The Secret Heirs of the Lycan King (by Misha K) novel Chapter 2

**When Midnight Winds Carry Secrets Toward Worlds Yet Unknown 2**
**Chapter 2**

**Bella**

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I found myself standing in the dimly lit hallway, the weight of uncertainty pressing heavily on my chest. What was I even doing here? Should I take that final step and enter the room? My resolve felt shaky, like a fragile glass teetering on the edge of a table.

But the urge to burst through that door and confront them was almost overwhelming. I wanted to shout, to demand answers, to force them to face the consequences of their betrayal. I longed to look Maya square in the eye and accuse her, “You stole my fiancé!”

Yet, as I contemplated my next move, I hesitated. I knew Maya all too well. She had a knack for denial, especially in front of our father. She would twist the narrative, painting herself as the innocent victim while portraying me as the heartless villain. It was a familiar cycle, one I had witnessed before. Just before she left home, she had played the victim card flawlessly, leaving me to bear the burden of guilt and shame.

But I needed to know. I had to ask Craig if the past five years of our lives together meant anything at all. Gathering every ounce of courage I could muster and wiping away the tears that threatened to spill, I stepped into the apartment.

As I approached the bedroom door, I caught Maya’s voice drifting through the air, smooth and dripping with smug satisfaction. “You’ve kept it a secret for four years. I’m so proud of you, Craig. You’re awesome! I just wanted to finish college before marrying you. I couldn’t bear the thought of my stepsister having your children.”

Craig’s laughter echoed in response, a sound that sent a chill down my spine. “Bella’s a moron,” he scoffed. “She’s so hopelessly in love with me that she never notices anything. Manipulating her was a piece of cake.”

Manipulating me? My breath caught in my throat, and my heart sank as tears streamed silently down my cheeks once more.

Maya continued, her voice sultry and enticing. “I’m just waiting for your divorce. Then we can finally start our own business. I’ve dreamed about it for so long!”

Craig’s tone was one of delight. “Of course, love. I’ll divorce Bella in a month. After the wedding, she gets her twenty-million inheritance. And if she divorces within six months, the money goes to her husband. That’s what her grandfather wrote in his will. So, it will all come to us, baby. I just have to put up with her for one more month.”

I pressed my palm against the wall, feeling the world around me tilt dangerously. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out everything else. I was acutely aware of my inheritance—everyone in the family knew about it, the stipulations tied to my marriage.

Maya’s laughter filled the air again, sharp and cruel. “You’re so clever, Craig Jones. Ugh, I hate seeing her face. She walks around here like she owns the place. The bitch has no idea how quickly her world is about to collapse. Once she loses her inheritance, her father will probably cut her from his will too,” she sneered.

Craig roared with laughter, the sound echoing through the apartment. “You’re wicked, Maya. Just a few more weeks, and we’ll have it all!”

They had orchestrated my downfall with such meticulous planning. Confronting them now would be the height of foolishness.

“Come, ride me, baby!” Craig exclaimed, his voice dripping with excitement. “Let’s celebrate!”

My anger erupted within me like a volcano ready to blow. Celebrate my downfall? No, I wanted to teach them both a lesson. I pulled out my phone, my hands trembling with determination as I began recording. If I sent this video to my father, surely he would cancel the wedding.

“Oh baby, you’re so good!” Craig said, his voice thick with pleasure as Maya moved against him.

My grip tightened around the steering wheel. What about Lucy? Had she known? Was she complicit in keeping me away from Craig, ensuring their plan unfolded without a hitch?

Then I thought of my father. If I called him now and recounted what I had just witnessed, would he even believe me? No, he wouldn’t. That’s why I had sent him the video. He loved me, but he often viewed me as an “entitled brat.”

If I hadn’t recorded them, Maya would have spun her web of lies in front of him, manipulating him for her gain. I didn’t trust Craig either; he would revel in my suffering, ensuring our marriage was a living hell.

I recalled the painful memories from four years ago, when Maya had stormed out after a fight, blaming me for everything that had gone wrong. The tension in the house had been suffocating for weeks. My father had chosen to comfort Lucy and Maya, leaving me isolated and alone. Since that day, he had treated me like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. He scolded me often, all because of Maya’s lies.

That fight replayed in my mind as if it had just happened. Maya had cried so much, her sobs echoing through every corner of our home. She stood before our father and her mother, portraying herself as the victim. “I’ll always be a stepsister,” she had said, her voice trembling. “I can never be accepted by her.” Then, with a quiver in her voice, she had offered to leave the house so I could live “comfortably.” Lucy had watched, tears in her eyes, but she hadn’t protested; she had merely lowered her head, suffering in silence as if Maya’s sacrifice was breaking her heart.

But the truth was far different. The fight had ignited because I had caught Maya with Luke on our last day of school. I had confessed my feelings for him just a week prior.

I had seen her cuddling him, kissing him softly, and when I confronted her, she had smiled, unashamed. “He never liked you!” she had taunted, flipping her hair dismissively.

The betrayal from Luke had stung, but it paled in comparison to the treachery of Maya. “You can have him,” I had replied, suppressing my feelings for Luke so that Maya could have her chance with him. Yet, I couldn’t understand why she had come home and created such a dramatic scene, accusing me of the very opposite. She told our parents that I had kissed her boyfriend, that I hated her for being happy. My father had believed her, scolding me to be more accommodating. But despite the turmoil, Maya left for college, leaving me trapped in guilt.

It was during that painful chapter of my life that Craig, Luke’s friend, had stepped in. He had comforted me, pursued me, and slowly, I had fallen for him. But now, it felt as if Maya had sunk her claws into Craig as well, determined to snatch away everything I held dear.