Chapter 11 Refusing to B
Chapter 11: Refusing to Bow Down
Chapter 11: Refusing to Bow Down
(Olivia’s POV)
My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.
I stared at the screen, watching notification after notification flood in. Messages, missed calls, social media
alerts–all consequences of yesterday’s disastrous failed mating ceremony. Overnight, I had become the
main topic of pack gossip across the Northern Territory.
With a groan, I scrolled through some of the messages. My personal information had been leaked online-
home address, phone number, even details about Moonlight Designs. What had started as personal
humiliation had escalated into a full–blown business crisis.
“This is insane,” I muttered, tossing my phone onto the bed.
I dressed quickly, choosing a simple but elegant outfit that projected confidence I didn’t feel. Today would
require armor, even if it was just fabric.
When I arrived at Moonlight Designs headquarters, the scene outside was chaos. At least twenty
photographers swarmed my car the moment I pulled up, their cameras flashing aggressively.
“Olivia! Is it true you abandoned Bella on her deathbed?”
“Did you really refuse to donate blood to your own sister?”
“How does it feel to be rejected for your own half–sister?”
I kept my head down, pushing through the crowd. One particularly aggressive photographer–probably Victor Reed, notorious for his boundary–crossing tactics–shoved his camera inches from my face.
“Back off!” Blair White, my assistant, appeared at my side, physically inserting herself between me and the paparazzi. Building security rushed forward, creating a path for us to enter.
Once inside, Blair handed me a tablet displaying social media feeds. “It’s bad,” she said quietly.
I scrolled through post after post condemning me. Despite Bella being the instigator of this chaos, public sympathy was overwhelmingly against me. Whispers of her rare heart failure had spread, painting me as heartless for not rushing to her aid.
“They’re saying I refused to help her,” I said, my voice tight. “They don’t mention I was drugged with sedatives and physically couldn’t donate.”
Blair nodded grimly. “The narrative is already set. Bella is the dying innocent, and you’re the vengeful rejected
mate.”
The attacks weren’t limited to me personally. Moonlight Designs was being targeted too. Orders were being canceled. Clients were distancing themselves. Our social media accounts were flooded with hateful
comments.
“Our pack liaison team has been working all night on damage control,” Blair reported. “But the harm is
significant.”
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Chapter 11 Heuseng to f
I sank into my office chair, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on me. “Get the legal team on the phone. We need to discuss our options.”
The day passed in a blur of crisis meetings. By evening, we had a strategy in place–formal complaints would be filed, cease and desist orders prepared. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
The paparazzi finally dispersed around midnight. I remained in my office, too exhausted to face the prospect of running their gauntlet again.
A soft knock on my door startled me. Blair had left hours ago, and security wouldn’t disturb me without calling first.
Come in,” I called cautiously.
The door opened to reveal Graham Storm.
I stiffened immediately. “What are you doing here?”
Graham looked drained, thinner than usual–likely from his blood donation for Bella. “I came to see how you’re holding up.”
“Get out,” I said flatly.
He stepped further into my office, closing the door behind him. “Olivia, I know things are difficult right now. I want to help.”
I laughed bitterly. “Help? You’re the cause of this nightmare.”
“I understand you’re angry-”
“You understand nothing.” I cut him off, standing to face him. “What do you want, Graham? Why are you really here?”
He moved closer, his voice dropping. “I know what you’re going through. The pressure, the attacks, the struggle to keep your business afloat while dealing with personal chaos.”
My disgust intensified with every word. I couldn’t fathom his motives after his profound betrayal.
“I’m leaving,” I said, attempting to move past him.
Suddenly, his arms were around me, pulling me into an embrace. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “This is all my fault. The public backlash, the business troubles–I take full responsibility.”
I froze, shocked and repulsed by his touch. “Let go of me.”
His embrace tightened, a possessive grip that sent a chill down my spine. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, murmuring apologies.
A terrible thought struck me. “Did Bella die?” I asked sharply.
He pulled back slightly, his expression confused. “No, she’s critical but stable after the transfusion.”
I pushed against his chest. “Then why are you here, acting like this?”
Graham’s eyes held a strange mixture of emotions. “The blood donation was… uncomfortable. It made me think about all the times you gave your blood to heal me after territorial skirmishes.”
He paused, his hands still gripping my arms. “And I didn’t know she was your half–sister until that confrontation at the hospital. If I had known sooner-”
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I forcefully broke free of his hold. “Would it have made a difference? Would you have chosen differently if
you’d known we shared blood?”
Graham hesitated, and in that moment of silence, I had my answer.
“Bella made mistakes,” he said finally, subtly shifting his stance. “But given her condition, perhaps we should all try to move past them.”
“Get out of my way, I said, attempting once more to leave.
He blocked my path. “Little Livvy, I love you. I’ve always loved you. But Bella needs me now. She’s like a
stepsister to me, and I have a pack duty to protect her.”
My anger finally erupted. “Are you delusional? You humiliated me in front of the entire territory! You let her wear my ceremonial gown–the one I spent months crafting with my own hands! And now you stand here
talking about love and duty?”
Graham gripped my arm again. I’m only trying to help. Listen to me–you need to issue a public apology. Say the ceremony incident was a misunderstanding. Visit Bella in the hospital. Show a united Oasis Pack family
front
I stared at him, speechless at his audacity.
“This will quiet the gossip and media frenzy, he continued. “It’s the rational solution.”
Finding my voice, I replied with utter contempt: “Graham Storm, go to hell!”
I turned to leave, but he pursued me, his voice urgent. “Be reasonable, Olivia! Accept my advice for the sake of pack stability and your own reputation. This temporary submission will restore calm.‘”
I turned back, a humorless, sarcastic smile twisting my lips. “Fine. You livestream yourself eating wolfsbane, I’ll livestream myself apologizing. We do it at the same time, how about that?”
Graham’s expression crumpled into genuine hurt. “How can you be so irrational about this?”
At that precise moment, the office door opened. Lily Bennett strode in, her auburn hair slightly disheveled, her eyes immediately assessing the situation.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, though we’d made no plans. “I thought you might need a ride home. Those vultures might still be lurking outside.”
Relief washed over me. “Lily, thank goodness.”
She crossed to my side, her hand squeezing mine briefly. “You okay?” she asked quietly.
I nodded, drawing strength from her presence.
Lily turned her sharp gaze to Graham, scrutinizing him with open suspicion. “So, Graham, do you actually understand Bella’s true feelings for you?”
Graham straightened, confidence returning to his posture. “Bella’s affection for me is common knowledge throughout the territories.”
Lily let out a short, pitying laugh. “You really believe a she–wolf that manipulative, who schemed to steal her sister’s mate–to–be and mating ceremony, only sees you as a brother figure? How naive can you be?”
Graham’s face hardened, his pride visibly stung. He stepped toward Lily, his voice tight with irritation. “What exactly are you implying?”
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Chapter 12: An Unexpected
