Chapter 10

IRIS POV:

“Hello, who am I speaking with?” Sarah's voice came calmly from the phone.

“Sarah, it's me, Iris,” I replied.

“Wait… what the hell, Iris? Has something got into you? What did I just witness, Iris?” she yelled.

“You're not going to understand, Sarah…”

“Try me.” Her voice dropped, the way it always did when she was serious.

I leaned against the car seat.

“Two days ago, Sarah. Two days before tonight, he was with Diane.”

Silence.

“What do you mean… with Diane?”

“I mean exactly what you think I mean.” My voice broke on the last word.

“I was sent a video of them both together doing things that I can't mention, Sarah.” I cried.

She cursed under her breath. “Who sent it to you?”

“I don't know… anonymous.”

“Iris…” She exhaled slowly. “Why didn't you tell me before the ceremony? I would have…”

“What? What would you have done, Sarah?” I pressed my fingers to my temple. “My father already knew. He told me to go through with it anyway. He stood there and told me to clean my face and make him proud.”

“He knew?” Her voice was sharp now.

“He didn't care. You know how he is. This was never about me and Nicholas. It was about business. It was always about business.”

Another long pause stretched between us.

“Where are you right now?” Sarah asked.

I hesitated. How was I supposed to explain this?

“I'm… in a car. Being driven somewhere.”

“Driven where? By who? Iris, the whole ceremony fell apart after you ran. Nicholas looked…”

“I don't care how Nicholas looked, Sarah.”

She went quiet.

“I'm sorry,” I said quickly. “I just… after I ran out, I ended up on the highway and I nearly got hit by a car.”

“You WHAT?”

“I'm fine. I'm fine, the car stopped in time.” I pressed my palm flat against my knee to stop my leg from shaking. “The man inside… he told me to get in. He drove me somewhere safe.”

“Iris.” Her voice dropped dangerously low. “You got into a stranger's car. In a wedding gown. In the middle of the night.”

“I know how it sounds.”

“Do you? Because it sounds insane.”

“Sarah.” I closed my eyes. “His name is Aurelian.”

Dead silence.

“Say that again, Iris.”

“I said I was with a man named Aurelian, maybe an Alpha… I don't know.”

Then, barely above a whisper, “Aurelian? As in… the Aurelian?”

“You know who he is?”

“Iris, everyone who pays attention knows who he is. He's been off the grid for four years, and suddenly he's back, and he just happened to pick you up off the highway?” She exhaled sharply. “Where are you now, exactly? Are you still with him?”

“No. He sent me away. I'm in one of his cars heading…” I paused. “Can I come to yours?”

“Definitely, Iris, but you have to be careful. If your mate or dad finds out…”

“They won't,” I cut her off.

“I'll go to them, but I need somewhere to stay and clear my head today.”

“Okay, I'll send you the location,” Sarah said before hanging up.

I stared at the phone for a moment, then leaned forward toward the driver.

“Sir?” I said quietly.

He glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

“Thank you for the phone.” I reached forward and handed it back to him carefully.

“Of course, ma'am.” He took it without looking away from the road.

“I have a location now. My friend's house. I'll direct you.”

“Whenever you're ready,” he replied.

I gave him the address Sarah had sent. He nodded once and adjusted the route without another word. The Lamborghini moved smoothly through the quiet streets, faster than I expected.

When we finally pulled up outside Sarah's house, the porch light was already on. She must have turned it on the moment we hung up.

The guard opened my door before I could reach for it. I stepped out onto the pavement, still in Aurelian's oversized white shirt and sweatpants, barefoot, my hair still slightly damp.

The front door flew open before I even reached the steps.

Sarah came rushing out in her pajamas, her braids loose around her shoulders. She didn't say a word. She just wrapped both arms around me so tightly I almost lost my balance.

I broke.

The tears I had been holding back in that car spilled over all at once. My knees nearly gave out. I gripped her back and just cried into her shoulder, ugly and uncontrolled, the way I hadn't let myself cry in front of anyone all night.

“I've got you,” she whispered. “I've got you, Iris.”

We stood there on her porch for a long moment before she pulled back, took my face in both hands, and looked me over with red eyes of her own.

“You're okay,” she said firmly, like she was convincing herself as much as me. “You're here. You're okay.”

She then looked past me at the Lamborghini still idling at the curb. The driver and guard both sat still, watching without expression.

Her eyebrows rose slightly.

“His car?” she asked under her breath.

“Yes,” I whispered.

She looked at it one more second, then turned back to me. One of the guards, the driver, stepped out of the car before she could pull me forward. He cleared his throat quietly.

“Ma'am,” he said. “If you ever find yourself in need of funds… I'd suggest checking the value of what you're wearing before considering other options.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

He clasped his hands behind his back. “The shirt alone, ma'am. Custom. Single stitch. Imported fabric. It starts at forty-two thousand dollars.” A small pause. “The sweatpants are a limited edition from a private label. Twenty-eight thousand.”

My mouth opened.

Sarah made a strangled sound beside me.

“Seventy thousand dollars,” I whispered, looking down at myself, at the oversized shirt I had grabbed without thinking, at the sweatpants bunched at my ankles.

“Have a nice day, ma'am.” He gave a short nod, stepped back, and got into the car without another word.

Sarah grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.

“Come inside.”

The door closed behind us, shutting out the night, the guards, the Lamborghini, and everything else.