Free Web NovelChapter 44: Chapter 44 Shopping for Drama
Elara
I woke up the next morning with my cheeks still hot from dreams I didn’t want to think about.
Dreams where Dominic’s hands had roamed places they shouldn’t, where his mouth had done things that made me wake up breathless and aching.
My fingers unconsciously touched my lips, and I quickly pulled my hand away, annoyed at myself.
My phone rang and saved me from those embarrassing thoughts. Hannah’s name popped up.
"Elara, I feel awful about what happened before," she said immediately. "Let me make it up to you. Want to go shopping? There’s this amazing purse collection that just came in."
I smiled. "Really, you don’t need to. It’s fine."
But Hannah kept insisting, so I finally agreed to meet her. I figured I could buy something small like a wallet to make her feel better.
Maybe some retail therapy would clear my head of certain brooding alphas.
The universe had other plans.
The moment we walked into the luxury store, I froze. My smile vanished completely.
Selina was there with Zack’s arm around her waist. She saw us immediately and skipped over like an excited puppy, her fake smile making my wolf growl.
"Elara! And Hannah! What a surprise!" she said sweetly, flashing perfect teeth like a shark. ƒrēewebnovel.com
Zack stared at me way too hard. His eyes tracked my movements like he had some kind of claim on me. It made my skin crawl.
Selina noticed and grabbed his arm tighter. Her manicured nails dug into his jacket. "Sister, Mother came home crying yesterday. Did you upset her again?" she asked with fake worry, speaking loud enough for the whole store to hear. Other shoppers were already turning to look, probably hoping for some drama to spice up their day.
Hannah looked confused. "Mother?"
She glanced between Selina and me, trying to piece together the family connection.
I kept my face blank, refusing to give Selina what she wanted. "Hannah, let’s try another store."
"Oh, okay," Hannah said quickly, feeling the tension.
But Selina stepped in front of us, blocking our exit. "Why are you avoiding me, Elara? Aren’t we sisters? Or is it because you used to like Zack?"
Hannah turned to me with wide eyes. "Elara, you and Zack...?"
A cold smile crossed my face as my patience finally snapped.
"Sorry to disappoint, but my standards were never that low," I said calmly, looking at Zack with disgust. "I don’t date bottom-shelf men." ƒrēewebnovel.com
I looked directly at Selina, feeling that familiar rush from finally telling the truth.
"And let’s be clear. We’re not sisters anymore. I’m done pretending Nadia is my mother."
I stepped closer and lowered my voice. "She and you are your own perfect little family. I’m just an annoying reminder of her past mistakes."
My smile turned razor-sharp. "So Selina, do us both a favor. Stop following me around like a pest. The fake sister act is getting old, and honestly, you’re terrible at it."
Author
Hannah didn’t know what had gotten into her best friend, but she could tell Elara was upset. The tension radiating off her was almost tangible.
Without hesitation, she followed her out of the store. Her heels clicked rapidly on the marble floor as she hurried to catch up.
She couldn’t care less about Alpha Zack and his little girlfriend right now. All that mattered was making sure Elara was okay.
Behind them, Selina was furious but kept up her innocent act. Her hands trembled slightly with rage, but she forced tears into her eyes.
"Zack, I don’t know what’s wrong with my sister lately. She’s been so angry..." Her voice wobbled perfectly, like she was on the verge of breaking down.
Before she could finish, Zack cut her off with obvious annoyance. His jaw was tight, and he pulled his arm away from her grip. "Selina, you shouldn’t have talked to her like that."
"If she’s having family problems, she’s probably hurting more than you are. And there’s nothing between her and me. You’re wrong about that." His eyes flashed with something that looked almost like guilt.
Selina was shocked. Her carefully crafted expression crumbled for just a moment, revealing the fury underneath. She never expected Zack to defend Elara against her.
"Zack, I’m sorry..." Her voice was smaller now, uncertain. This wasn’t going according to plan.
He looked at her like he was seeing her clearly for the first time. "I’m not the one you should apologize to. She is."
With that, he walked away, leaving Selina standing alone in the middle of the luxury store with other shoppers staring at her.
Elara had no idea that Zack had actually stood up for her for the first time.
All she felt was the tight feeling in her chest. She didn’t want to see them anymore or keep up the fake peace.
