen. I stared at the flashing name on the screen. hemming and hawing for ages before finally picking up. On the other end, she was wailing like a banshee, her words all over the place.

As I heard the panic in her voice, my anger toward Natalie fizzled out, replaced by a deep-seated exhaustion and helplessness. I jumped in my car and raced over to her apartment.

As soon as I stepped in, she clung to me like a scared little lamb, sobbing her eyes out. “I’m toast… Landon…”

“Hey, calm down and tell me what happened, okay?” I tried to soothe her, though my patience was wearing

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Chapter 124 Help Me Out

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thin. But all she did was cry, making no sense at all. The irritation in my chest flared up again like wildfire. Just when I was about to lose it, Aaliyah grabbed my arm, her tear-streaked face looking up at me.

“Please, forgive me. I didn’t mean for it to happen…” she sobbed.

“Alright, I forgive you. Just tell me what’s going on. I’ll stick by you, whatever it is,” I said, trying to keep it together. I led Aaliyah to the couch and sat her down. Then I grabbed a tissue to dry her tears and handed her a glass of water. I instinctively used the soft-touch approach that usually worked like a charm on Omegas.

My gentle approach seemed to do the trick. Sniffling, Aaliyah finally stammered out what had happened between her and Norman.

With each word, the warmth in my eyes faded. By the time she finished, an icy chill enveloped me. I shot up from my seat, looking down at her with a voice laced with disbelief and coldness. “What did you say? You told Norman to smear Natalie?!”

“Norman’s been arrested… I’m scared the police, or worse, the Pack Council will find out it was me… I’m done for,” she wailed, clutching my leg, her body shaking violently with fear.

“Landon, help me out! I was backed into a corner by Natalie. I thought if she was ruined, we could be together for real, away from her,” Aaliyah pleaded, looking up at me with a tear-streaked face that had smudged her once-perfect makeup. She looked both pitiful and pathetic.

I wanted to roar at her, to shake some sense into her. But as I looked at her like that, thinking about our ten-year relationship, and about Nathan, the angry words died in my throat. Aaliyah did it for us, after all.

“If the elders in the pack find out about this, you’re really in deep trouble,” I said, closing my eyes. My head throbbed as if being pricked by a thousand needles. The pack’s laws were harsh on those who slandered fellow pack members, especially using human media.

Aaliyah seemed to realize the gravity of the situation, and her body/trembled even more. “Landon, Nathan’s still so young. What’ll happen to him if his mom gets judged by the Pack Council? Landon, we’ve been through so much in these ten years. I’ve always listened to you. I’ve given as much as Natalie for

head.” you… I did this out of love. I just lost my

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