The Secret Heirs of the Lycan King (Bella and scott) novel Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Maya

But Craig had been distant ever since he met Bella again. He stopped showing up at the shop or at my house. He was also avoiding my calls.

He said he had a meeting or something “urgent” had come up. But his excuses were on repeat.

I knew he was calculating. After the promise of money was gone after there was no hope for Bella’s inheritance, Craig’s interest had evaporated. I loathed Bella. Couldn’t she just marry him?

Jared was nearing bankruptcy. The fashion house was wobbling ke a sick old thing. The worst part was that Jared wasn’t even trying to hide his disdain about it.

A month ago, when I asked him for money, he would have handed it over with a sigh. Now he had stopped completely. The last time I brought it up, he didn’t even pretend to be sympathetic. “My business needs money too,” he had snapped. “Go to your father!”

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone. I hit his number and pressed the phone to my ear.

He picked up on the third ring, sounding distracted. “Maya.”

“Can you meet me?” I demanded.

“I can’t,” he replied immediately. “I’m in the middle of something.”

“You always are,” I snapped. “Just meet me for twenty minutes.”

“Maya-”

“Craig,” I cut in. “I need you. One last time. It’s urgent.”

There was a long pause. “I’m not doing this tonight,” he finally said.

My nails dug into my palm. “Please,” I forced out. “Just… meet me at the pub near my place. The one on Ridgemont.”

He gritted, “Fine.”

I stood up, smoothed my hair, picked up my purse, grabbed the wedding invitation card, and drove there.

Bella was getting married in a week. The thought made my stomach churn.

pub was dim and loud. When I walked in, I scanned the room until I spotted Craig near a corner booth, his jacket still

I walked over and dropped into the seat opposite him.

“What is it?” he grunted.

I didn’t waste time. I pulled out the invitation card and slid it across the table toward him.

His eyes flicked down to it. I watched his jaw tighten. “Is this real” he asked.

“Yes, the wedding is in a week. Bella Williams with Scott Moore.”

“So?” he scoffed, looking away with pain in his eyes.

“So,” I said, “we don’t let it happen.”

Craig’s gaze snapped up. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about stopping them,” I insisted. “I’m talking about ining it, Craig. If that wedding goes through, we can kiss that twenty–million dollars goodbye.”

His expression darkened. “We?”

“Yes, we,” I pressed. “You wanted the money. You wanted the power. Now she’s handing it to Scott, and we’re just going to sit here and drink?”

“Scott Moore isn’t a fool, Maya.”

“We just need to scatter them. One scandal that makes Bella look terrible. If they fall apart, I get time to fix my shop, and you grab her!”

Craig shook his head. “You’re not hearing me. If Scott gets even whiff of a scheme, he’ll destroy anyone involved. He has resources you don’t understand. People who do his dirty work, do so without leaving fingerprints.”

My frustration rose. “So what? You’re scared of him?”

Craig hissed, leaning closer, “I’m not stupid. You don’t poke a lion with a needle!”

I stared at him, disgust rising. “You’re backing out.”

“I’m done,” he answered bluntly. “I told you, I’m not part of your games anymore.”

He started to get up. Panic flashed through me. I reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Craig, don’t. Help me,” I pleaded. “Just this once. If I lose the mall contract, I’m finished.”

He still pried my fingers off his wrist. “No!” He was halfway out of the booth when a voice came.

“I can help you.”

We froze.

A man sat in the next booth alone. He turned slightly toward us. He wore a hat pulled low and an expensive suit. A glass of whiskey sat in front of him. He lifted it calmly, sipped it, and then looked at us.

Craig straightened, suspicious. “Who the hell are you?”

“Someone with money,” he replied as he came to stand near us. Enough to fund what you were just discuss

I narrowed my eyes. “You were listening.”

He tilted his head. “You weren’t exactly whispering.”

My spine stiffened. “Who are you?”

“José,” he introduced, his tone smooth. “And I hate Bella Willian”

Craig gave a short, humorless laugh. “What kind of coincidences this?”

José looked at him firmly. “Not a coincidence. I’m a solution. I’ll help you destroy her.”

I watched him carefully. José looked confident.

He tilted his head. “Bella destroyed me,” he continued, his voice hardening “With Scott’s help. I want her gone from this world, but Scott is too powerful for me to take on alone.”

Craig’s face tightened. He glanced at me like he didn’t like where this was going.

I lifted my chin. “We don’t know you. We can’t trust a stranger.”

José didn’t argue. He simply reached into his coat, pulled out a card, and slid it across the table toward me. “If you can trust me, come to my house,” he instructed calmly. “We’ll talk properly. This isn’t the place for a plan that matters.”

As I stared at the card in my hand, José left, placing cash on the counter. Before leaving, he paused just long enough to glance over his shoulder.

“You have two days,” he reminded us. “After that I’ll proceed with my own plan.” Then he walked out, leaving us totally shocked.

For a moment, blood pounded in my head. When I finally blinked and looked back at Craig, he was watching the door with a conflicted expression. I leaned forward, gripping the card. “Did you see that? He has resources.”

Craig’s mouth tightened. “Or he’s setting a trap.”

“He hates Bella,” I insisted, my voice quickening. “I can feel it. He’s been ruined like us. He wants revenge.”

Craig turned back to me, eyes narrowing. “You can’t trust feelings.”

I held his gaze. “If you won’t help me, I’ll go to him myself,” I threatened, then softened just enough to make it sound legit. “But you should be with me, Craig. Because whether you want to admit it or not, this is your last chance to take everything from Bella the way she took everything from you.”

Craig hesitated. And in that hesitation, I saw it. He wasn’t over Bella. Even though jealous as hell, I knew I could use that emotion.

He exhaled slowly and slid back into the booth. “Fine,” he muttered. “We’ll go!”

Relief surged through me. I nodded, clutching the card tighter in my hand. “Good,” I murmured. “Because I’m done watching Bella win. I’ll let you know the day and time.”