Elliot was stunned, his gaze sharpening like a dominant Alpha catching a scent of deceit. "Shouldn't you have dealt with your own client by yourself?"
"Nope," I replied, forcing calm into my voice even as my instincts kept replaying the ambush. "Felicia said the client was originally Aliona's to handle when I confronted her earlier, but because my design caught the client's attention, I was reassigned to take over the negotiation. After that, I was taken by Riley's henchmen at the rendezvous point—a café where I was supposed to meet the client." My brows tightened as unease rolled through me. "How did they know I'd be there… at that exact spot?"
Elliot's expression darkened, his Alpha presence pressing heavier in the air. "Aliona is the illegitimate daughter of Lucas Dora, my late father's close pack ally. He raised her abroad. Lucas and my grandmother were once… closely bonded in their youth."
