Chapter 21
Not wanting to be late meeting Derek, I made my way to the hotel that would host the guests, stepping into the grand hall. It was impressive–high ceilings adorned with intricate chandeliers and polished marble floors. The scent of fresh–cut roses and crisp linen filled the air, a sign that preparations were well underway.
A staff member handed me the event planning documents, and I took a seat at one of the round tables to go over them. The floral arrangements needed adjustments, the seating chart would require modifications, and the lighting setup needed to be reworked for a more elegant ambiance. I made notes, losing myself in the details, unaware of how much time had passed until I heard the sharp click of heels against the floor.
I looked up, my pulse steady, as Cassandra, Caroline, and Joe approached. Cassandra’s expression darkened the moment she saw me, her lips curling into a sneer.
Caroline looked at me distastefully. “You just don’t give up, do you? Trying to meet Derek alone? What, is Mason not enough for you?”
I didn’t rise to the bait, instead returning my attention to the floral plans.
Caroline scoffed. “Ignoring me won’t change anything. You think just because Mason lets you play Luna over there, you can do whatever you want? You’re still just a rogue, Elena.”
I calmly adjusted my chair and made a note in the margin of my papers. “If you don’t have anything useful to say about the Alpha Ball, then I suggest you leave.”
Cassandra’s nails dug into the back of the chair opposite me as she leaned in, her voice laced with venom. “You have some nerve. I should have known you’d still be shameless enough to stick around, even after everything.”
I finally lifted my gaze, meeting hers without flinching. “Everything? You mean your little stunt at the Alpha Council?”
Her eyes flashed, a flicker of fury she barely concealed. I tilted my head slightly. “You should be careful, Cassandra. A Luna is supposed to be poised and strategic, but you–you
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Chapter 21
let your emotions get the best of you. And that’s why your little plan to humiliate me failed.”
Cassandra’s face turned red as Caroline let out a snarl. “You arrogant-”
+25 Bonus
Before she could finish, Cassandra grabbed the design plans from my hands and tossed them onto the floor. “You think you can just ignore me? Disregard me like I’m nothing? You humiliated me in front of the other Alphas!”
I exhaled, shaking my head. “You humiliated yourself, Cassandra.”
That pushed her over the edge. In a flash, she grabbed a glass of champagne from the table set up for tastings and made a move to throw it at me. Instead of trying to protect myself as she probably expected me to do, I took a step toward her, and she flinched, the golden liquid splashing down the front of her expensive dress instead.
Cassandra let out a shriek, her hands flailing in a desperate attempt to salvage the silk. Joe and Caroline rushed to her side, their fury turning toward me.
“You little-” Joe started, but I cut him off with a bored look.
“Are you done?”
The embarrassment on their faces was priceless. The idea that I—a so–called rogue–had
bested Cassandra again was eating away at them.
I turned on my heel, prepared to leave, but then I saw him.
Derek stood just a few feet away, his arms crossed, an unreadable expression on his face. How long had he been standing there?
Cassandra, quick to recover, let out a shaky breath before her voice softened into a pathetic whimper. “Derek… I didn’t mean to–Elena, she-”
Joe and Caroline jumped in. “She did it on purpose!” Joe insisted. “She’s still clinging to you while being Mason’s little-”
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Chapter 21
“Enough,” Derek’s voice was low, sharp. The room fell silent.
His gaze shifted to me, his expression hard. “Is what they’re saying true?”
I tilted my chin, unwavering. “I don’t have time for this.”
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I bent down, picked up the discarded documents, and shoved them into Derek’s chest. His hands came up instinctively to catch them.
“All I care about is making sure the Alpha Ball is a success. You should focus on keeping
your fiancée under control instead of letting her drag the rest of us into her theatrics.”
Derek’s grip on the papers tightened. “Cassandra is not my-”
a
“Stop,” I said forcefully. “I don’t want to hear excuses or explanations. And I don’t owe you any, either.”
I turned and walked away. Even as I left the hall, I couldn’t shake the feeling of his eyes still
on me.
日
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