Owned By Her Triplet Bullies
Chapter 88

John's POV

Ria and I walked together after she finished her discussion with some businessmen. She saw this party as an opportunity to scout for wealthy business people who could invest in her business. That was just Ria - a typical businesswoman who could pitch her ideas anytime and anywhere as long as she had the right people to pitch to. We had already made our donation to the account sent to everyone. It was for a good cause, and we were glad to be part of it.

"Honey, don't they serve water here? I've only been seeing alcohol," Ria said, glancing at the tray carried by a passing waiter.

"I will ask," I replied and called a waiter over. Shortly after, he arrived with two glasses of water. I handed one to Ria while I held onto the other.

"What a doting husband you've become, John. Such a heartwarming sight," someone said. We both turned towards the voice. Ria and I exchanged surprised glances.

"You're also having water because your wife is having water," he chuckled.

"It's been six years, and you haven't changed. You still have the same dry sense of humor," I retorted. He removed his mask and smiled at us.

"Did you disappear off the face of the earth?" Ria asked him.

"Why? You missed me, didn't you? Why didn't you come and visit even once? I would have given you a warm welcome," he replied.

Hailey, or was it Luna Hailey now as she liked everyone to call her, suddenly stepped in front of us with a wide, forced smile.

"John, Ria, what a lovely surprise. I didn't know I would meet you here," she said.

"Boys, over here. Look who I found," she beckoned to the triplets who were approaching from the opposite direction. They stopped in front of us.

"Good evening, Alpha," Ria and I greeted stiffly. Alexander nodded. If it wasn't already obvious, we weren't exactly on good terms, and everyone knew the reason, including him.

"Wow, I'm jealous. I'm also an Alpha. Why didn't you greet me as you greeted him?" Xavier complained.

"Shut up, Xavier," Ria replied.

"If you weren't my cousin, you wouldn't be standing here after saying that to me," Xavier said with a smile.

Xavier and Ria were cousins. I was unaware, and it came as a great shock after we started dating. Ria and her parents left their pack after her younger brother, and only sibling died of an illness they knew nothing about. They couldn't bear staying in the same place, so they moved to our pack. Our Alpha allowed them to stay because he was close friends with Xavier's father and understood their plight.

No one ever knew Ria was Xavier's cousin because they never behaved like a family. They were always arguing and fighting over petty stuff.

"I should be glad we are related by blood then. Come over here," Ria said, trying to smack his head. Xavier moved out of the way.

"Hold your wife properly; she's so quick to get physical," he said, walking towards Julian. Ria stopped chasing him when she saw who he was standing with. Xavier sniffed Julian all over.

"What do you think you're doing? Don't you know everyone is watching us?" Julian asked, stepping backward.

"He still hasn't grown up even after all these years of being crowned the Alpha. I worry for your pack," Philip said.

"Have you been drinking? To be able to sniff this much alcohol from you means you drank a lot. Just how much did you drink?" Xavier inquired.

"It's none of your concern," Julian retorted in response.

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't look fine to me," Xavier expressed with a worried tone.

"Just drop it already," Julian replied rudely.

"Julian is just tired. We've had a really long day, right?" Hailey asked, wearing a smile. Julian turned around and left without uttering a word. Philip seemed torn, unsure whether to follow him or leave him alone. Alexander stood calmly, as usual, his expression revealing no emotions.

To be honest, I didn't really care if he was fine or not. He deserved whatever was happening to him. What he did was unforgivable, unforgettable, and inhumane. Just thinking of what they all did makes a huge lump form in my throat. I clenched my hands into tight fists. They were responsible for her death. Her blood was on their hands.

They didn't need to have killed her with their own hands for them to be labeled as her killer. She had suffered so much, and I thought when she found them as her mates, she could finally be happy. We had so many plans and dreams we wanted to fulfill, but everything was cut short by her untimely death. She did not deserve that. She never deserved to live such an unhappy life without an ounce of happiness. She was a good person, one of the best I've ever met. She died at such a young age when she deserved all the happiness in the world. Only for Alexander to get married to the woman that had always hated her immediately after her death.

I jolted when Ria gently touched my arm, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced at her, and she warmly smiled at me. I held her hand and smiled back. She seemed to have noticed my mood; she always knew when I was deeply troubled.

"Are you good?" she whispered to me. I nodded. She gently tugged at my arm, and we started to walk away. Xavier was engrossed in conversation with Alexander and Philip, oblivious to us slipping away. We both stood in comfortable silence, observing the guests. "That reminds me, I heard Mr. Cole's wife is a well-known gynecologist. She studied abroad, and her medical expertise is top-notch. Her treatments have never failed," Ria said. "Really? How did you replace out all this?" I asked.

"A friend of mine recommended her to me. She was also treated by her," she explained.

"Let's go and talk to her then. She's here, isn't she?" I inquired. Ria nodded, pointing towards a woman standing outside with a glass in her hand. We could see her through the glass walls. We both headed towards her, but my shoelaces got untied, so I bent down to tie them. "I'll be right behind you," I assured her. She nodded before walking away. After tying my shoelaces, I walked towards them only to witness Ria backing away from the woman in shock.

"Ria?" I called out. She didn't respond, so I held her shoulders from behind to stop her. Startled, she looked up at me.

"Are you okay, baby?" I asked, filled with worry. She pointed towards the woman with trembling hands, struggling to form coherent words.

"She... Em... Her... Alive," she stammered. I frowned. What happened to her? One minute she was fine, and the next she was behaving strangely.

"What's wrong? What happened? I can't understand a thing you're saying," I anxiously replied. Beads of sweat appeared on Ria's forehead. She looked as pale as a plain sheet as if she had seen a ghost. Whatever she saw or heard must have truly shocked her to the core. I rarely saw her like this. "Baby, you're scaring me," I asked, my voice filled with concern. She continued pointing towards Cole's wife, who stood before us wearing a mask.

"What did you do to my wife? What did you say to her? She was perfectly fine before she met you," I confronted her, my words laced with frustration. She shook her head, denying any wrongdoing. But could it be possible? Did she perhaps reveal to her that we couldn't conceive children of our own? That would be the only reason for such a strong reaction.

"Answer me. What did you say to her?" I anxiously inquired. I understood how much Ria longed for children, and although I desired them too, I didn't mind if Ria couldn't conceive. We could explore other options, like adoption.

"Believe me, sir, I never said anything to her. She approached me, and when I introduced myself, she started acting this way. I tried reaching out to her, asking what was wrong, but she wouldn't allow me," she explained. Her voice struck a chord within me, leaving me numb. Why did she sound exactly like her?

"Her friend informed me about her. Take my card, and please give me a call. I must leave now," she said hastily, placing a card in my hands before hurrying away. I was so overwhelmed by the shock that my thoughts became jumbled. I couldn't see her face, but her voice and appearance were hauntingly familiar. Was it truly her or someone who shared the same voice and appearance? Perhaps a twin? What were the odds?

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ria asked. I nodded silently, unable to replace my voice. It had to be her, there was no doubt. But how could this be? How did she survive?