Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 210

Isolde's POV

My heart threatened to explode as Alpha Ezra strode into the center of the grand lobby, his powerful presence commanding immediate attention. His steel-gray eyes swept across the scene, taking in the commotion with calculated precision.

"What's going on here?" His voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

A security guard stepped forward, roughly shoving Faye to the ground. "Sir, we caught this one trying to slip away. She was acting suspicious, moving toward the service exit."

Faye collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she gazed up at Ezra. My breath caught in my throat as our eyes met briefly. I could read the fear in her expression, but something else lurked beneath—something calculating that made my skin crawl.

*She must know how that vial got into my dress,* I thought desperately. *She's the one who insisted I wear it.*

*She looks guilty as hell,* Lyra growled in my mind.

Alpha Ezra approached Faye, his demeanor shifting to something almost gentle as he looked down at her. "Speak," he said. "What do you have to explain?"

Faye's sobs grew louder, her shoulders shaking as she bowed her head. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Silverwood. I should have reported it to you the moment she asked me to do it." Her voice echoed through the luxurious lobby, drawing every eye in the room.

"Explain yourself clearly. What happened?" Ezra pressed, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Faye looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It—it was Isolde, sir. She asked me to bring her a small vial and promised me a substantial transfer of funds if I did. She specifically requested I bring her that designer dress—the one with the hidden pocket." Her voice trembled perfectly, her performance flawless. "I didn't know what was in the vial, sir. She just instructed me to hide it in the dress's secret compartment. If I'd known she planned to harm someone, I never would have agreed."

"The substance is silver ion extract," one of the guards added. "A deadly poison to werewolves."

I stared at Faye in absolute anger, unable to process the depths of her betrayal. "That's a lie!" I finally managed to shout, my voice breaking with desperation. "I never asked for any vial! I never even knew about any hidden pocket in the dress!"

*That conniving bitch!* Lyra roared inside my head.

I desperately turned to Ezra, my eyes pleading. "Please don't believe her. This is a setup. I'm being framed!"

The crowd around us erupted in whispers and accusations, their eyes burning into me with judgment and condemnation.

"You all heard her confession!" Aiden Hawthorne's voice thundered across the hall. "This Blackwood woman poisoned my daughter with werewolf toxin. She must be arrested immediately!" His face contorted with rage, the fury of a werewolf father whose child had been harmed. "Silverwood! Take action now!"

Ezra moved toward me, his expression unreadable as he took my arm and pulled me to my feet. I continued shaking my head, tears welling in my eyes as I silently begged him to believe me.

"All evidence points to her," Alpha Alfonso Leone interjected, his voice dripping with accusation. "She needs to be locked in a detention room, Ezra."

Ezra shot him an icy glare that silenced him instantly.

"She has the clearest motive," Alpha Liam Azure added, stepping forward with confidence. "She needs to be isolated and questioned!"

The executives and pack members around us began to join in, calling for my imprisonment with increasing vehemence. Names like "debt family scammer" and "Emerald Valley trash" cut through the air, each word a knife to my dignity.

A sobbing woman pushed through the crowd and fell to her knees before Ezra. I recognized her as Evanthe's mother, her face twisted with grief and rage.

"That's my daughter!" she cried, pointing at me with a trembling finger. "This woman poisoned her with werewolf toxin! My daughter deserves justice. She must pay for what she's done to Evanthe!" Her voice broke with emotion. "Please! Don't show favoritism just because she's your mate . Handle this fairly!"

Her husband, Aiden, moved to comfort her, his eyes burning with hatred as he stared at me.

Alpha Ezra walked toward me, his face a mask of stern authority. But as he leaned close, his lips brushed against my ear, his voice so low that only I could hear his words.

"Trust me, I'll find out the truth and get you out of this. I promise." His warm breath against my skin carried the only comfort I'd felt since this nightmare began.

He stepped back, addressing the crowd with a heavy sigh. "Take her to the detention room," he commanded, his voice firm despite the flash of pain I caught in his eyes.

"No, this isn't fair!" I cried out.

Orion suddenly moved to stand between me and the approaching security team. "Ezra... she didn't do this!" he protested, shaking his head. "You can't let them take her."

"Shut up, Orion!" Aiden Hawthorne shouted from across the lobby. "That woman poisoned your sister with silver ions. How dare you defend her? How can you speak for her?"

Orion ignored his father, looking back at Ezra with determination. "You can't do this. You know something's wrong here."

Alpha Ezra closed his eyes briefly, exhaling deeply before opening them again. "I know this is complicated, but we need to isolate her for now."

The security officers grabbed my arms and began dragging me across the marble floor. I caught Ezra's gaze one last time, seeing that almost imperceptible softness in his eyes that told me his earlier promise was real.

*I have to trust Ezra,* I thought as they pulled me away. *He'll uncover the truth. Someone orchestrated this frame-up. Silver Moon's people may hate me, but I won't give up so easily.*

As they pulled me through the doors and away from the crowd, I held onto that single thread of hope—Ezra believed me, and that was all that mattered right now.