Chapter 8

Ella's POV

Lily glared at Noah, her little fists clenched tight.

"Mommy used to stay up all night doing your projects for you!"

"So what!" Noah stuck his neck out stubbornly. "Mommy's stuff doesn't look as good as Chloe's! I'm definitely going to win first place this time!"

I watched Lily's little shoulders shake with anger. I crouched down, fixed her collar, and whispered in her ear.

"Don't fight with him. Your lighthouse shines, and his fortress doesn't."

Lily nodded, half-understanding. She took my hand, and we walked right past Noah.

Once inside the school yard, a teacher guided Lily to her classroom, while I headed to the auditorium to wait.

For this craft project, the teachers had invited every kid to the auditorium stage to share the inspiration and ideas behind their work.

Moonridge Academy always went all out for events. Today, there were even cameras set up in the back of the auditorium. A local children's TV channel was here to record the presentations.

I found a seat near the back. The auditorium slowly filled up with parents.

Most of them were lunas from various packs, all perfectly made up and dripping in jewels. They huddled together, whispering about the latest designer bags and antique jewelry from recent auctions.

It didn't take long for someone to notice me.

"Hey, Ella. It's such a big event today, but your outfit is a bit too plain, isn't it?"

A wealthy woman walked over with a smile, though her eyes secretly swept me from head to toe, frowning in surprise.

"Damien and I split up," I said calmly.

The area around us went dead silent instantly.

The woman who had tried to play nice looked like her face was cramping up just trying to keep her smile intact.

"I'm not Noah's mother anymore," I said, looking right at her. "I'm only Lily's mom."

"Oh..." She instinctively took a half-step back.

Then, the whispers washed over me from behind like a tidal wave.

"What's going on? Is she crazy? Alpha Damien is so strong, handsome, and successful, and she doesn't want him?"

"Maybe Alpha Damien finally got sick of her lowly omega bloodline."

"Leaving with her daughter is just going to ruin the kid. In ten or twenty years, when Lily sees the massive difference in wealth between her and Noah, she's going to hate Ella to death."

I sat there, listening expressionlessly. I didn't say a word to defend myself.

Their standard for judging a she-wolf was always her mate's bloodline and the pack's reputation.

I didn't care about any of that. All that mattered to me was that my wolf and I were finally free.

"Ella."

A timid voice sounded next to my ear.

It was a shy she-wolf sitting beside me. She whispered, "So... is Lily going to transfer to a different school?"

"Not for now," I said.

Someone nearby chimed in, releasing a sour, jealous pheromone that drifted to my nose.

"Looks like Damien is pretty generous, still paying the crazy tuition for Lily at this elite school."

Suddenly, a commotion broke out at the front of the auditorium.

"It's Alpha Damien! I can't believe he actually came to the event today!"

I looked up instinctively toward the main doors.

It was Damien, alright. He wore a sharply tailored suit, looking noble and freezing cold. His dark green eyes swept across the crowded room. At the same time, his alpha aura washed over the hall in an instant, forcing every werewolf present to instinctively go quiet.

Chloe was right beside him. The two of them walked in side-by-side, looking as close and comfortable as a real family.

I watched them, unable to look away for a second.

Ever since Lily and Noah started school, I had begged him countless times to come to family events at Moonridge. His answer was always the same, "I'm too busy."

But today, he showed up. Just not for me.

Chloe walked right up to me and spoke first, a smug smile plastered on her face.

"Ella, look, I brought Damien."

Damien sat down in the empty seat next to me, and Chloe took the seat on his other side.

He turned his head to look at me. Seeing me staring blankly at him, a knowing smile flashed through his dark green eyes.

I knew exactly what that look meant.

He thought I was still deeply in love with him.

All the wealthy women around us were secretly peeking our way, waiting for a good show.

"You don't have to be at the office today?" I asked.

Before he could answer, Chloe jumped in.

"Damien is super busy. I'm the one who made him cancel an international meeting so he could come watch Noah's presentation."

I stopped talking, swallowed the sting in my nose, and turned to look at the stage.

The event officially began.

The kids took turns going up on stage with their crafts to explain them.

Some made little wolves out of clay, some sewed forests out of old rags, and some brought crooked paper towers.

"Noah is up!" Chloe pointed excitedly at the stage.

Noah rolled a little cart onto the stage. On it was a large red cardboard box, over a meter long.

He turned his head and saw Damien in the audience, puffing out his little chest with pride.

"Today," Noah's clear, childish voice rang out across the auditorium through the microphone. "I'm going to show you the space fortress I made out of straws. I finished this with my favorite auntie, Chloe!"

Chloe beamed an encouraging smile back at him.

Under the expectant gaze of the whole crowd, Noah reached out and opened the cardboard box. He peered inside, and his entire body froze. All the color instantly drained from his face.

Noah's face quickly flushed beet red. He looked up and shook his head frantically at Chloe, his eyes instantly welling up with tears.

"What is Noah doing?" Chloe got anxious and jumped up from her seat. "Hurry up and show everyone the fortress!"

Seeing that Noah wasn't moving and was pressing both hands tightly over the box, Chloe slapped her thigh, stood up, and rushed the stage.

"Ma'am, you can't go on stage!"

The teacher didn't expect her to pull a stunt like that, and it was too late to stop her.

Chloe stepped right onto the stage, marching straight into the camera's view.

"Noah, take the fortress out!"