Tempted By My Exs Brother In Law

Elena's POV

Someone pounded on my door, yanking me from unconsciousness. I peeled myself from the bed sheets, every muscle screaming after back-to-back nights at the office left me completely drained.

Moving toward the entrance while still half-asleep, I finally had a day off and couldn't wait to rest. When I opened the door, a uniformed security officer stood waiting outside.

"Miss Elena?" He spoke without emotion, stating facts.

Still groggy, I rubbed my face. "Yeah? What's going on?"

"Officer Ken. Mr. Dalton sent me. You need to leave this apartment right away."

His words made no sense. Mr. Dalton-Mark-my boyfriend.

I let out a shaky laugh. "Is this some kind of prank? Because it's not funny."

"No prank, ma'am." A document appeared in his hand, thrust toward my face. Official orders bearing Mark Dalton's signature. Everything inside me went cold.

"Wait. this can't be happening," I managed, my throat tight. "Mark's my boyfriend. Everything's fine between us. He wouldn't do something like this..."

"Your position at Thompson Crest Enterprise has been terminated, according to him."

Terminated. The corporate jargon cut deep. "Excuse me?"

He just stood there, offering nothing more. Frozen in my doorway, confusion twisted into hot fury as I held his gaze.

"Someone made a mistake!" My voice climbed higher. "I'm calling Mark. Right now."

Without waiting, I rushed back inside, snatched my phone, and dialed the number burned into my memory. Straight to voicemail-automated and impersonal.

Panic flooded over the anger. Racing back to the door, my confidence collapsed. "I have to talk to Mark! This is insane. Where am I even supposed to go?"

Officer Ken checked his watch deliberately. "Ten minutes to collect your belongings, ma'am."

"Are you actually serious right now?" Fear sharpened my words. "Where is he? I need to see him!"

"Mr. Dalton isn't available today," he replied, maddeningly calm while I fell apart. Then he dropped the real bomb: "He's busy with his wedding."

The floor disappeared beneath me. My lungs forgot how to work.

Something flickered in his expression-sympathy? amusement? "You really didn't know? Everyone's been talking about it for weeks."

My hands started shaking uncontrollably. Weeks? I'd been drowning in work, surviving on caffeine and deadlines. Mark kept praising how dedicated I was, his voice full of what I'd stupidly thought was real affection.

"You're amazing, Elena. This proposal is brilliant. Just get through these last few days. I've got something special planned for you."

Last night, his text promised a "surprise" after all my effort. Today he delivered a "Surprise Bomb" all right.

I pushed past Ken into the hallway. Across the street, the huge digital billboard that usually showed luxury advertisements was broadcasting something live.

"Thompson-Dalton Union: The Wedding of the Decade!"

Gold letters sparkled across the screen.

Mark Dalton-my lover, my boss-was today promising his life to another woman.

***

Inside the taxi, I frantically scrolled through social media feeds I never had time to check. Each swipe felt like a knife wound.

Hashtags trending worldwide: #PowerCouple and #FairytaleWedding. I consumed every article desperately, piecing together a picture of calculated betrayal that took my breath away.

My boyfriend-ex-boyfriend-was marrying another woman while the entire planet celebrated.

Then I saw her. Bella Thompson. Her profile showed someone almost otherworldly beautiful, but what really knocked the air from my chest was her background.

Sister to Eric Thompson, the most powerful Alpha in the Northeast, leading the prestigious Silver Crest pack.

Understanding hit like a freight train. Obviously. This wasn't about love; it was a business transaction.

She came with everything-connections, influence, a legacy woven into elite werewolf society itself.

What could my late nights, my carefully prepared presentations, possibly compete with an entire empire?

Tears threatened, but something hotter burned underneath-pure, justified rage.

So what if I'm human? So what if I started with nothing? Even if this involved some fated mate thing I'd heard them whisper about, how could he betray me like this?

Two years. Two years of loving him, supporting him, being everything he needed. My reward? An eviction notice from a stranger and watching him marry someone else as my goodbye gift.

I needed answers. Not corporate speak, not polite rejection. I needed to confront him face-to-face.

The cab stopped. Silver Crown Estate rose before me-dramatic Gothic architecture with soaring towers, windows catching light like ice, and gardens that belonged in magazines.

Pain twisted inside my chest. I'd once doodled "Elena Dalton" during boring meetings, imagining this kind of day for us. The irony physically hurt.

Scanning the entrance, I spotted perfectly dressed wolf-shifter guards standing watch, radiating complete authority. A human girl with swollen eyes and broken dreams had zero chance of getting past them. Then I noticed something-a catering van parked at the service entrance, back doors hanging open while workers unloaded champagne crates. A slim opportunity.

Pulse racing, I moved quickly. During the chaos of deliveries, I slipped into the van's dark cargo area, flattening myself between cold metal shelves just as the doors slammed shut. The engine started.

When the van stopped inside the estate grounds, I waited until the drivers walked away before climbing out. My plain dress stood out badly among the staff's uniforms, but I tried acting as if I belonged, heading toward the main hall while my mind spun.