Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 237

EZRA'S POV

I gestured toward Terry, who stood ready beside the projection equipment. "Begin the video presentation."

Terry's fingers moved across his tablet, and within seconds, the massive screen at the front of the conference hall flickered to life. The image quality was crystal clear—high-definition surveillance footage that captured every detail, every expression, every damning word.

The first clip showed Evanthe in what appeared to be a private meeting room, her voice carrying clearly through the hall's sound system. Then came the recording of her instructing Nyssa to obtain silver ion extract.

Evanthe's scream pierced the air. "No! Stop this!"

I kept my expression impassive, though satisfaction coursed through my veins like fire.

*Look at her squirm,* I thought with grim pleasure. *Let everyone see what you really are.*

The most damaging piece played next—Faye's tearful confession, recorded just hours ago. Her voice shook as she admitted that Evanthe had personally handed her the silver ion extract and explicitly instructed her to put it in Isolde's dress.

The Lycan executives around the table began shaking their heads, low curses rumbling through the crowd. I could smell their disgust, their anger shifting from Isolde to the woman who had orchestrated everything.

In the front row, Aiden Hawthorne's face had gone ashen. His wife sat frozen beside him, tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched her stepdaughter's crimes unfold in stunning clarity.

"This is all the evidence you need," I said, my voice cutting through Evanthe's continued denials. "But we're not finished yet."

The conference hall doors opened again, and the murmur of conversation died instantly. Atlas stepped into the room, his presence commanding immediate attention.

Evanthe's whispered "No, this can't be happening!" was barely audible, but her tears had completely destroyed her makeup, leaving dark streaks down her pale cheeks.

I watched with cold satisfaction as Atlas walked to the center of the room, his eyes fixed on the assembled werewolves and family representatives.

"I am Atlas Holt," he announced, his voice carrying clearly through the silent hall. "I am Evanthe Hawthorne's fated mate. The child she carried was mine, not Alpha Ezra's."

The reaction was explosive. Gasps echoed through the room, followed by angry murmurs and the scraping of chairs as people leaned forward in shock.

The admiration these people had once held for Evanthe evaporated instantly, replaced by disgust and hatred. I could smell the shift in the room's energy—the bitter scent of betrayal and outrage.

The plan was working flawlessly.

I stood again, letting my gaze sweep across every face in the hall before I spoke.

"If you had been paying attention to Silver Moon Group's internal surveillance systems," I began, my voice deadly quiet, "you would have realized that Evanthe has been proven guilty of five abhorrent crimes, including murder. This is absolutely unforgivable."

The silence was deafening.

"Many of you," I continued, "have suggested during internal meetings and social gatherings that I should abandon Isolde and choose Evanthe as my mate instead. You said she would make a better Luna because she was a Lycan and a valuable asset to Silver Moon Group. Because she came from the Hawthorne family."

I paused, letting the weight of those words settle over them.

"Can you still proudly say those words now?"

Not a single person dared to respond. The shame in the room was palpable.

"None of you ever gave Isolde a chance to prove herself," I said, my voice growing harder. "You were always waiting for scandals about her to surface so you could join the criticism. I don't know how you feel seeing the true face of the woman you all admired. She's a manipulator. A cold-blooded killer. She murdered her own unborn child."

My eyes found the pack elders, Elder Nash and Elder Jace, both refusing to meet my gaze.

"Is this the Luna you wanted?"

Evanthe suddenly erupted into hysterical denials.

"None of that is true!" she screamed, her face flushed red with desperation. Her carefully maintained composure had completely shattered, leaving her looking wild and unhinged. "They're trying to frame me! You all know I would never do such things. I'm from the Hawthorne family! I don't do things like that!"

"Frame you?" I asked coolly. "What about those high-definition videos? The digital recordings? Are you suggesting someone used AI technology to perfectly mimic you?"

"Technology can do anything!" she insisted desperately.

"And Atlas? Is he AI-generated too?"

"I don't know this man!" Evanthe turned toward the crowd, her voice rising to a shriek. "I swear I don't know him! This is just a conspiracy to smear my reputation. It's me, Evanthe. The pride of the group, your ideal Luna. This is all just to tarnish my name. I'm innocent!"

*Unbelievable,* I thought, fury burning in my chest.

Even with overwhelming evidence, she was still trying to manipulate them all.

"Evanthe," Orion's voice cut through her hysteria. "Stop embarrassing yourself, will you?"

Her brother's words hit her like a physical blow. All eyes turned to him as he continued, his voice heavy with shame and resignation.

"They've seen the videos, heard the recordings, and listened to your accomplices' confessions. It's over. Stop performing."

Evanthe broke down completely, sobbing as the last of her supporters abandoned her.

I stood for the final time, my voice carrying the weight of absolute authority.

"After viewing and hearing all the evidence," I announced, "we can confirm without doubt that Evanthe poses a threat to both Silver Moon Group and werewolf society as a whole. If she could be ruthless enough to kill her own unborn child for personal gain, what would she do to others who mean nothing to her? She has already proven this by killing two people."

My eyes swept across the room, taking in Aiden Hawthorne's broken expression, his wife's silent tears, the elders' shame.

"As the Lycan King of this city and CEO of Silver Moon Group, I cannot allow such a dangerous werewolf to continue existing in my territory. I have recorded enough deaths caused by her—I will not tolerate more."

I fixed my golden gaze directly on Evanthe, watching as her face crumpled with terror.

"Evanthe Hawthorne," I said, my voice dropping to an icy whisper that somehow carried to every corner of the massive hall, "for the past few months, you have committed countless evil acts within Silver Moon Group and werewolf society. You have repeatedly framed innocent people for your personal gain. You orchestrated a gang rape for a female colleague, and when that plan failed, you ensured someone else took the blame. You attempted to murder two Alphas and killed a food tester in the process. You conceived another man's child but lied to me, claiming I was the father. As if that wasn't enough, you killed that child and framed someone else, making the world believe she caused the death of that innocent life."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as my eyes blazed with deadly golden light.

"For multiple counts of murder and defamation... I hereby sentence you to death by hanging."