Semua Bab Too Late, Alpha — She’s a Queen Now: Bab 21 - Bab 30

By the time we arrived, the banquet hall was already buzzing with energy—laughter, champagne, and the hum of gossip bouncing off crystal chandeliers and polished marble floors.I stepped in wearing the ivory embroidered gown. Simple. Classic. Safe.Almost instantly, I felt it—eyes tracking my entrance. Some lingered too long, some looked away too quickly. Admiration, curiosity, judgment; it all swirled in the air around me. But I didn’t flinch. Years of being married to Darius had taught me to walk through a room like I belonged, even when I didn’t feel it.The host, Leo—a long-time friend of Joe’s—smiled and started to greet us. But before he could say a word, a voice shouted from the entrance.The entire room shifted.Something was coming.No—someone.Whispers rippled across the crowd like electricity on water. A collective breath held. I didn’t even need to turn. My body already knew.Leo stiffened, his smile faltering. Then he gave Joe and me a quick, awkward nod and moved past us

Footsteps echoed outside the door.Darius was back.“Daddy!” Lyra’s tired little voice perked up.“Hey, sweetheart.” His deep baritone filled the room as he stepped inside.I shifted instinctively, ready to put Lyra down so he could take her, but she clung to me like a little vine, her tiny fingers reaching toward him.He leaned in, close enough that the air between us carried his familiar cologne—a scent that once meant home to me.But beneath the sharp, masculine notes were softer, almost powdery. Feminine.Perfume.Not mine.And not just any perfume, I’d smelled that exact fragrance clinging to Emma at the banquet earlier tonight.My stomach tightened. I turned my head away and stepped back until the scent faded, until I could breathe again.He didn’t notice. Or maybe he did and chose to ignore it. His gaze was on Lyra as he pressed a hand gently to her forehead, his brows drawing together. “Her fever—has it broken?”My voice came out steady, but cold. “The doctor says it’s down fro

The room went still the moment I stepped in. Every head turned toward me, eyes sharp with curiosity.“Joe, is this… our new teammate?” one of them asked, their tone a mix of excitement and disbelief.Joe’s easy smile didn’t falter. “You guys are well-informed. This is Rae—”Before he could finish, James’s voice cut through like a blade. “So, you kicked my junior off the project… for her?”The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees. Joe’s jaw tightened. “Yes. I was going to explain to you privately—”James laughed, but there was no humor in it. He turned his gaze on me, eyes burning. “My junior just earned her Ph.D. from one of the top ten research institutes in the world. She’s twenty-five. And yet somehow, Miss Rae here was able to squeeze her out? That must mean your resume is… what? Beyond extraordinary?”I knew exactly who he was talking about—Emma. She’d been crying to him last night, spitting out the words personal reasons like poison when she told him Joe had withd

When Joe and I walked into the private dining room, Emma and Rocco were already lounging on the sofa, with wine glasses in hand.“What are you two smirking about?” Emma asked, one perfectly arched brow raised.Rocco’s smile was pure mischief. “Oh, nothing. We just happened to bump into someone… interesting a little while ago.”His tone was weight, like he was dangling bait. I ignored it.---Later that nightAfter dinner, Darius and Lyra returned home.The moment the car stopped, Lyra bolted out and into the house. “Mom! Mom!”Linda stepped out from the kitchen, drying her hands. “Madam isn’t home yet.”Lyra’s face fell. “She’s never home anymore,” she muttered, trudging upstairs with a pout.Darius stood still in the entryway, coat still on, a shadow passing over his face.“Sir?” Linda asked quietly.He shook his head. “It’s nothing.” Then he followed Lyra upstairs without saying another word.---I didn’t go home that night.The next morning, Lyra came down expecting my cooking, only

The moment we stepped out of the store, Zoe glanced at me, her eyes laced with worry.“Rae…”I shook my head, my voice flat. “I’m fine.”Howard stopped being my father the day he signed the divorce papers with my mother. I’d buried him in my heart long ago. But what cut deeper than his existence was the collateral damage I had caused—the way my uncle’s already fragile company took another hit because of me. The way Joe had been dragged into the mess.And Darius. Always Darius. Always Emma’s protector, her knight in shining armor, even if it meant cutting me down. Not once. The silver-sharp betrayal tore at my heart until it felt like a fresh, bleeding wound.“He’s never been on our side.” My wolf’s voice was low, bitter, and edged with hatred.“I know,” I murmured back in my mind.“Then he’s only worthy of being our enemy.”I shut my eyes, forcing down the feral surge in my chest before it spilled over.Zoe hesitated beside me. “Rae…”I managed a thin, unconvincing smile. “Really. I’m