TURNING POINT

　　Sandra looks satisfied with her announcement and she stands a little taller than her usual seven-inch heels.

　　"Is that so?" Ethan asks.

　　"Yes, alpha. You know I always have the best interest of the pack at heart..." She says fanning herself like she has said the smartest thing in the world.

　　"You do?" Ethan repeats, his brows lifted from his forehead.

　　It pains him that he wasn't able to find any concrete evidence against Sandra for it would have been a pleasure to arrest her right here and now as she spoke of getting Lisa arrested for the interest of the pack.

　　"Yes alpha, I do. I care so much about the pack. I can lay my life for my people." Ethan's question throws off her ensemble and she is lost between smiling and not smiling because Ethan isn't showing his expression and she doesn't know if he is buying into her lies or not.

　　"Where was this best interest of yours, when Mike was taking bribes at the detriment of the same people you claim to care so about much?" Ethan asks her and the whole room goes even more silent than it was before.

　　Sandra opens her mouth to relay a well-thought line but Ethan has not finished with her yet. He raises his hand in the air stopping her altogether.

　　"Where was this best interest..." Ethan trails moving to the two men that called themselves representatives of the council. "Where was it, when Lady Zara had the water contaminated and purposefully infected the same people you claim to care so much about?"

　　Sandra opens and closes her mouth like a fish unable to say a word.

　　"Alpha, I didn't know about-" she tries to say but Ethan came prepared. He doesn't give her a chance.

　　"And as for you, my dear and respectable... Council representatives. The representatives of the goddess himself. Is this the kind of person you take advice from?" He asks pointing a finger at Sandra.

　　"Someone who turns a blind her to the cries of the people she is assigned to look after? Is that who you listen to? Or did she pay for your silence too?" Ethan adds.

　　The men drop down their heads in shame, unable to meet his eyes anymore. Camilla was right. The men had been paid by Sandra to do exactly as she says. At the end of the day, she was the one who decided what Lisa's verdict should be and not them. All they had to do was pitch in a few questions that made Lisa look bad and that was it. Their presence was just for show and nothing more.

　　"You were presented with a case. Good. Now, my first question is, have you ever seen this pie?" Ethan asks them and they start turning their heads unable to answer him.

　　"Have you ever done a medical test on this dead body to confirm if truly he died from poisoning? Have you done any of these?" Ethan asks them.

　　They remain quiet, staring down at their shoes. Their suits no longer looked perfect on their shoulders. It started slumping and sliding as they had suddenly lost weight.

　　"Oh, what am I even saying? Let me help you out on your job, where is the body?" He demands. "I expect at least an answer for this. Where is the body? Where is Simeon?"

　　"He is- he should be we..." The first man says unintelligently mumbling incoherent words.

　　Ethan turns his head to the side waiting for the man to finish saying his nonsense but the second takes over as if he will say something better. Ethan watches him expectantly.

　　"He has been taken to the morgue, I presume," he says with his hand tucked into his suit pocket.

　　Ethan circles around them and slowly the confidence the man thought he had deflated.

　　"You presume?" Ethan's voice booms. "Sandra where is Simeon's body... I believe you are smarter than these men..."

　　"Alpha, he is- I mean he is- he should be in the morgue." Sandra plays it smart she knows that whatever answer she gives, Ethan will use it against her so she sticks with the one already presented.

　　"To the best of my knowledge there was a body but now, there is no longer a body. Have you forgotten we rejuvenate? That so-called organ that has been ruined, must have..." Ethan trails checking his wristwatch, "it must have grown back by now. So how is it murder when the person isn't dead? I do hope he is not in the morgue because if he is I will have to punish you both for making him suffer in that cold hell."

　　The two suited men started feeling like the ground should open and swallow them whole. The shame they felt by each of Ethan's questions was as large as a huge boulder being thrown in their heads.

　　"Rather, don't you think it would be considered murder if the target were to be humans?" At this point, he circles back to where Sandra stood with her drooping gown.

　　"Don't you think such a poison could harm a human, Sandra?"

　　"Alpha, I- I don't know..." She says rolling her eyes to the ground. She feared if she looked into his eyes, then he will detect the lie in them.

　　"Good. That's why we need to find who made the pie and why..."

　　Mary stepped out from among the crowd. "Sir, I made the pie but I made it on Miss Jessie's instructions," Mary says with her head bowed low.

　　Ethan gazes at her and passes a finger to his chin. "Jessie, why did you have the pie made?" He isn't looking at her but he can tell Jessie is already shaking where she is.

