Author Behind the couch, Tang had sent the recording of Nicole's entire confession to Alpha Sebastian. While Cecilia and Harper were cautiously piecing together Nicole's traumatic story, they were completely unaware that Alpha Sebastian was already miles ahead of them. He sat under the shade of an old oak tree in a seemingly ordinary farmyard, the audio recording from Tang playing through his phone. His expression was unreadable, a mask of calm concentration as he listened. The moment it ended, his fingers moved swiftly across the screen: She's holding back. Stay alert. An "OK" came back from Tang immediately, though he couldn't help but frown at his Alpha's assessment. From where Tang stood, Nicole's emotional breakdown and story seemed genuine—the tears, the trauma, all

