The gala of secrets

The entire ballroom held its breath as Ivy descended the grand staircase, her emerald gown shimmering under the crystal chandeliers. Every step she took was deliberate, powerful, radiating the authority of a true Alpha.

Dominic's world tilted on its axis. His heart hammered against his ribcage as his eyes traced every feature of her face, the face that had haunted his dreams for six years. She was more beautiful than he remembered, but there was something different about her now. Something dangerous.

"Impossible," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Sophia's nails dug into his arm, her face draining of color. "Dominic, that's..."

"Shut up," he hissed, his eyes never leaving Ivy.

Ethan moved forward, extending his hand to Ivy as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She took it gracefully, her smile warm as she looked at him, though her eyes hadn't left Dominic's face.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Ethan announced, his voice carrying across the hall, "may I present the woman who has brought honor and prosperity to the Silvercrest Pack, the Alpha who rebuilt what was broken, my future Luna and mate, Ivy Blackwood."

The name hit Dominic like a physical blow. Blackwood. Not Kane anymore. She had reclaimed her maiden name, her true identity.

Applause erupted throughout the hall, but Dominic couldn't move. His mind raced with a thousand questions, each more desperate than the last. How was she alive? Where had she been? And the child, their child...

"Dominic," Sophia tugged at his sleeve, panic creeping into her voice. "We should leave. Now."

But Dominic couldn't move. He watched as Ivy accepted congratulations from various pack leaders, her composure perfect, her authority undeniable. She moved through the crowd like she owned it, and in many ways, she did. The whispers around him confirmed what he was seeing.

"That's the Blackwood heir?"

"I heard she turned the Silvercrest Pack from bankruptcy to the third most powerful pack in six years."

"And she's only twenty-eight? Incredible."

"Cross is a lucky man."

Each word was a dagger to Dominic's chest. He had spent six years believing Ivy was nothing without him, a low-born omega who had gotten lucky when he married her. The truth was crashing down around him, suffocating in its weight.

Marcus appeared at his side, his voice low and urgent. "Alpha, we need to talk. Now."

Dominic barely heard him. His feet were moving before his brain caught up, pushing through the crowd toward Ivy. People parted for him, some with looks of curiosity, others with barely concealed satisfaction at the drama about to unfold.

Ivy turned just as he reached her, her expression cool and collected. Up close, he could see the changes in her. The softness was gone, replaced by steel. Her eyes, once so full of love for him, now looked at him with nothing but indifference.

"Ivy," he breathed, reaching for her hand.

She pulled back smoothly, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?"

The words sliced through him. "Don't play games with me. Where have you been? I've been searching for you for six years!"

"Have you?" Ivy's voice was pleasant, conversational, as if they were discussing the weather. "How exhausting that must have been for you."

Ethan stepped closer, his presence a clear warning. "Is there a problem here, darling?"

The endearment made Dominic's wolf snarl inside him. "Stay out of this, Cross. This is between me and my wife."

"Ex-wife," Ivy corrected, her tone sharp as a blade. "And yes, there is a problem. This man seems to have forgotten that we have nothing to discuss."

Dominic's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. The moment their skin touched, electricity sparked between them. Both froze, eyes widening. The mate bond, though rejected, still hummed with residual energy.

"Let go of her," Ethan growled, his eyes flashing amber.

But Dominic held on, his voice desperate now. "The child, Ivy. What happened to our child?"

For the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed Ivy's face. Pain, rage, and something else Dominic couldn't identify. She wrenched her hand free, the movement so forceful that Dominic stumbled back.

"You have no right to ask me that," she said quietly, but her voice carried across the suddenly silent ballroom. "You lost that right the moment you chose your mistress over your pregnant wife."

Gasps echoed through the crowd. Sophia, who had been hovering nearby, paled even further.

Dominic's jaw clenched. "I never chose..."

"You threw me against a table," Ivy interrupted, her voice rising now, years of suppressed anger finally breaking free. "While I was carrying your child. You sent me to the hospital and then stayed by her side instead. You asked me to make her soup while I was bleeding internally. So don't you dare stand here and pretend you cared about that child."

The crowd was riveted, every eye bouncing between them like watching a tennis match.

"I didn't know you were pregnant," Dominic said, his voice cracking. "You never told me."

Ivy laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I tried to tell you. Multiple times. But you were too busy with Sophia to listen. And when I finally had the chance to show you the test results, I found you with your hands on her stomach, believing her lies about being pregnant."

Sophia made a small sound of protest, but no one was listening to her anymore.

"That's not..." Dominic started, but the words died in his throat. Because it was true. All of it.

"You want to know what happened to the child?" Ivy asked, stepping closer to him now. "That's none of your business anymore. You made your choice six years ago. Now I've made mine."

She turned away from him, back to Ethan, her walls sliding back into place. But before she could take a step, a small voice called out from the upper gallery.

"Mommy!"