Free Web NovelChapter 72: Chapter 72 I Win
Author’s POV
The entire front of Caesar’s chest was soaked, his pristine white shirt now clinging to the defined muscles beneath. The sound of the tray clattering to the floor echoed through the ballroom, drawing all eyes to them.
"I’m so sorry, sir! It wasn’t intentional. Are you alright? I truly apologize," the server stammered, panic evident in his voice.
Before Sylvia could even speak, Selene swooped in like a hawk circling wounded prey. Her eyes glinted with malicious satisfaction as she tore into the poor server.
"What kind of service is this? You can’t even carry drinks properly?" she snapped, her voice loaded with venom. "Do you want to lose your bonus this month? Who’s your manager?"
This wasn’t random - this was another one of Selene’s carefully orchestrated "accidents." First her dress, now her mate. She could feel her Alpha nature fighting to surface, demanding she put Selene in her place.
"That’s enough, sister," Sylvia said, keeping her voice measured despite the rage boiling inside her. Her bond with Caesar hummed with tension. "What good does going off on him do? What’s done is done."
Selene smacked her forehead in mock realization, her performance so transparent Sylvia wondered how anyone could buy it. "You’re right, dear sister. I’ll take your husband to change clothes. Hugo brought extra. You wouldn’t mind wearing his, would you?"
She looked Caesar up and down with thinly veiled contempt. "I’m sure you wouldn’t mind. Hugo’s clothes are top-shelf, certainly better than what you’re wearing now."
Stay cool, Sylvia. This is exactly what she wants - to make you blow up in front of everyone.
Caesar’s expression turned arctic as he regarded Selene’s fake concern. He glanced down at his suit jacket, and without hesitation, removed it in one fluid motion that showcased the powerful shoulders beneath his wet shirt.
"No need," he said. "I don’t wear clothes that have been handled by trash."
Sylvia couldn’t help it - a laugh slipped out.
Hugo, who had followed Selene like a loyal puppy, bristled at Caesar’s dismissal. "What’s that supposed to mean? You’ve probably never seen clothes of this quality before."
"With those knockoff brands you’re wearing, you have the nerve to attend this reception?" Hugo sneered, examining Caesar’s attire with contempt. His eyes lingered on the simple "F" embroidery on Caesar’s trousers - not recognizing the mark of Fenrir, the most exclusive werewolf designer in the world, whose pieces were available only to pack leaders of the highest status.
Sylvia saw the dangerous amusement in Caesar’s eyes as he raised an eyebrow.
Before Caesar could respond, Sylvia’s protective instincts flared. "Mind your own damn business," she snapped, letting a hint of her Alpha voice slip through. "My husband doesn’t wear hand-me-downs. What’s your problem? Clothes are just for covering yourself, but you - even the finest suit can’t hide your rotten personality."
She turned her glare to Selene, letting her see the predator she’d hidden for years. She’d known Selene was cooking something up the moment she approached. If Caesar had gone with her to change, God only knows what "accident" would have happened to him next.
"Sister," she said, driving the word home with cold precision, "everyone is watching. This is the last time I’ll warn you not to push me. Like earlier - why were the threads loosening on my previous gown?"
She stared her down, her wolf eyes momentarily flashing gold beneath her human disguise. "I think you know exactly why, don’t you?"
"I..." Selene’s gaze darted around, unable to meet hers. She hadn’t expected Sylvia to notice her sabotage, much less call her out publicly on it.
Sylvia could feel Caesar’s pride through their bond, his wolf appreciating her tactical move. He’d realized earlier when she spilled wine on herself that she’d detected something wrong with the dress Selene had "helpfully" provided.
Hugo recognized the server who’d spilled the drink - the same one who’d been huddled with Selene earlier. She watched understanding hit him like a brick. His fiancée wasn’t the sweet, demure she-wolf everyone believed her to be.
Selene’s guilty expression told the whole story. The pack members began whispering among themselves.
"I may envy Sylvia’s position, but her family is a nest of vipers," Lily murmured to her colleague nearby.
"Can you imagine having a sister who constantly tries to sabotage you?"
"Messing with a woman’s dress could have ruined her reputation completely!"
"Why would blood sisters be at each other’s throats like this?"
Everyone was trashing Selene, shocked by her cruelty. If she’d sabotage her sister’s clothing, what else might she pull?
Selene began shaking her head, her voice small and pitiful. "No, it’s not true... I didn’t do it. Sylvia is lying, she’s doing this on purpose..."
Her weak protests fell flat. She’d even dropped the "sister" act, her mask slipping away.
"ENOUGH!"
Alpha Astra emerged from the crowd, her commanding presence shutting everyone up instantly. Her eyes were ice-cold as she assessed Selene, and Sylvia saw a flicker of realization cross her mother’s face.
Sylvia’s heart raced with cautious hope. She’d practically laid out all the evidence. Would Astra finally see through Selene’s act? With so many witnesses, even her mother’s favoritism would be hard to justify.
Astra fixed Selene with a bone-chilling stare that made the other woman physically recoil. Selene stumbled toward the Alpha, desperation in every movement.
"Mother, it’s not me, I would never hurt my sister!" she pleaded, grabbing Astra’s arm. "I understand how important events like this are."
Sylvia watched Selene completely transform before her eyes - eyes reddened, nose flushed with emotion, clinging to Astra like a fragile, broken doll. It was her most Oscar-worthy performance yet - the wounded, misunderstood daughter. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Astra closed her eyes briefly, then spoke in a voice that cut like a blade, "Security, escort Ms. Frost downstairs to rest."
"I don’t want to hear another word about this incident today. You’re clearly not well - stay home and recover. Don’t show your face again."
