LPR 6

Everything felt so unreal, like a dream that Estelle didn't want to end. She was mesmerized, completely enchanted by the beauty that now captured her in a moment of happiness. Every detail seemed so alive and vivid. Most importantly, she wasn't alone; she wasn't enjoying this happiness by herself, but with her loved ones, those who had always been there for her, the family who had always been by her side.

Estelle smiled. The happy faces of Roland, Gloria and Kiara filled her eyes in turn. Warmth blossomed in her heart, then spread throughout her body, enveloping her in peace.

Words couldn't express how she felt. Everything was so perfect that Estelle was convinced that not even a dream could be so beautiful. It seemed almost impossible that such perfection could be real. Yet here she was, in the most magnificent place in the land, in the city of Gandlerhode, in the Noctilux Pack Palace, known for its amazing architecture.

The Noctilux Pack Palace was like a work of architectural art, combining classical elegance and modern grandeur. Its high ceilings were decorated with beautiful frescoes depicting the legendary stories of the Noctilux Pack from ancient times. Large crystal chandeliers were added to the ceilings, casting light that reflected glittering rays throughout the room, creating a magical atmosphere that was impossible to forget.

Carved wooden panels covered the walls of the palace, each depicting scenes from the long history of the Noctilux Pack. Some of the panels were decorated with gold and silver, adding a touch of opulence.

Luxurious carpets from various lands covered the floors, creating a warm atmosphere that made everyone feel at ease. Ivory silk curtains adorned the large windows, porcelain vases filled with exotic flowers, and various pieces of equally captivating furniture.

In the middle of it all, Estelle stood trembling with happiness. A slight nervousness crept over her, causing her to close her eyes. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself by saying something silly. Calm down, Estelle. This isn't the first time you've been engaged to Lennon. Oh, my goodness! You two are already man and wife.

Unfortunately, that thought backfired on Estelle. It brought back other memories. Painful images of the past—or perhaps the future—filled her mind. She remembered that her love story with Lennon had ended in tragedy.

Estelle froze. Now all her happiness vanished without a trace. It was replaced by the fear that gnawed at her heart. She felt uneasy and questioned herself. Is this really just a dream? Will I end up feeling this suffering again?

The laughter, happy chatter, and music that had filled the room became inaudible to Estelle. The only sound she could hear was the frantic beating of her own heart, filled with fear.

Estelle swallowed hard. She forced her eyes to open. She thought she needed to free herself from the terrifying grip of her own thoughts.

When her eyes opened, her gaze immediately fell on a figure standing in the distance. The figure smiled at her and Estelle took a deep breath. Unconsciously, her lips spoke. "Lennon."

*

The engagement party went splendidly, just as everyone had expected. Not only were Estelle and Lennon happy, but everyone at the party shared in their joy.

Estelle and Lennon stood in the center of the room, looking perfectly matched. Both were impeccably dressed, with Estelle looking stunning in a shimmering white gown and Lennon looking dashing in an elegant black suit. They looked like a fairy tale couple.

Congratulations poured in for Estelle and Lennon. They came from family, friends and colleagues who had traveled from different places. They offered heartfelt wishes for their happy future.

The atmosphere made Estelle smile. Especially when she looked around and felt the warmth of all the people she loved. She silently prayed that this beautiful night of magic would last forever.

Another prayer escaped Estelle when the excitement of the party temporarily separated her from Lennon. The guests seemed to conspire to keep them apart with different topics of conversation. At one point, Estelle found herself discussing rumors about the Montague family business before finally meeting Kiara. Estelle then said:

"I hope your engagement party can be held soon, Kiara."

Kiara gave a wry smile and shook her head. "Can I get engaged without a partner?"

"Oh, Kiara."

"It's okay," Kiara said and patted Estelle's hand gently. She narrowed her eyes briefly. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine, and besides, this is your night. So don't think about anything but yourself."

Estelle clicked her tongue slightly with a relaxed expression. She decided not to bring up the subject again, even though she couldn't help but be a little curious. She looked at Kiara, who looked beautiful that night in a peach-colored dress.

Kiara was beautiful and intelligent. She also truly embodied the qualities and attitudes of an older sister. She cared deeply for Estelle and the family.

Likewise, Estelle loved Kiara very much and prayed constantly for her happiness. Of course, this prayer was accompanied by great curiosity. What kind of man would fit Kiara's criteria?

