The Alpha's Ghost Bride

Chapter 13 – Play your cards right

Mika



I sat back in my chair, swirling the wine in my glass, watching the rich liquid shimmer under the lights. Across from me, Harry and Karla were laughing, their faces lit up with excitement after checking the balance in our account. One hundred million dollars. The number sat heavy in my mind, a mixture of exhilaration and caution swirling inside me. Karla raised her glass, grinning like a cat that caught the canary.

"Here’s to us!" she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “We did it!”

Harry clinked his glass against hers, his laughter booming across the room. “Now we can finally liquidate our assets, pay off all those debts, and just sit here like royalty, enjoying our money!” He took a big gulp of his wine, clearly already envisioning the life of luxury ahead.

Karla giggled, the sound almost sickly sweet. “Yes, Harry! We’ve earned it. No more worrying about bills or anything. We’re set for life.”

I smiled weakly, raising my glass as well but not taking a drink. They were celebrating too quickly. Sure, a hundred million sounded like a lot, but it wasn’t an endless stream. “You two know that if we only spend the money and don’t build something new, it’ll run out, right?” I said, my voice cutting through their excitement. “Especially since you both love going to the casino so much.”

Harry waved his hand dismissively, leaning back in his chair. “Mika, you worry too much! It’s one hundred million dollars! That’s a fortune. It’s enough for us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.”

Karla grinned, nodding in agreement. “Yes, Mika! Stop being such a buzzkill. Besides, you’ve got a job to do too, remember? If you can’t get Alpha Jake, then you need to make sure you secure Beta Lucas. He’s rich and handsome, and let’s not forget, he could very well become the next Luna. You wouldn’t want to miss out on that, would you?”

Her words dug into me, reminding me of the plan I’d been reluctantly following. Getting Alpha Jake was the goal, but now with his disappearance or death, Lucas was my next target. I nodded slowly, trying to keep my expression neutral. “Yeah, I know. I’ll get closer to him.”

But inside, I felt a twinge of frustration. They made it sound so easy, as if all I had to do was smile and Lucas would fall at my feet. It wasn’t like that. Lucas was clever, and from what I’d observed, he wasn’t easily fooled. But Harry and Karla didn’t care about the details. They only cared about the outcome.

Karla’s laughter filled the room again. “Did you see Norton’s face when he didn’t get the role of acting alpha? He was furious! He and his mother, Lucille, always act so high and mighty. Now look at them.”

Harry chuckled, nodding in agreement. “They’re always so boastful, but when it came down to it, Norton couldn’t even hold onto that position. Serves them right.”

I leaned forward, swirling my wine again but not drinking it. “Still, Megan’s lucky,” I muttered. “She’ll get a monthly allowance for the rest of her life. She doesn’t have to lift a finger, and the money just keeps coming in.”

Harry’s greedy grin widened as he exchanged a look with Karla. “Don’t worry, Mika,” he said, his tone dripping with ambition. “Even with all the money we have now, we’re not letting Megan off the hook. She’ll give us half of her allowance, just like before.”

Karla clapped her hands together, clearly thrilled by the idea. “Exactly! That way, even if we run out of money, we’ll still have Megan’s to fall back on. It’s the perfect plan.”

I grinned too, though the idea of relying on Megan’s allowance left a bad taste in my mouth. Still, it was smart. With Megan’s constant flow of money, we’d have a safety net even if Harry and Karla blew through the fortune. But that wasn’t the real prize. No, the real goal was becoming the wife of Beta Lucas. If I managed that, I’d never have to worry about money again.

Harry turned to me, his eyes gleaming. “Megan’s already inside the pack mansion. She can help you get closer to Lucas. You’ve got to play your cards right, Mika.”

I frowned, thinking about it. “But Megan doesn’t even have a cellphone. How are we supposed to contact her? And we can’t just show up and visit her whenever we want.”

Karla waved her hand dismissively. “That’s easy! We’ll pretend we miss her, act like the loving family we are, and give her a phone. That way, we can stay in touch, and she can keep us updated on everything happening in the mansion.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. The plan was so simple, yet so devious. Harry, Karla, and I shared a greedy laugh, the sound filling the room as we reveled in the thought of manipulating Megan once again. She was easy to fool, and her guilt over our so-called "family loyalty" made her even more vulnerable.

“Tomorrow,” I said, straightening up, “I’ll go to the pack mansion and talk to Megan. I’ll get her to help me get close to Lucas. She trusts me, and she’ll do whatever I ask.”

Harry nodded approvingly, raising his glass again. “That’s the spirit, Mika! Once you’ve got Lucas, we’ll never have to worry about money again. We’ll be set for life.”

I forced a smile and clinked my glass against his, though inside I felt a knot forming in my stomach. This plan had to work. If I failed to win over Lucas, everything we’d built, everything we’d schemed for, would fall apart. But there was no turning back now. I had to play the role of the dutiful daughter, the supportive sister, and the charming woman Lucas would want by his side.

As the night went on, we kept talking, each of us filled with visions of power and wealth. But as much as I wanted to believe that this plan would work, I couldn’t ignore the tiny voice in the back of my mind, warning me that Lucas was no fool. He wouldn’t be as easy to manipulate as Megan. But I had to try. For Harry and Karla, for myself. This was our only shot at securing a future where we didn’t just survive, but thrived.

“Don’t worry,” I told myself as the conversation shifted back to how we’d spend the money. “You’ll figure it out. You always do.”