Chapter 218
Elle’s POV
The ballroom glittered under the massive crystal chandeliers, and I felt every pair of eyes tracking my movements as I stood beside Brad. This was my first public appearance as his mate at a Rayne family function, and the weight of that responsibility pressed down on my shoulders like a heavy cloak.
The whispers followed us wherever we moved. I caught fragments of conversations from the elegantly dressed wolves around us:
“That’s the human carrying Brad’s heir…”
“Five percent shareholder, can you believe it?”
“Elizabeth must have lost her mind…”
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I maintained my smile the whole time.
“Elle, darling!” Stella Blair’s voice cut through the crowd as she approached us, looking absolutely regal in her deep burgundy gown. Her concerned expression reminded me so much of how a real mother might look. “How are you feeling? You’ve been on your feet for hours. Maybe you should sit down?”
“I’m fine, Godmother,” I assured her.
Or should I call her mother?
Stella’s eyes searched my face with genuine worry. “This is all so important for your future, I know, but you can’t push yourself too hard. Not with the baby.”
“You know what?” Stella continued, her voice taking on that fierce protective tone that seemed to come so naturally to her. “If you need to get away from all these vultures, just say the word. I’ll help you escape
gracefully.”
The emotion in her voice made my throat tight. Without thinking, I reached out and squeezed her hand. “Thank you,” I whispered.
As I held Stella’s hand, I was struck again by how natural it felt to have her support. There was something about her that made me feel safe, protected in a way I’d never experienced before. She seemed to understand exactly what I needed without me having to ask.
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Chapter 218
Brad appeared beside us, his amber eyes warm as he took in the scene. “Mrs. Blair is right,” he said, sliding an arm around my waist. “If you’re tired, we can step away.”
I was about to respond when I caught sight of something that made my blood freeze. Mira stood across the room, her stunning figure draped in emerald silk. But it wasn’t her presence that shocked me – it was the look of pure, undisguised hatred burning in her eyes as she stared at me.
The music began to swell, signaling the start of the evening’s formal entertainment. Elizabeth moved to
the center of the ballroom, Lucas beside her in an impeccably tailored tuxedo. Despite all the professional
grooming, he still looked pale and slightly hollow–eyed.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Elizabeth’s voice carried effortlessly through the room, “it’s time for our opening
dance.”
Lucas straightened, clearly prepared to take center stage. But as he moved toward the dance floor, a figure in shimmering silver stepped forward to meet him.
Mira.
The collective gasp that went up from the crowd was audible. I felt my own mouth fall open in shock. Beside me, Brad went very still, while Alex’s face turned an alarming shade of pale.
“What the hell?” I breathed.
Marissa had moved closer, and she leaned toward me with malicious glee. “Oh, this should be interesting,” she murmured. “Look at Brad’s face.”
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I glanced at Brad, expecting to see shock or anger. Instead, he was smiling – a slow, meaningful smile.
“Brad,” I said slowly, “did you know about this?”
His smile widened. “Let’s just say I may have facilitated some introductions.”
On the dance floor, Mira and Lucas moved together with practiced grace, her silver gown flowing like moonlight as they spun. She looked every inch the elegant wolf aristocrat, and Lucas… Lucas looked utterly
smitten.
I watched Victoria’s face carefully. Her expression had gone from mildly interested to thunderous in the space of heartbeats.
“Your mother doesn’t look happy,” I observed.
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“Mother’s rarely happy about anything involving unexpected changes to her plans,” Brad replied mildly.
“So,” I said as we began to move to the music, “seeing your ex–girlfriend show up as your half–brother’s date… any feelings about that?”
Brad’s amber eyes gleamed with amusement. “Are you jealous?”
“Of course not,” I shot back.
He chuckled, spinning me gracefully before pulling me back against his chest.
As if summoned by our conversation, I caught sight of Mira and Victoria disappearing through a side door, their body language suggesting an urgent conversation. I nudged Brad.
“Your mother and your ex just stepped out together. That can’t be good.”
“Alex.” Brad called.
Alex appeared at his elbow immediately. “Sir?”
“Follow them. Keep the line open.”
Alex nodded and slipped away through the crowd. A moment later, Brad discreetly handed me a small earpiece. “Put this in. You need to hear this.”
I slipped the earpiece in just as Victoria’s angry voice crackled through the connection.
“How dare you show up here like this?” Victoria’s voice was sharp with fury.
There was a pause, then Mira’s voice came through, high and tearful. “Victoria, I don’t understand why you suddenly don’t care about me anymore! You said you were going to help me get rid of Elle, didn’t you?”
Victoria’s voice turned calculating. “Things have changed, Mira. We can’t let Elle leave right now. We need to get the shares in her hands first, and then we can deal with her. You need to be patient.”
“Patient?” Mira’s voice suddenly turned sharp, all traces of tears gone. “You knew she had shares all along, didn’t you? You knew, and you’ve completely changed your attitude toward her because of those shares!”
There was a long silence. Then Victoria spoke, her voice cold as ice. “In my eyes, the most important thing is always the Rayne family’s interests. No one can take away what belongs to my son!”
“Then why don’t you go after Lucas?” Mira shot back. “He’s here to take away family property too, isn’t he?*
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Another silence. Victoria clearly had no answer to that.
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Mira’s voice came through again, now confident and defiant. “I see how things really are now. Since I can’t count on you, I’ll have to count on someone else. Lucas is seriously pursuing me, and I’m going to become
his mate.”
“Mira, don’t you dare regret this!” Victoria’s voice was venomous.
“I’m just trying to survive,” Mira replied coolly. “This is self–preservation.”
The connection went quiet. I pulled out the earpiece, my heart racing. Brad was watching me with that
satisfied smile.
“Now you understand,” he said quietly. “that I will never get involved with Mira again.”
“And Mira,” I whispered, “she’s now with Lucas all of a sudden?”
“She’s always been smart enough to know which way the wind is blowing,” Brad replied. “And I made sure Lucas looked like a very appealing option.”
“Everything is going exactly according to plan,” Brad replied smoothly.
I stared at him, finally understanding. “You didn’t just introduce them. You probably told Lucas about her background, maybe hinted about his wealth and position too.”
His smile widened. “I may have mentioned that Lucas would be inheriting certain family assets, yes.”
My mate was the puppet master pulling all the strings!
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
