MasukARABELLA POV Valeria regained her composure. She dabbed at her eyes with a delicate handkerchief. She lifted her chin. She looked around the room with a brave, wounded expression.“Perhaps the prince came for another reason,” she said. “We should not assume that his visit has anything to do with me.”Her words sounded humble, her voice carrying across the hall. But her eyes kept moving toward the entrance.The words hung in the air. People nodded. They believed her. They always believed her.Then the doors opened.Kael entered. He was dressed in black, with silver details on his coat that caught the light as he walked. He walked with the confidence of a man who had never doubted his place in the world. His dark suit fit him perfectly. His hair was swept back. His eyes were sharp. Cold. Commanding. Behind him walked Caiden and three other men. They moved like shadows. Silent. Deadly.The hall went silent.Everyone bowed. Heads lowered. Eyes dropped. Fear and terror flashed washed th
ARABELLA POV Before anyone could say more, a loud voice cut through the crowd.“The next person to insult my niece will answer to me,” she announced.Everyone froze. Aunt Selene left the group of alphas she had been speaking with and crossed the hall. She moved like a queen. Her dress was deep burgundy. Her jewelry sparkled. Her eyes were sharp it made them careful about how they spoke.People bowed their heads. They stepped back.Selene’s beauty was undeniable. Her presence was commanding.Helena watched from across the room. Her face was twisted with jealousy.Selene reached me and openly pulled me into a hug. A real hug. Warm. Genuine.But she leaned close and whispered in my ear.“Why are you being addressed like this? Who made things difficult for you?”I smiled.“Just watch the show, Aunt,” I whispered back.Selene drew back and studied my face. Surprise flickered in her eyes, then approval.“Glad you’re not a weakling,” she said quietly. “Your mother and sister would be very
ARABELLA POV After the call, I sat on my bed for a long moment. My mind was racing. Orion would find the person impersonating me. I trusted him. But until then, I had to be careful and patient.I stood up..I needed to prepare for tonight.I walked to the door and found a maid standing in the hallway. She was young. Nervous. She bowed when she saw me.“Miss Arabella.”“Can you show me the sewing room?”She blinked, surprised. Then she nodded.“This way, Miss.”She led me through the house. Down hallways. Past rooms I had never seen. The estate was huge. A maze of corridors, doors and staircases. Finally, we reached a door at the end of a quiet hall.“The sewing room,” the maid said, gesturing.I opened the door and looked inside. It was large. Full of fabrics. Threads. Needles. Sewing machines. Everything I could possibly need.I turned to the maid. “No one is to be let inside. Do you understand? No one.”She nodded quickly.“Yes, Miss. I’ll make sure!” Then I stepped inside and cl
ARABELLA POV I woke to the sound of hurried footsteps outside my room.Slowly I sat up in bed and looked toward the window. The curtains were thin, and the morning light was already streaming through.When I opened the door, I found the estate already busy. Maids carried boxes of flowers through the halls, servants polished the silver decorations, and workers climbed ladders to hang banners near the entrance. The Cross family banquet was only tonight, and the whole estate was being transformed for the evening.Even the usually quiet corridor was filled with voices.“Careful with those flowers.”“The food go in the front hall.”“Has anyone seen the extra ribbons?”I stepped aside to let two maids pass with a large vase.The estate looked beautiful already, but preparations were happening everywhere. The staff moved quickly, determined to make certain that the banquet would be perfect.It looked like a carnival was coming.I watched for a long moment. The Lycan prince is coming.The th
ARABELLA POV. The silence after Alfred’s announcement was thick enough to cut with a knife.The Lycan prince is coming.Those four words hung in the air like a storm cloud, heavy and charged with something I couldn’t name.Helena was visibly pleased. She tried to hide her excitement, but her trembling smile gave her away. But it was Valeria who caught my attention.Her face had transformed.Gone was the panic from moments ago when our father had stripped her mother of her position. Gone was the anger or humiliation. In its place was something else entirely. Something bright and almost manic. She looked like a woman who had just been handed the key to a kingdom.I knew that look. I had seen it before. On Celine’s face when she thought she had finally won Adrian. On every person who had ever looked at me and seen nothing but a stepping stone to something greater.Valeria thought the Lycan prince was coming for her.The thought almost made me laugh.Almost.Because I knew something she
ARABELLA POV I looked at them both.Then I laughed.They blinked.“You’ve already decided,” I said. “You’ve already concluded the story without asking the maid.”Sally’s eyes flashed. But she was fearless.“Everyone can testify!” she said. “All the maids saw it! The maid was wrong!”The other three maids nodded quickly.“Yes,” one whispered. “She ruined the clothes.”“It’s true,” another said.But their voices shook. Their eyes darted to the floor. They were nervous. Afraid.I sneered.“Then let’s ask the maid.”I turned to the girl on the floor. She was still curled up. Still shaking.I knelt down beside her. My voice was soft.“What’s your name?”She looked up at me. Her eyes were wide. Terrified.“L-Lily,” she whispered.“Lily,” I said. “Tell me what happened. Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”Lily’s eyes darted to Sally. To Helena. To Valeria.She shook her head. Her lips pressed together.I understood.She was scared. She had seen what happened to maids who spoke up







