HER CHANCE

CHAPTER THREE

Three months later, the estate was a whirlwind of activity. The wedding of the century was approaching, and every corner of the Rose estate had been transformed for the arrival of their most important guest. Servants hurried through the halls carrying flowers, silverware, crystal glasses, and decorations while gardeners worked tirelessly outside to make the grounds flawless.

Everyone seemed determined to make the estate worthy of the man who was coming. The marriage had been finalized on the Alpha's first visit, which was kept discreet; even Elena had no idea the Alpha had come and gone.

Justice Kane, the Alpha of the Silver Moon pack and a billionaire whose influence spanned three continents, was coming to claim his bride. His name alone carried enough power to make people straighten their backs and lower their voices. He wasn't simply a wealthy Alpha; he was one of the most influential men in the werewolf hierarchy, and his marriage to the Rose family would change their position forever.

Vivian was the chosen one. She was the daughter everyone proudly displayed, the beautiful Rose heiress prepared for a marriage that would elevate the entire family. Her wedding gown had been ordered from overseas, her jewelry had been carefully selected, and her mother had personally supervised every detail of the ceremony.

The alliance would solidify the Rose family's standing in the werewolf hierarchy and grant them access to Kane’s vast resources. Everyone treated Vivian as though she had won the greatest prize imaginable. They admired her beauty, praised her luck, and reminded her constantly of the powerful future waiting for her. No one questioned whether she actually wanted it.

Elena was, as usual, invisible. She moved through the hallways like a ghost, carrying trays of champagne and arranging floral centerpieces. While Vivian was being dressed, pampered, and prepared for her wedding, Elena worked until her hands ached. She carried boxes, polished silver, cleaned rooms, and followed every order thrown her way without complaint.

But ghosts have the advantage of being ignored. People spoke freely around her because they barely noticed she was there. Elena had learned that being invisible could sometimes be useful. She heard conversations people never intended her to hear and saw things they assumed no servant would notice.

She was adjusting the heavy velvet curtains in the library when she heard the door click shut. The scent of musk and expensive tobacco filled the room. Elena stiffened, pressing herself into the shadows of the drapery. She recognized Vivian's voice almost immediately, but there was something different about it. The sweet, delicate tone she used around her family and guests was gone. What remained was anger, frustration, and desperation. Elena stayed perfectly still, afraid that even the smallest movement would reveal her presence.

"I can't keep doing this, Marcus," Vivian’s voice rang out, devoid of the sweet, bridal facade she wore for the world.

"Then don't," a man’s voice replied. Marcus was a high-ranking beta from a rival pack, a man known for his ambition and his appetite for power. Elena had seen him at gatherings before, always standing confidently among powerful wolves. She had never paid much attention to him, but now she recognized the familiarity between his voice and Vivian's. They weren't simply acquaintances. There was something intimate between them, something that made Elena's stomach tighten.

"The alliance is a formality. Once the papers are signed and the bond is established, you can run the household. Justice doesn't care whom you spend your nights with, as long as you produce an heir."

Elena held her breath, her heart drumming against her ribs. Her fingers tightened around the curtain as she listened. Marcus was talking about Vivian's marriage as though it were a business transaction, and Elena suddenly understood why Vivian had been so eager to become Justice Kane's bride. This wasn't about love. Vivian had a plan.

"He’s a monster," Vivian spat. "Cold, ruthless, and obsessed with power. I can't stand the way he looks at me—like I'm a piece of livestock he's purchasing for a prize. I love you, Marcus. I don't want him. I want to use him to get the Rose estate fully in my name, and then I'm leaving him."

Elena's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Vivian was planning to marry Justice Kane, take everything she could from him, and then run away with Marcus. The same Vivian who constantly mocked Elena for being weak was preparing to deceive one of the most powerful Alphas alive.

Elena listened carefully, committing every word to memory. She knew Vivian well enough to understand that she would never confess such a plan unless she was completely certain she could get away with it.

"What about the wedding?" Marcus asked.

"I'll go through with it. I'll play the blushing bride. But the moment I have the keys to the kingdom, I'm gone. He'll be too blind with his own arrogance to realize I never loved him."

Elena felt a surge of electricity run through her. For the first time in her life, she held something more valuable than a sketchbook. She held a weapon. For ten years, Vivian had controlled her because Elena had nothing with which to fight back.

Vivian could destroy her belongings, insult her, threaten her, and turn their mother against her. Elena had endured because she had no choice. But now she possessed something Vivian could not simply rip apart or wash away.

Vivian had spent years treating Elena like a footstool. She had destroyed her art, her dignity, and her memories. She had made Elena feel insignificant inside her own home. Now, Vivian was planning to betray the most powerful man in the region. The irony wasn't lost on Elena. The woman who had always acted untouchable had finally given someone else a weapon against her.

Justice Kane was not a man who took betrayal lightly. If he discovered Vivian’s infidelity and her plan to defraud him, he wouldn't just divorce her—he would crush her. Elena had heard enough stories about his reputation to know that crossing him was dangerous.

He was ruthless when challenged, and his influence stretched far beyond the Silver Moon pack. If Vivian believed she could use him and walk away untouched, she was dangerously mistaken.

A slow, dangerous smile touched Elena’s lips. She didn't want to just see Vivian fail. She wanted to take everything. For years, she had dreamed of escaping the Rose estate, but she had never imagined having the power to make it happen. Now an opportunity had fallen directly into her hands.

She could expose Vivian.

She could tell Justice the truth.

Or she could do something far more unexpected.

Elena looked down at her worn hands and remembered the ruined sketchbook lying somewhere in the trash. Vivian had taken the one thing Elena loved and destroyed it without hesitation. Now Vivian had unknowingly placed her own future in Elena's hands.

Elena quietly stepped away from the curtains, her expression returning to the obedient mask everyone knew. No one could know what she had heard. Not yet. She needed to think. She needed to decide how to use the secret without destroying herself in the process.

For the first time in ten years, Elena wasn't helpless.

She had information.

She had an opportunity.

And she had nothing left to lose.

Her chance had finally come.