But I know better.
We walk forward, smiling as we pass the media, playing our parts seamlessly. But beneath the polished facade, the tension crackles.
“You’re being childish,” I whisper between gritted teeth.
“And you’re being reckless,” he counters just as quietly.
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08:36 Sun, 20 Apr
Chapter 20
“It’s just a dress.”
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“It’s not just a dress. His fingers press lightly against my back, just above where the fabric dips. “You know exactly what you’re doing.”
I bite back a smirk. “Do I?”
He exhales sharply, but before he can reply, we step inside the grand hall. The moment we cross the threshold, he withdraws, his attention immediately drawn to the other Alphas in attendance. He doesn’t hesitate before moving toward them, the pull of duty stronger than whatever lingering irritation he holds toward me.
I barely have time to process this before a familiar, unwelcome voice slithers into my ear.
“How amusing. The infamous flower vase Luna actually thinks she belongs here.”
Lila.
I turn slowly, finding her poised with arms crossed, her smirk sharp enough to cut. Her eyes flick to me, then to the space where Raiden had been, a glint of triumph in their depths.
“I heard you submitted a proposal,” she continues, her tone dripping with mockery. “A woman who can’t even earn her husband’s love–what could she possibly have to offer?”
I say nothing. Not because her words sting, but because they don’t. Silence, I’ve learned, is often the sharpest weapon.
She waits, expecting a reaction. When none comes, her confidence falters just slightly. But then, as if realizing she’s losing ground, she squares her shoulders and delivers her final blow.
“You still don’t know, do you?” she murmurs, her voice just loud enough for me to hear.
I finally meet her gaze, my brows drawing together.
Lila smiles. Slowly, purposefully, she tilts her head and shifts her hair to the side. And there it is–a mark on her neck, faint but unmistakable.
My breath catches. The world tilts slightly, and for a moment, everything around us fades into the background.
Lila smirks, basking in my reaction. “This is the mark our king, Raiden, left on me.”
The words settle into my bones like ice. Cold. Sharp. Unforgiving.
I want to say she’s lying. That it’s a trick, a desperate attempt to get under my skin. But the evidence is there, clear as day.
Raiden marked her.
My throat tightens, but I force my expression to remain neutral. I won’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me unravel.
So I smile instead.
“You seem awfully proud of something that required zero effort on your part,” I say coolly.
Lila’s smirk falters for just a second–just long enough for me to see it. And then, without another word, I turn on my heel and walk away, even as my mind screams for answers.
Raiden.
He was with her. He put his mark on her.
The dress suddenly feels suffocating. The weight of his jacket, still draped over my shoulders, is unbearable.
OHIO SUN, 20 Apr 5
Chapter 20
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I pull it off as I step deeper into the hall, my movements measured, my face unreadable. The competition is about to begin, and I have no choice but to play my role.
But the storm inside me has already begun to brew.
