Chapter 17

Elara

My heart instantly tensed as Asher’s last statement made all the surrounding eyes turn to us. All around me, the whispers of the skeptical crowd seemed to close in, like vultures swarming a dying rabbit.

I could feel my palms growing clammy, my face becoming hot. I needed to escape. Without a second thought, I let go of Alaric’s hand and made my way toward the grand double doors of the ballroom.

The moment I stepped outside, the cool night air enveloped me, offering a brief respite from the stifling atmosphere inside.

I leaned against the brick wall and took a deep breath, letting the crisp scent of pine and the distant murmur of the city calm my racing heart. “Get it together, Elara,” I whispered to myself, wrapping my arms around my waist.

After a few moments, I started to feel better. Figuring that the girls might be looking for me by now, I smoothed down my dress and turned toward the ballroom again.

But just as I turned to head back inside, my path was blocked by two familiar forms.

“Well, look who decided to grace us with her presence,” a low voice sneered.

I looked up to see Mason and Olivia standing in front of me, blocking the doorway. Olivia’s eyes gleamed with malice, a smug smile curling her crimson lips.

“Excuse me,” I said quietly, attempting to sidestep them. I wasn’t in the mood for more of this nonsense tonight, especially not without Alaric there by my side.

Olivia stepped in my way again. “Goddess, even in a gown, you still look awful,” she spat, her gaze raking over me disdainfully.

I straightened my spine, lifting my chin. “Please move,” I replied firmly.

She let out a cold laugh. “Or what? You’ll cry?”

Before I could react, her hand shot out, grabbing the delicate necklace that rested against my collarbone—the necklace that Alaric had given me to wear earlier that day. With a swift tug, she yanked it off, the chain snapping easily.

“Hey!” I exclaimed, clutching at the spot where the necklace once was.

Olivia examined the broken necklace with mock interest, twirling it between her fingers. “Just look at it—so fake,” she clicked her tongue, tossing it aside as if it were trash.

I watched helplessly as the necklace clattered to the ground, the tiny pendant skittering across the marble before coming to a stop near Mason’s foot.

“That was uncalled for,” I ground out, clenching my hands into fists at my sides.

Mason chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You always did have a knack for picking up worthless trinkets, didn’t you, Elara?”

I felt a flush rise to my cheeks. “Leave me alone,” I demanded.

“Or what?” Olivia taunted, her eyes narrowing. “You’re nothing but an Omega pretending to play with the big leagues. It’s pathetic, really.”

Before I could respond, a firm voice interrupted. “Is there a problem here?”

I turned to see James, Alaric’s Beta, approaching us with a stern expression on his face. Relief washed over me.

“Just a friendly chat,” Mason replied smoothly, even though it was anything but that.

James immediately glanced down at the broken necklace on the floor, then back at Olivia. He then turned to me. “What happened to your necklace?”

I simply pointed at Olivia.

“That necklace belongs to Mrs. Donovan,” James stated coldly before Olivia or Mason could utter a word. “You will compensate for it at its original price.”

Olivia scoffed mockingly as she reached into her clutch, producing a couple of small bills. She sauntered forward and stuffed them into James’s breast pocket with a sneer. “There,” she cooed, patting his chest. “Three dollars sound about right?”

James’s gaze hardened. He grabbed the bills and tossed them at her feet in one swift movement. “More like fifty thousand dollars,” he said coldly.

I clamped my hand over my mouth, stunned. I knew that the necklace was worth a pretty penny, considering the fact that Alaric had bought it, but fifty thousand? It was hard to hide my smirk, knowing fully well that neither Olivia nor Mason could afford that.

Olivia’s face went pale. “F-fifty thousand?” she stammered. She turned to Mason, her eyes wide. “B-Baby, you have that money, right? Pay them!”

Mason, who had been standing there in shock, turned to Olivia with fury written across his face. “You expect me to pay for that?” he spat out. “You’re the one who broke it! You pay for it!”

“B-But darling, you paid off your debts—couldn’t you cover it, just this once!”

“Don’t be a fool!” Mason snapped, grabbing a fistful of her perfectly styled hair and yanking her close. “I’m not dropping fifty grand over your fucking mistake! This has nothing to do with me!”

