Chapter 105
Chapter 105:
Elara’s gaze dropped to my feet, then swept over my plain, worn-out blouse. Her sharp expression softened into something resembling respect.
“No,” she decided, stabbing a cherry tomato with her fork. “It looks like Gavin is a lying coward who got scared by a girl with a backbone.” She offered me a small, conspiratorial smile. “I never liked him. He has the leadership skills of a wet napkin p>
I blinked, stunned. “You… you believe me p>
“I have eyes, Adella,” she said. “And I know a survivor when I see one. Come on.” She stood up, tossing her unopened salad into the trash.
“Where are we going p>
“Lunch. Real lunch. If you’re going to be the subject of office gossip, you might as well give them something worth talking about. And you can’t conquer the world on stale bread p>
Twenty minutes later, I was seated in a booth at The Ivy — a restaurant I had only ever walked past. The air smelled of roasted garlic, expensive steak, and the underlying metallic tang of high-ranking wolves. It was a place for Alphas and Betas. Not for me.
But Elara navigated the room like a queen, ordering for both of us. For the first time in years, I felt a flicker of something close to normalcy. I wasn’t a victim or a burden — I was just a girl having lunch with a friend.
𝖢𝘩𝗶𝘯𝖾sе 𝗇о𝘷𝗲lѕ 𝗍raո𝘴l𝘢𝘵𝘦𝖽 o𝘯
“So,” Elara said, leaning forward, “tell me about the Alpha King. Is he as terrifying as they say p>
Before I could answer, a shadow fell over our table, blocking out the warm ambient light.
The scent hit me first — sandalwood, expensive cologne, and the sour, rotting undertone of desperation. My stomach turned.
“I didn’t know they let strays eat here,” a voice sneered.
I froze. Slowly, I looked up into the cold, dead eyes of Braydon Hyde.
He was standing too close, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of our table. He wasn’t looking at Elara — his predator’s gaze was fixed entirely on me.
“Braydon,” I breathed, the old fear clawing at my throat.
“I didn’t know you could afford this place, Adella,” he said, his voice dripping with venom. “Who’s paying? Or are you running a tab you can’t cover, just like you did with my family’s generosity p>
“Excuse me,” Elara interjected, her voice icy. “We are having a private conversation. You can leave p>
Braydon didn’t even glance at her. To him, she was a gnat to be swatted away. He leaned down, invading my space, trapping me between the booth and his looming body. His presence was suffocating — a heavy blanket of malice.
“We need to talk,” he commanded.
“I have nothing to say to you,” I said, my voice trembling but firm. I channeled the memory of Dallas in the kitchen — his strength, his certainty. “Go away, Braydon p>
His eyes narrowed. He lowered his head until his lips were inches from my ear, his breath hot against my skin.