Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Skye hit the floor and my wrist took the brunt of it. The sound caught Vincent's attention. My wrist throbbed with pain, but I checked on Skye first.

Then Violet's voice rang out, full of fake shock. "Zoe! I know you're mad at me, but hurting a pup? That's too much!"

Skye was okay thanks to me breaking his fall-just a small scrape on his knee.

But Violet's lies sent Vincent into a frenzy.

He grabbed my injured wrist, his voice full of anger.

"Zoe, how could you be so heartless? Just because Skye isn't your pup and likes Violet more, you'd try to hurt him?"

The pain in my wrist spiked under his grip, and sweat rolled down my forehead. "Vincent, let go! I didn't drop Skye, it was-"

Before I could finish, Skye, safe in Vincent's arms, started fake - crying. "Mommy, I'm sorry! I won't let Violet hold me anymore. Please don't hit me again, it hurts..."

I stared at the pup I'd just saved, shocked. He was young, but his acting was obvious. His forced tears couldn't hide the sneaky look on his face. Vincent seemed to notice it too, his hand pausing for a second, but he still went off on me. "Can't you be more mature? Why drag a pup into this? Apologize to Violet, and we'll forget this."

He was determined to protect her. I laughed bitterly. "Why should I apologize for something I didn't do? There's a security camera right there. Check the footage, and you'll see who really dropped him."

Violet's face turned pale at my words. She tugged Vincent's sleeve, pretending to be kind. "Let it go, Vincent. Skye's fine. It's a celebration-don't make a scene."

Vincent looked guilty when I mentioned the camera. He finally let go of my wrist and turned away with a cold huff. "This time, I'll overlook it. But if it happens again, you'll pay." Then he picked up Skye, grabbed Violet, and walked back to the center of the crowd.

But I wasn't backing down. I grabbed a first - aid kit, bandaged my wrist, and went to the security room. I copied the footage onto a USB drive.

When I got back to the auditorium, our mentor, the head of the project, was on stage, smiling widely. "Our lab's Family Pup Safety System is a huge success, and we owe it all to Violet, who joined us last year! She solved the core AI problem-she's a genius! I'm happy to announce that Violet will lead the Family Pup Safety System... Let's give her a round of applause!"

The room filled with clapping, but I felt sick. I'd spent three years working on that system after River's death, pouring my heart into keeping pups safe. Vincent knew how much work I'd put in. I didn't know how he'd tricked our mentor into putting Violet's name on my research.

But I knew one thing: I wouldn't let the system I built for River become a win for the she - wolf who'd played a part in his death. I pushed through the crowd, jumped onto the stage, and slapped Violet hard in front of everyone.