Betrayed by My Best Friend, Claimed by Alpha King

Chapter 3 Illegitimate daughter

　　Megan's mother seized Georgina's wrist in a painful, unyielding grip. Her eyes flared with fury as her hand raised, ready to deliver another slap. But Georgina, blinded by an overwhelming surge of rage, reacted instinctively, shoving Megan's mother with a strength she didn't even know she possessed.

　　Joyce stumbled backward, a stunned gasp escaping her lips before she crashed into a nearby table, her head striking the sharp corner with a sickening thud. Megan's scream echoed through the room as she rushed to her mother's side, hesitating in horror as blood seeped from Joyce's wound.

　　"Mom! Oh my God—mom, are you okay? Mom!"

　　Georgina stood rooted, her heartbeat deafening in her ears. Panic clawed at her throat as the reality of what she'd done slowly dawned upon her. Her fists clenched and unclenched nervously at her sides, dread twisting her stomach. Before she could move, her father roughly pushed past her, dropping to his knees beside Joyce.

　　"Joyce? Honey, talk to me," he pleaded gently, cradling her head with surprising tenderness.

　　Honey? Georgina thought incredulously, bitterness flooding her chest. Her father’s gentleness toward this woman felt surreal—painfully wrong.

　　Joyce moaned softly, eyes fluttering open as she looked into his concerned gaze, offering him a faint, reassuring smile. Megan, recovering her anger, sprang back to her feet, glaring accusingly at Georgina.

　　"You nearly killed my mother! Your issue is with me—why drag her into this mess?"

　　"Meg, stop," Joyce's weak voice cut in. "Don't blame her. Georgina's clearly upset right now."

　　Georgina's eyes narrowed as she noticed the silent, knowing glance exchanged between mother and daughter. It made her skin crawl, fueling her suspicion. When Megan turned her attention to Georgina’s father, the next words she uttered dropped like bombs, shattering Georgina’s world.

　　"Dad, are you just going to sit there? Until when will you keep pretending everything’s fine? Until when are mom and I going to suffer for her sake? Aren't you tired of living a lie?"

　　Georgina's laughter rang out bitter and cold, drawing startled looks from everyone. "I'm sorry, did you just call my father 'dad'? Did I miss something important here?"

　　Megan, despite her visible apprehension, lifted her chin defiantly. "You heard me perfectly."

　　Georgina turned numbly toward her father, silently begging him to deny Megan’s outrageous claim. But the expression of guilt on his face confirmed her deepest fears.

　　"Honey, listen," he began softly, averting his gaze. "Megan is your sister."

　　Georgina stared at him blankly, the room spinning. Her father, unable to bear the silence, raised his voice defensively.

　　"Don't look at me like that, Georgina! I never wanted you to find out this way. Joyce and I were together long ago, before your mother. I didn't even know Megan existed until later, and by then, telling you or your mother felt impossible. After your mom passed, you were devastated, and I didn't want to make it worse. I thought I was protecting you."

　　"Protecting me?" Georgina’s voice was a harsh whisper, filled with disbelief. "Is that your excuse for betraying mom—and me—for all these years?"

　　"Gina," he said firmly, stepping closer, desperation evident. "You have to understand Megan's perspective, too. She's lived her life as an outsider. You had everything—"

　　"Don’t you dare," Georgina interrupted fiercely. "Don’t you dare play victim on her behalf!"

　　Joyce gently touched his shoulder, murmuring softly, "Please, don’t force her. Give her time to process."

　　Georgina nearly laughed at Joyce's carefully crafted empathy. The woman was clearly manipulating him, yet her father was oblivious. His features hardened as he glared at Georgina.

　　"Enough. Megan and Joyce will come live with us. We need to move forward as a family."

　　"Over my dead body," Georgina spat venomously, tears burning her eyes. "That house was my mother's! It's all I have left of her. I won't let you bring these strangers into our home."

　　"The house is mine, Georgina!" he shouted, losing patience. "You’re being selfish—"

　　"Selfish?" she exploded, shaking. "I refuse to live under the same roof with someone who betrayed me and my mother. You want me to accept them? Forget it!"

　　Her father’s hand flew out before he could stop it, striking her face sharply. The room fell silent. Georgina didn't feel the physical pain, only the devastating realization that her gentle, loving father had hit her for the sake of another woman.

　　"You hit me," she whispered, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. "For them?"

　　Regret flickered in his eyes, but Georgina had already spun around, bolting from the apartment, ignoring his desperate calls.

　　In the elevator, she crumbled against the wall, sobbing uncontrollably. She'd come to confront Megan about the horrific betrayal she'd suffered, but now her entire world had been upended. Megan had stolen everything—her dignity, her father, her entire life.

　　Georgina stumbled blindly onto the street, oblivious to the dark vehicle that pulled up sharply. A man emerged swiftly, concern etched deeply into his features. As she brushed past passersby without seeing them, he caught her arm gently.

　　"Hey," Klaus said softly, concern evident.

　　She turned around and frowned when she recognized the man from earlier, the one she woke up next to in the morning. He had a concerned look on his face but Georgina knew better than to believe he actually cared about her.

　　"Don't touch me." She hissed, snatching her arm away from his grasp.

　　"What happened?" He asked.

　　He reached out in his jacket and took a handkerchief out. Georgina refused to accept it, not noticing how his eyes briefly flashed amber when she rejected his gesture.

　　"Tell me what happened." The man insisted. "I might be able to help you. Look, if this is about this morning-"

　　"Yes you son of a b***h! It's about this morning and it's also about what just happened to me. And you know what?! There is nothing you can do for me and even if you could, I will never accept any sort of help coming from a male escort!"

　　Georgina could have spit on his face but she decided against it. She didn't notice the way the man's guards looked at her, their hands resting over their weapons and waiting for a single order from their Alpha. But the man didn't say anything, though his wolf Alex was growling within him, urging him to claim this woman who clearly needed protection.

　　"Alpha…" one of the gamma guards said.

　　"Let her go." He sighed, watching the woman walk away, breathing in her unique scent one last time. "She seems angry."

　　Klaus Von Wald wondered why he wanted to help her so badly. She was just a human woman among so many others after all. He'd already tried being kind twice. It was more than enough generosity, especially considering his status as the Alpha of the Nightbloom Pack and CEO of a multinational corporation. Yet something about her called to him in a way he'd never experienced before.

　　"Let's just go to the company," he ended up saying to his men before returning inside the car. But the thoughts of Georgina didn't leave his mind on the way. Not even a bit.