As far as Estelle knew, she had never seen Kiara close to a man. As far as she knew, Kiara had only occasionally had dinner with a few men, but it was never serious. She could tell because after those dinners, Kiara was never seen with them again.

Obviously, Kiara hadn't found the right man yet. That had been Estelle's assumption all along. So, it was no wonder that she didn't want her engagement party to go to waste.

Estelle and Lennon's engagement party was no ordinary engagement party. It was one of the grand events of the Noctilux Pack, so the invited guests were certainly not ordinary people. All of them were influential, prestigious, and possessed immense wealth and power.

Estelle's eyes widened in excitement. The idea sounded wonderful. Perhaps one of the guests would be a match for Kiara.

Estelle grabbed Kiara's hand and held on to it, even though they didn't go anywhere. They just stood there and looked around. Then she asked, "Is there anyone here that catches your eye, Kiara?"

"Estelle," Kiara hissed, widening her eyes in mock anger. She put on an exaggerated angry expression. "Don't get any ideas."

Estelle chuckled softly. "Not at all, just the opposite. Come on! Just look around. There are many handsome men here and I guarantee, they are not just any men."

Kiara knew that for sure, but she didn't seem to be interested in following Estelle's suggestion. She shook her head. "No, Estelle."

"Just try it, Kiara. Look!" Estelle tried not to point too obviously at a handsome man who was laughing. He looked very warm. "I hear he's a delegate from the Sylvera Pack. His name is Morgan Jonathan Cruz, and he's a Beta."

Kiara rolled her eyes. She shook her head, ignoring Estelle, who only wanted her to look at Morgan. "Enough, Estelle."

But Estelle didn't give up. She thought that if Kiara wasn't interested in Morgan, she could find another man, and that's what she did next.

Estelle searched the room again. At the same time, she continued to mention names.

Meanwhile, Kiara continued to ignore Estelle. She kept shaking her head. Not only did she not answer, she didn't even look at her.

Estelle did not give up. "Alright. Let's try to look at someone else," she said again with undiminished enthusiasm. She scanned the room again, full of excitement. "How about—"

Estelle's words hung in the air as she caught sight of a man she hadn't expected. All the words and teasing she was about to direct at Kiara vanished in an instant. Her tongue was tied and her mind went blank.

Estelle held her breath, then whispered in her heart. Not possible.

But it wasn't just possible, it was real. The man was looking at her, too, and more than that. His steady, purposeful steps were clearly aimed at her.

Estelle froze. All the commotion around her disappeared in an instant. All she could hear was the beating of her heart, which began to race rapidly, in stark contrast to the time that seemed to slow down for her.

The distance between them shrank. Their eyes met in a straight line. In those remaining seconds, Estelle remembered the events that had happened to her. It was only right that she had left immediately. She should have hurried away, not whispered the man's name.

"Wade."

Strangely enough, it was Kiara who now responded to that name with a hasty, dismissive expression. "No, Estelle. I didn't want you to find a match for me here, especially not if it's Wade." She shook her head again. "No matter how powerful, rich and influential he is, I still have no intention of being with a rogue. Remember? He left the pack. So, he's literally no longer part of the Alpha family."

Estelle remained unmoved. This time she was the one who ignored Kiara.

"That's why I hope you don't get any strange ideas. He may be highly respected and adored by many, but no." Kiara repeated her words and then suddenly her eyes caught sight of the man they were talking about. Her eyes widened and she almost gasped. "Wade."

Wade was standing right in front of Estelle and Kiara. He was accompanied by Rocky and Norman Pendleton—Charles' young brother. "Hi, Estelle," he greeted before turning to Kiara. "Kiara."

Kiara blinked awkwardly. In her heart she prayed that Wade hadn't heard her earlier words. "H-hello, Wade." Then she noticed that Estelle hadn't responded to the greeting yet. So, she gave Estelle's hand a small pinch and whispered softly, "Estelle."

Estelle snapped out of it and said quickly, "Wade."

"Congratulations on your engagement," Wade said directly, without preamble. "I wish you happiness."

Estelle nodded. "Thank you."

Estelle braced herself. Maybe Wade would say something else, but she was wrong. Because after that, Wade just walked away.

"Excuse me."

