Free Web NovelChapter 61: Chapter 61 Emergency Meeting
Christina’s POV
The moment Niall and Beatrice left, the party atmosphere bounced back like they’d never been there. The tension that had been choking everyone disappeared.
Ysolde was in her element, moving from group to group with practiced ease.
Her laugh rang out above the music, too loud and slightly wild, hugging anyone within reach. She remembered everyone’s kids and pets by name.
A talent I’d always envied about my friend.
It was her birthday, so every time someone raised a glass, she drank like it was her duty as hostess.
I kept an eye on her between sips of my own watered-down cocktail.Akira stayed alert despite the relaxed atmosphere, still uneasy after our earlier fight.
Meanwhile, Alpha Cassian had stationed himself beside me with an untouched drink and a curious smile. Hudson’s closest friend wasn’t here by coincidence.
"So, Christina," he began, his voice smooth, "which territory did you grow up in? What role do you play in your pack? Old Fashioned or Cosmopolitan?"
But he wasn’t fooling me. His questions were thinly veiled attempts to find out why his good friend Hudson Laurent, Alpha of the Sabreridge Pack and one of the most eligible unmated Alphas in the Northern Territories, had suddenly decided to choose me as his mate.
I played innocent, smiled sweetly, and answered each question without revealing anything.
When the party finally wound down, Ysolde found me, her grace compromised by too many glasses of champagne.
She clung to my arm and slurred, "I’m taking you home, bestie. Come on. My car’s... somewhere in this parking lot."
I rolled my eyes. "Ysolde, I’ve had, like, three drinks all night. You can barely stand right now."
Cassian smoothly detached her from my arm."I’ll drive you, Christina. Hudson would have my hide if I let his mate take a cab."
"Thanks, but don’t trouble yourself. It’s late, and my apartment is nowhere near your place. I’ll just grab a rideshare."
He hesitated. "Hudson specifically asked me to—"
"It’s fine." I smiled. "I can take care of myself."
"You sure?" he asked, worried.
"Positive. Good night, Ysolde. Goodbye, Alpha Cassian."
I ordered a ride and headed back to the apartment, my thoughts drifting to Hudson.
He had been quietly restructuring security since Niall’s intrusion.
There used to be just two guards at the front gate. Now there were five. All burly, all alert, and all clearly informed of my scent by the way they nodded respectfully as I passed.
Hudson had hired them after Niall had forced his way into the building.
Even though Hudson was away on some business trip to negotiate with the packs and made preparation to run for king, he still made sure Cassian kept an eye on me at Ysolde’s party.
He still had security reinforced at our building.
He never mentioned these precautions, just silently implemented them. Classic Alpha behavior that both irritated and warmed me
I hadn’t drunk much, but by the time I reached our floor, the night’s emotional chaos hit me all at once.
I stripped, showered, and collapsed straight into bed without setting an alarm.
It was the weekend, and Akira needed rest after staying alert all evening.
I woke to sunlight burning my face and my phone screaming like a dying animal. Squinting through sleep-blurred eyes, I fumbled until I saw the name: Savannah Lane.
That sobered me instantly.
Savannah never called on weekends unless something catastrophic was happening.
I swiped to answer. "Savannah—"
"Christina Vance! Where the hell are you?! I’ve called you three times. Don’t tell me you’re still in bed!"
I glanced at the screen. Two missed calls.
"I mean... technically, yes. It’s Saturday, so—"
"It’s bloody Sunday!" she shrieked."And in case your beauty sleep has fried your brain, today is the day Eliza Black comes in to review the new jewelry pitch. You’re at home? In your pajamas?!"
I shot up so fast Akira yelped in surprise. My phone screen confirmed my worst fear—Sunday, 10:42 a.m.
"I thought she was coming tomorrow, Monday—"
"I told you they changed the date. Last week. She’s a global A-lister, Chrissy, and she—"
"More like B-lister," I mumbled. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"Shut up and listen! She cleared her schedule for Nyx Collective. She’s here right now! You think she’s going to wait around because a designer needed an extra nap?"
"No, I didn’t get the update, I swear—"
"Save it." Her voice cut through my panic, all business now. "You want this project? You want your name on Eliza Black’s red carpet looks? Then get moving now. You’re the best designer I’ve got. Don’t blow this because you slept through a schedule change."
Click.
She was gone.
I sat there, stunned for about five seconds, then scrambled out of bed, tripping over my slippers.
I raced to the bathroom, heart pounding.
I hadn’t seen any reschedule notification.
No email. No text. Nothing.
I’d sworn it was set for Monday.
Someone had deliberately sabotaged me.
No way that update just magically skipped me.
Someone, Violet, that conniving bitch, had made sure I was left out of the loop.
But I didn’t have time to plot her slow and painful downfall.
I’d pulled three all-nighters for that pitch.
Blood, sweat, and barely enough coffee to keep Akira awake had gone into that presentation.
Missing this meeting wasn’t an option, not unless I wanted to kiss my shot at real industry recognition goodbye.
Hudson might be a powerful Alpha, but I refused to ride on his reputation. Akira and I would make our own business.
By the time I barreled into Nyx Collective, it was past eleven. Every designer had already presented their proposals.
Eliza Black’s agent was halfway out the door, throwing Savannah a look that said "wrap it up or I’m leaving."
Savannah had begged. Negotiated. Maybe offered bribes.
Eventually, the agent had relented. Ten minutes, no more. freewebnøvel.coɱ
I made it into the conference room on the final minute of that countdown.
I was a disaster.
Sweaty from sprinting up five flights of stairs, hair wild like I’d been running through the woods all night. My blouse was sticking to my back, and I couldn’t feel my left leg.
Eliza Black was perched at the front of the room in head-to-toe black, a designer mask covering most of her face. Just her eyes were showing, sharp and watchful.
She looked exactly like she did on screen.
Only now, she wasn’t smiling.
Gone was the grinning, bubbly pop princess.
This Eliza was ice.
Still, silent, judgmental.
And probably five seconds away from standing up and walking out.
