Chapter 165: Secret Affairs
Chapter 165 of "Mated To The Crippled Alpha" starts revealing surprises: I didnāt need to question a single word Lewis said."Yes," I answered immediately.We got into... Read on!
I didnāt need to question a single word Lewis said."Yes," I answered immediately.
We got into the car and took a different route, avoiding the main roads. Lewis didnāt want us crossing paths with Monica, and neither did I.
My excitement buzzed under my skin. My hands trembled as I buckled my seatbelt.
"Alright," I said, unable to hold back anymore. "Tell me everything. She really has a secret partner?"
For the first time in my life, I understood why people loved gossip. I leaned closer, practically vibrating with curiosity.
Lewis glanced at me and smiled faintly. He reached out and tapped my nose.
"Youāre eager," he said.
"You donāt understand," I shot back. "This is instinct. Now talk."
He shook his head, amused.
"After I realized who you really were, I had people look into the Gardner family. Monica included."
"And?" I pressed.
"I found something interesting."
I leaned forward. "Who is he?"
Lewis spoke calmly, like he was discussing the weather.
"Everyone has someone they want but canāt claim. Monica is no different. She fell for a man years ago. She even danced at a nightclub for him."
I covered my face, stunned.
That woman? Falling in love?
To me, Monica had always looked manufactured. Calculated. Someone who used charm like a blade. Love didnāt suit her image at all.
"Heās her neighbor," Lewis continued. "They grew up together. Back then, her family struggled. She went to the club to support him... and to look for someone who could lift her out of poverty."
"So thatās when she met Grant," I said slowly.
"Exactly," Lewis replied. "At first, Grant only wanted company. But Monica didnāt let go. She laid her trap, tied herself to him, and once she had a child, she secured her place."
My fingers curled slightly. "Does she still see the other man?"
Lewis smiled. "Of course. Otherwise, he wouldnāt be a secret."
He glanced at the road.
"When your parents were distant, Monica took money from Grant and helped her lover start a company. Heās not at the top of the food chain, but heās comfortable. Public company. Enough power to be useful."
"That sounds familiar," I muttered.
"Itās not the same," Lewis said. "Some men build themselves honestly. This one climbed by using women. After his company stabilized, he bonded with a woman from a steel family. That alliance pushed him higher."
"How many children?" I asked.
"Five," Lewis said flatly. "But he never cut Monica off. He keeps her close because she connects him to the Gardners. If Monica and Lincy fall, heāll step in."
A dangerous thought slid into my mind.
"Do you think Lincy is really Grantās?" I asked quietly. "What if sheās the other manās child?"
Lincy never resembled Grant much. Iād always brushed it aside, just like no one questioned why I looked more like my mother.
But with Monicaās past...
Lewis stayed cautious. "We canāt be sure. A test would tell us."
The idea thrilled me more than it should have.
Grant had protected Lincy for years. If she wasnāt his by blood or bond, the fallout would be explosive.
Lewis glanced at me. "If we confirm it... will you tell him?"
"Not immediately," I said. "Truth is strongest when itās timed right."
I smiled faintly.
"After everything he put my mom through, after letting a false heir stand in her place, I wonāt give him clarity for free."
Lewis nodded. "Then whatās next?"
"Monica and Lincy wonāt stay quiet," I said. "Theyāll make another move. Grantās already worried about them."
I looked out the window, city lights sliding past like watchful eyes.
"Iāll let Monica lose control. Iāll push her until Grant canāt ignore it anymore."
"And your goal?" Lewis asked softly.
"To break the bond," I answered. "To make him let my mother go."
The car hummed quietly as we drove on.
"After that," I said quietly, heat rising in my chest, "Iāll drop the truth heās been hiding from. Does he really think he can keep everything?"
My hands curled into fists.
"People like him believe thereās no price for taking too much. They trample anyone softer beneath them. Iāll show them what it feels like to fall."
Lewisās arm slipped around my waist, steady and warm. His voice was low, certain.
"Iām with you. Always."
I let out a breath I didnāt know Iād been holding. "Thank you, Lewis."
The car slowed.
Through the window, I saw Monica step out of a taxi. She limped slightly, her shoulders tense, eyes darting like she was afraid of being seen.
About ten minutes later, a man emerged from the terminal.
I frowned.
I had expected someone powerful. Someone refined. At least someone who looked worthy of all the chaos sheād caused.
Instead, he was ordinary. Soft around the middle. Well-dressed, but nothing special. Without the expensive coat, he couldāve blended into any crowd.
Monica, on the other hand, still looked polished. Carefully maintained. She looked better than him.
The moment she saw him, she hurried over.
He didnāt smile.
If anything, there was impatience in his eyes.
I raised my phone just as she leaned in and kissed him.
Click.
He pulled back quickly, glancing around, then guided her toward a black car. Before the door closed, she climbed onto his lap, clinging to him like she had something to prove.
The door shut.
I lowered my phone, my mouth twisting.
"Thatās it?" I muttered. "Thatās the man she risked everything for?"
Still, the pictures were clear.
"If Grant knew he lost Mom because of this woman," I said slowly, "how deep do you think the regret would cut?"
I paused, then added, "Too bad it was just a kiss."
Lewis glanced at me. "The hotel heās staying at belongs to my network. If you want more proof, I can arrange it."
My eyes widened. "Lewis... youāre unreal."
Then reason crept in.
"No," I sighed. "Itās your territory. If this ever leaked, it would stain you."
He tapped my forehead lightly. "You worry too much. I wonāt let anything touch us."
"It still feels wrong," I said.
"In our world," he replied calmly, "information is power. And power decides outcomes."
I studied his face.
Then smiled. "Alright. Then Iāll prepare the perfect separation gift for Grant."
I thought of my mother. Of years lost. Of promises never kept.
Some regrets should last a lifetime.
Lewis didnāt waste time.
We went to his private suite. Screens flickered on one by one, showing clean angles, careful framing. No noise. No drama. Just truth.
"Iāll have it edited," he said evenly. "Heāll understand everything when the time comes."
I stepped close and kissed him, my arm sliding around his neck.
"Youāre dangerous," I whispered.
He stiffened slightly, like he wanted to say something.
So I kissed him again, cutting him off with a smile.
"But I like it."
And in his arms, with the city glowing beneath us, I knew
This time, I wasnāt the one being hunted.