Estelle received similar congratulations from Rocky and Norman before they all actually left. She exhaled deeply, feeling relieved, and realized something: she had been holding her breath.

*

There were many reasons why attending Estelle and Lennon's engagement party was a bad idea for Wade. For one thing, he knew that his presence would create an uncomfortable atmosphere for some people. To put it more bluntly, he would be the center of attention for some people—perhaps even more than Estelle and Lennon—with an unpleasant impression.

On the other hand, Wade realized that this was the only reason he had had in the past 17 years to meet his family openly and fully. Only brief encounters, designed to seem accidental, had been their way of seeing each other over the years.

Wade missed his family. And his family missed him. So, he was not going to waste this precious opportunity.

Rocky and Norman knew this, of course, and were very enthusiastic about accompanying Wade. Especially since they were worried that something might happen that would put Wade in a difficult position.

Wade had indeed reassured Rocky and Norman that everything would be fine. Besides, he knew his place and his limits. So, he wouldn't stay long. Not only because he didn't want to ruin the joyful atmosphere of the night, but also because he didn't want Rocky and Norman to get into unexpected trouble, especially Norman, who had made the extreme decision to leave the pack to support him.

So, Wade kept reminding himself throughout the trip. He had to keep his composure and make sure his every action didn't lead to negative assumptions.

Unfortunately, the challenge came when Wade stepped into the event hall. His eyes immediately fell on the central figure of the evening—Estelle.

Estelle was with Kiara, and Wade didn't know where Lennon was. What he did know was that Estelle looked so happy. A broad smile adorned her beautiful face and she was truly radiant.

Like the sun or the moon, Estelle seemed to radiate light, using the glow that emanated from her to draw all the attention in the hall, like gravity that wouldn't let anyone escape her charm and allure. And so, Wade was trapped.

Wade forgot the boundaries he was supposed to keep. His defense was that it would be strange to attend an engagement party without congratulating its central figure. So, he walked, and suddenly, when he came to his senses, he found himself standing in front of Estelle.

This time, Wade was determined not to cause any trouble. So, he just said hello to Estelle and Kiara. Then, after congratulating Estelle, he left.

Fortunately for Wade, he then met his family. Not holding back, the second child of the Pendleton family, his oldest sister named Delila Pendleton, immediately hugged him.

"Delila." Wade was happy, of course. But he was also worried. So, he looked around as he tried to let go of the hug. "People are watching us."

Delila didn't care. "Good. Then they will realize that sibling love really exists."

Wade couldn't argue. So, he returned the hug and said, "I've missed you, Delila."

Delila tried not to cry. It might ruin her makeup. Unfortunately, the tears rebelled.

"Madam," Rocky called after Delila and Wade's hug ended. He smiled as he offered a handkerchief. "Here you go."

Delila smiled in amusement. "You're very thoughtful, Rocky," she said, accepting the handkerchief. "Thank you."

Meanwhile, Wade, freed from Delila's embrace, immediately took the opportunity to greet his other family members. Starting with Freya Pendleton—the third child, he then faced Brianna Stellaris.

Wade smiled, now it was he who ignored the others. He hugged Brianna longingly. "Mom."

"Wade," Brianna whispered, her voice trailing off. Her breath felt tight. For at that moment, her chest was filled with various indescribable joys. "Oh, Wade."

Unlike Delila, Brianna completely disregarded makeup or people's reactions. She didn't care about any of it. She was a mother who could barely hug her youngest son for 17 years. Ask anyone, and she was sure that no woman could stand to be in her position. They were both still alive, they still loved each other, they missed each other, but they were really separated.

Charles felt similar feelings. However, he tried to contain his emotional turmoil as much as possible. So, he didn't say anything, just patted Wade's back while he continued to hug Brianna.

"I'm glad you came, Wade. We all missed you so much."

A feeling of emotion enveloped Wade's heart. His soul felt warmed by the love of his family. But the mood didn't last long. For shortly thereafter, another important figure at the party arrived.

Lennon approached. The atmosphere became awkward. Wade's parents and sister looked at each other, trying to assess the situation.

"Lennon," Wade said calmly. He greeted Lennon's arrival and extended his hand. "Congratulations on your engagement."

Lennon shook his hand and returned the smile. "Thank you, Uncle, and let me tell you." He shook their hands once. "Welcome back to the Palace."

*