　　"Baby, I- baby I-" Jessie stutters unable to make a sentence.

　　"Use the word baby one more time and I will snap your neck and I don't care what your father would say!" Ethan's voice isn't loud but it is strong enough to send fear crawling not just down Jessie's back but everyone gathering around shivered in fear.

　　"Ethan, " she gulps in fear. "I only wanted to make peace with them. Ever since Camilla came to this house we never got along and it only got worst when her friend came. I wanted to do this for us!" A tear escapes her eyes and she takes advantage of the breakdown. "I wanted to make our relationship better... You know you care about her like a... Like a sister? I wanted to learn to like her and... you know, to save our love, " she says wailing. "I truly love you Ethan and I'll go sick if you leave me. Please, I didn't mean any harm..."

　　"I will like to believe those are real tears and not the ones I am thinking about..." Ethan still taps a finger on his chin as he gazes at her and Mary —who is still bowed in front of Ethan.

　　"Mary, you may return to your post," He says to her.

　　Mary bows again before turning to return to the kitchen. The judgment had dragged on for hours and no one wanted to hear Peter out, all because they have been corrupted by Sandra.

　　Thank Goodness, Sir Ethan returned —Mary thinks as she returns to the kitchen.

　　"The rest of you may go back to work as well. I'll take it from here, " Ethan announces and slowly the living room becomes empty once again.

　　The two council representatives remain standing not knowing what to do. The alpha has exposed their deeds and now they were too ashamed to even move their legs a step back.

　　"As for you two," Ethan points at the two of them. "If it turns out Lisa is innocent, be rest assured that I will have you arrested. If she is found quickly after a fair trial. Then I will grant you one request each. Till then, I request that you leave."

　　They give awkward bows and scurry out of the house never to return. From the questions Ethan had asked them, they already saw the lie Sandra was feeling them with. They knew a fair trial would turn out positive for Lisa and it would mean, a human prison for them for a very long time. They'll rather exile themselves than stay behind and receive a fate like that.

　　The room is now scanty. Jessie looks like she wants to hide behind the chair. Sandra is so ashamed of herself she faces it down. She knew that her game was up and that she had limited time left, but she held on to the tiniest of threads that she would find a way to save herself.

　　Peter has subconsciously moved to where Lisa sat and he holds her hands in relief. The Alpha is here, everything is going to be alright.

　　Camilla on the other hand is ogling Ethan. He looks like those princes in shining armor in cartoon series. He had come just when he was needed and he turned a very hopeless situation into a winning one.

　　Aside, from Ethan himself, there is one more person in the room no one has noticed yet —Anita, Lady Zara's daughter. Ethan brought her back home with him. She timidly tries to stay as invincible as possible.

　　"I will start this investigation right now. Peter calls four guards in here."

　　As Peter takes out his phone to communicate with the guards, Sandra starts taking tiny steps backward but unfortunately, for her, Ethan sees her.

　　"None of us is allowed to leave here until the guards are done with their work," Ethan adds and Sandra freezes as her lips start trembling. If they searched Jessie's room then they were both going to be in trouble.

　　Shortly after Peter got off the phone, four large-looking men stridden into the living room where they gathered.

　　"Alpha," they chorused bowing low.

　　"You may rise, " Ethan commands, and the men stand erect with their hands folded behind them. "I want you to search every room in this house but the occupied and unoccupied zones. You are looking for anything that may pass or is a poisonous substance."

　　"Okay, Alpha!"

　　"If you find anything relative to what I just mentioned, please take note of the room where it was taken from and bring it here as evidence."

　　As Ethan finishes instructing them, they bow once again and move like a lack towards the corridors with a speed Camilla and Lisa have never seen before

　　Ethan strolls casually to the closest couch and seats, motioning to the rest of them to seat as well.

　　"While we wait, I'll like to introduce you all to Anita. She'll be staying in the house for a few days or till she can live her life normally, " Ethan explains.

　　"Isn't she Lady Zara's daughter?" Sandra sneers with contempt. Ethan wants to comment but again, he lets her go. He wants Sandra to keep fooling herself into believing he doesn't suspect her so she can make a stupid move.

　　Anita smiles weakly at all of them —she also ignores Sandra.

　　"I want you all to treat her with its of life and kindness because she needs it," he tells them. Then he turns to Anita by the end of the room. "I am sorry you had to walk in on this drama. It is not usually like this. We are a happy little group... Most of the time."

　　As Ethan finishes his welcome speech to Anita. The sound of the foot of the guards returns and Jessie's heart starts hammering.

　　"Alpha, we've found the poison."

　　_____