“Let go of me!” Olivia screeched, trying to pry his fingers away.

In the midst of their scuffle, Mason’s hand caught on something. With a sharp tug, Olivia’s wig came off, revealing her short, uneven hair beneath—clearly fried with bleach until over half of it had fallen out.

A stunned silence fell over us.

Olivia’s eyes widened in horror as she realized what had happened. “Oh my god!” she gasped, frantically reaching for the wig now lying on the ground.

By this point, people were watching through the open doorway. Soft laughter rippled through the crowd, whispers spreading like wildfire.

“Is that Olivia? What’s wrong with her hair?”

“I can’t believe she’d show up like that…”

“‘High society lady’, indeed… What a tramp!”

I took a step back, hoping the situation would defuse itself now that the attention had shifted away from me.

But Mason wasn’t finished. His eyes darted between me and the crowd. I knew that look all too well.

A sinister idea was clearly forming in his mind. And when Alaric stepped into the doorway, looking confused, that idea seemed to snap into place.

“Look at those two!” he shouted, pointing directly at Alaric and me. “Do they seem like a loving couple to you? Ha! The great Alpha Alaric has fooled everyone!”

A knot of panic tightened in my stomach. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it.

I glanced at Alaric, who stood tall and unflinching, his eyes locked onto Mason. But I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his fists clenched at his sides. And it had nothing to do with the necklace.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. The weight of everyone’s gaze was suffocating.

Suddenly, small hands slipped into mine on either side.

“Stop lying!” Zoe’s voice rang out.

Ella looked up at the crowd with a serious expression on her face. “Yeah! Daddy said we’re a family! What do you know about us?!”

I stared down at the girls, stunned. At that moment, their courage sparked something inside of me.

Mason sneered, taking a step toward us. “Oh, how cute. Using children to sell your little charade.”

Zoe tugged on my hand. “Mommy, I have an idea!”

“Zoe—” I began, but she was already pulling me toward Alaric.

She looked up at him with a mischievous grin. “Daddy, Mommy, kiss! Then everyone will know you really love each other!”

My cheeks flushed. Alaric’s eyes met mine, a question lingering in them. The murmurs around us grew louder, the crowd eagerly awaiting our next move.

“Well?” Mason taunted. “Let’s see this grand display of affection.”

Taking a deep breath, I made my decision. I stepped closer to Alaric, my heart pounding in my chest.

Gathering my courage, I reached up, my fingers lightly brushing against his cheek. His skin was warm under my touch. Without giving myself time to second-guess, I leaned in and pressed my lips firmly against his.

Time seemed to slow. The noise of the crowd faded into the background, and for that brief moment, it was just the two of us. His lips were soft yet firm, and I felt a warmth spread through me that I hadn’t anticipated.

When we pulled apart, I glanced up at Alaric, and to my surprise, a genuine smile touched his eyes. It softened his usually stern features, making him look almost... happy. And for a moment, I could almost imagine this being our reality. No charades. No lies. Just a happy little family.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Olivia still fumbling with her wig, humiliated. Mason glared at us one last time before storming off, dragging Olivia behind him.

Relief washed over me. The crisis seemed to have passed.

But then, I turned to see Asher standing there, his hands tucked casually into his pockets, a sly grin on his face.

“Well, well, it seems I underestimated your love,” he said. “I can’t imagine what Mother would say if she saw her beloved son publicly kissing an Omega.” he glanced at me. “Tell me, Elara, how does it feel to play pretend in front of all these people?”

I felt a chill run down my spine. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied evenly. I stepped closer to Alaric, pressing my hand gently against his chest. He tugged me close, just like any loving husband would.

But Asher, who clearly saw right through us, just flicked his eyes over us and chuckled softly. “I wonder—when the ‘six months’ are over, will this performance still be as convincing as it is today?”

A wave of dread washed over me. Did he know about our arrangement?

“Get out,” Alaric hissed through gritted teeth.

Asher held up his hands in mock surrender and moved to leave. But before turning away, he cast me a final, lingering glance.

His expression was sinister, and that one look was enough to send a shiver down my spine.