Chapter 151 Teaching Her to Swim Again

"Don’t do anything stupid," Alpha Sebastian warned as he dropped Isabella off.

The moment she got out, he spun the car around.

His destination: Southridge Estates.

He wasn’t going to the villa he’d leased at Number Eleven. He was going to Number Twenty, the house Beta Jordan had told him belonged to Eira.

He had no idea she was actually living at Number Nine.

When Alpha Sebastian pulled up to Number Twenty, the lights were on. The yard was manicured, the gate stood open.

Alpha Sebastian walked up to the front door. He stopped beneath the security camera, a discreet motion sensor blinking red in the corner.

He rang the bell.

Once.

Twice.

No answer.

"Eira, I know you’re in there." His voice, usually a low growl of command, softened into a desperate plea. "Please. Just talk to me. Whatever went wrong between us, we can fix it. I swear it."

He paused, the silence stretching, thick and heavy. Then he tried again.

"Starting this month, every cent I earn—every damn dollar—goes to you. You handle the accounts. You make the the decisions. It’s all yours, Eira. Just come out."

The house remained silent. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

Alpha Sebastian’s hand fell to his side, a tremor running through his fingers.

"It’s been so long since we sat down. Really talked. Shared a meal. I miss that, Eira. I miss us."

His voice grew rough, edged with a frustration he couldn’t hide.

"And Serena..." He ran a hand through his hair. "There’s nothing between us. It was a mistake. Just pack gossip. I swear on my Alpha blood."

He stepped closer to the door, his fist hovering an inch from the polished wood.

"If you want me to stay away from her, I will. Whatever you want. Just open the door."

Only the faint hum of the city answered him.

But someone was listening.

The moment the doorbell rang, a secure feed popped up on Mrs. Jones’s tablet.

She watched Alpha Sebastian’s face, etched with raw desperation, watched him make one frantic promise after another. Her lips thinned.

"Too little, too late, you fool," she muttered.

She forwarded the recording to her Alpha.

--

Meanwhile, Alpha Killian and the others had just returned from the yacht party. Lila had gone one glass of wine too far and was leaning against Eira, cuddling her like an oversized puppy.

"Easy, lightweight," Alpha Killian muttered.

Lila yawned. "You’re jealous. Too bad I’m the wrong gender. That’s why you can’t be Eira’s best friend."

Alpha Killian gave her a flat look. He just stared at Eira. Best friend? Not even close.

He glanced at Eira. She had been quiet throughout dinner, her eyes closed as if she were trying to shut out the entire world. Alpha Sebastian had a real talent for ruining everyone’s evening.

Alpha Killian’s phone buzzed. Mrs. Jones had sent him the security footage.

He played the clip without sound.

"Sebastian?" Eira opened her eyes and looked at the screen.

Alpha Killian handed her the phone and offered her one of his wireless earbuds. He kept the other in his ear.

Alpha Sebastian’s voice filled the quiet ride home.

Alpha Killian watched Eira’s expression change. Her brows drew together for a moment, then her face went blank again. He could not tell what she was thinking.

"Well?"

Eira removed the earbud and returned it to him.

"Not worth my time. I’m meeting his mother tomorrow."

Alpha Killian already knew about the meeting. Lila had mentioned it earlier.

Eira wasn’t going to fall for another round of empty promises. She had watched Alpha Sebastian carry Serena away on the yacht and quietly recorded the whole thing. No tears. No scene. Just a phone held steady in her hand.

That kind of self-control made Alpha Killian uneasy. He knew Alpha Sebastian had built those walls, scars deep enough to make Eira distrust every hand reaching for her.

The thought stayed with Alpha Killian long after the car pulled into the driveway.

That night, he sent his mother a few messages asking for help.

--

Morning came early.

Eira slipped out from under the blankets without waking Lila, got ready, and went downstairs.

Mrs. Jones was already at the stove.

"Morning, Eira. Breakfast is almost ready. Figured you’d be up before Lila. That girl sleeps like the dead."

"Thanks, Mrs. Jones." Eira took a seat.

Mrs. Jones set down a plate of sliced fruit. "So, when are you moving out of here? We’ve had some guy hanging around Southridge lately. He keeps standing outside an empty villa and yelling your name."

Southridge Estates did not attract that kind of trouble.

Mrs. Jones was obviously talking about someone specific. The only person connected to Eira who would stand outside a stranger’s house shouting for her was Alpha Sebastian.

"You mean Sebastian."

Mrs. Jones grinned. "Nothing gets past you."

"How did he even get into Southridge?" Eira asked, surprised. Security here was tight.

"He came to pay the rent," Mrs. Jones said, then quickly covered her mouth. "Oops. I probably shouldn’t have said that."

Eira raised an eyebrow.

"He rented a place here. Sterling developed the whole community, so he’s basically putting money straight into Alpha Killian’s pocket."

Eira nodded. "And why was he yelling outside someone else’s villa?"

"It’s empty. No one lives there." Mrs. Jones lowered her voice. "Alpha Killian told me to send him there so he wouldn’t bother you."

Her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Alpha Killian really does worry about you. You must mean a lot to him."

Eira took a sip of milk and gave her a flat look.

"Did you get that line from the romance novel you were listening to last night?"

Mrs. Jones gasped. "How did you know?"

"You had the volume turned all the way up."

Mrs. Jones froze.

"Right. My AirPods must be broken. I’ll buy new ones."

After breakfast, Eira called Luna Margaret.

"I’m free today. We can meet in person."

Luna Margaret agreed immediately. They set a time for half an hour later.

The moment they sat down, Luna Margaret got straight to the point.

"If I help you get the evidence, are you taking Serena to court or trying to settle this privately? Because if you’re suing her, I’m out."

Eira looked at her calmly.

"You’re not doing this for me. You want to recover your son’s money."

Luna Margaret’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t back down.

"Court or settlement?"

"Court."

"Absolutely not." Luna Margaret pushed back her chair.

"One hundred million dollars," Eira said, cutting through Luna Margaret’s protest. "That’s what Sebastian lost. Minimum. A private settlement won’t get you even a fraction of that back. Sebastian will step in, bury the evidence, and make sure Serena walks away with most of it."

"If you want every dollar returned, court is the only way."