Chapter 182 A New Rival

"What difference does it make if he saves the marriage or not?" Eira asked.

Fiona’s smile turned sharp. "A big one. Trust me."

Eira was no ordinary Omega. Her judgment and connections did not just support Alpha Sebastian. They kept his entire tech division running.

If Alpha Sebastian saved the marriage, the Carters could keep the affair quiet. If he failed, his reputation would take a hit inside his own company and across the Carter group.

One bad move could send him from the top of the ladder straight to the bottom.

Fiona did not care if Alpha Sebastian went down on his own. But if the news reached the Carters too late, they would have no time to prepare for the damage. That mattered even more now that her father was trying to move her into the brand division.

Alpha Sebastian’s scandal would become a Carter scandal.

She did not explain all of that.

She did not need to.Eira had spent enough nights listening to Alpha Killian break down Pack politics to understand how one problem could spread through an entire organization.

"Sebastian and I are already divorced," Eira said.

Fiona’s eyes widened. "Divorced? He actually signed the papers?"

It was hard to believe. Alpha Sebastian would have held on to Eira even before he knew who she really was. He had needed her to keep the Hale household running.

After learning her true identity, he would have had even more reasons to keep her close.

A woman who could support both his family and his business was not someone he would have let walk away easily.

Eira had never been more grateful that she had finished the divorce before her identity came to light. Otherwise, she could have ended up trapped in a nightmare of legal and family problems.

"Your drink is getting cold," Mrs. Wood said, cutting into the conversation.

She patted Eira’s hand. "Do not waste time looking back, sweetheart. What is gone is gone."

Eira smiled. "I know, Mrs. Wood."

"Good girl."

Fiona was still trying to process it. Alpha Sebastian had agreed to the divorce and kept it quiet?

She wanted to call her father at once, but she still was not sure what divorced meant under Pack law. Breaking a Mate bond required a mandatory one-month cooling-off period.

If the final registration was not completed, the bond might still remain legally active.

She opened her mouth to ask another question, but Barry cut her off.

"Fiona, I invited you here to try the new blends."

Then he leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"Alpha Killian knows Eira is here. If you upset her, he won’t just come after me. He’ll come after you too."

Fiona swallowed the rest of her questions.

Alpha Killian did not believe in playing nice. Almost nobody wanted to find out what happened when they ended up on his bad side.

"Fine. I’ll try the drinks."

She took two sips, pulled out her phone, and took a picture of the tasting tray.

"I’m sending this to a friend," she said.

She was actually sending it to her brother.

[Get down here. Your dream girl is at the Wood clinic.]

Fiona’s phone buzzed.

Barry: [Why are you calling the Carter kid here?]

Fiona: [To chase the dream girl, obviously.]

Barry: [Alpha Killian likes her. You didn’t notice that on the yacht?]

Fiona: [So what? May the best wolf win. Finn might beat him to it. He’s younger, has more free time, and probably has better stamina.]

Barry stared at the message.

He took a screenshot, half tempted to send it straight to Alpha Killian and half afraid Alpha Killian would set Fiona on fire.

In the end, he sent Alpha Killian a safer message.

[Alpha. Finn Carter is on his way to the clinic. He’s interested in Eira.]

That was as far as Barry’s loyalty went.

Alpha Killian was stuck in a board meeting and never saw the message.

Finn had already finished the last report Alpha Sebastian had left him and headed straight for the clinic.

He walked in with a shy smile.

"This is my brother, Finn," Fiona said. "He was nearby, so he figured he’d wait here and drive home with me."

Finn looked at Eira. His eyes were bright and eager, but he kept his manners under control.

"Good to see you again, Eira."

They had met once before on the yacht.

Eira gave him a polite nod. "Mr. Carter."

"You call everyone else by their first name. Just Finn."

Finn took the seat beside Eira.When she reached for the next cup, he picked it up first."Let me get that."

Eira remained calm around him. She did not seem affected by his attention.

The tea was another story.

She pulled out her phone and showed Barry the notes she had typed.

"These are my thoughts on each blend. Flavor, aftertaste, and how long the calming effect lasts. I also added notes about which formula might work best for post-patrol recovery."

Barry read the screen with interest."Is this a science thing?"

"Don’t ask me," Fiona said. "I don’t do labs."

Barry took a picture of Eira’s notes and sent it to Alpha Killian.

[Alpha, I invited her to a tasting and she gave us a full report. If you two ever argue, is she going to hit you with a presentation?]

Alpha Killian finally checked his phone when the message came through.

He could not decide whether to thank Barry for saying YOU TWO or strangle him for mentioning an argument.

Then he saw the message underneath.

[Finn was at the clinic.]

His expression went flat.

He looked at Kate. "What’s left on my schedule?"

"The cross-border council call."

"Push it to nine tonight. Clear everything else."

Kate blinked. "Tonight?"

"Yes."

Alpha Killian stood and walked out.