Chapter 220 One Dinner, Too Many Truths

Arianna gave Skylar a warm smile when he walked in. He returned it briefly, lifting a hand in a casual wave before acting like she was just another person at the table. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and started opening the appetizers spread across the table.

“Shall we?” he said with an easy grin, eyes already on the food.

“Sure,” Arianna answered, flashing a bright smile. Ken’s gaze flicked toward her for a moment before he looked away again.

Skylar leaned back slightly, still focused on the dishes. “So, how’s your sibling?” Arianna asked.

“She’s fine. Send her regards,” he replied without looking up.

“Has she graduated yet?” she continued.

“Not yet,” he said flatly.

Lyn watched him for a second longer than she meant to. He still wasn’t meeting anyone’s eyes.

“Liora graduates next winter,” Skylar added, breaking a piece of food apart as he spoke. “She’ll be joining us at the company. Father wants her as chief financial officer.”

A small chuckle passed around the table, and the conversation drifted into quiet eating.

Later, Vireya came in carrying the dessert tray.

She stepped forward, but her grip slipped.

The plate hit the floor and shattered, dessert spilling across the tiles.

For a second, she just stood there.

Then she turned and walked out fast, disappearing through the doorway.

Lyn’s eyes followed her. She leaned slightly, thinking she was going for cleaning materials.

Skylar didn’t look up from the table.

“She never drops things,” he said quietly.

“Call one of your male housekeepers to clean this,” Skylar said, glancing around the mess. “As long as I’m here, Vireya won’t be coming back in here again.”

“Why?” Lyn asked, tilting her head.

Skylar only smirked. “Long story.”

Lyn didn’t press. She picked up her device and made the call.

A few minutes later, one of the male housekeepers came in and got to work. Lyn watched for a moment, then turned away and headed toward the cookhouse.

It was empty.

No sign of Vireya.

She stood there a second longer, then turned back toward the feeding chamber with a fresh dessert in hand, her brows slightly drawn as she set it down. Her eyes lingered toward the hallway again, still thinking about how quickly Vireya had disappeared.

Ken leaned back in his seat, watching Skylar. “So… have you been promoted, or are you still in marketing?”

He leaned back, eyes fixed, a slow nod forming.

“Now you’re asking the right question.”

He wiped his fingers on a napkin without looking up. “Got promoted last week. Chief Operating Officer now.”

Arianna’s eyes lit up. She leaned forward a little, smiling too fast. “Wow… that calls for a celebration. You’re taking us out?”

“Us?” Skylar repeated, finally glancing around the table. His gaze paused on Brooklyn, who was calmly eating her dessert like she wasn’t part of the conversation.

“I was invited to dinner by my cousin’s mate. Arianna Grant, who even invited you here?”

He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing as a slow smile tugged at his mouth.

“This is my moonmate’s house,” she said, glancing around the chamber. “I don’t need an invitation to show up.”

He looked back at Lyn. “Your mate’s ex is here. You know that, right?”

Lyn met his eyes, calm and steady. “I know. She’s our moonmate now.”

Arianna’s smile tightened, but she kept it in place.

“Whose moonmate exactly?” Skylar asked, still watching her.

“Him.” Lyn nodded toward Ken, then took a slow bite of her dessert.

Skylar leaned in slightly, voice lowering. “I just want to be clear.”

He let out a short breath, a faint grin pulling at his mouth.

“He attracts the worst kind of she-wolves,” he said. “One of them even went to the clubhouse and embarrassed herself, begging barwolves to take her to bed.”

His eyes flicked away for a second, then back.

“As we’re talking right now, she’s trending online.”

“Oh really? Isn’t it better to trend for good vibes than something stupid?”

Lyn leaned back in her chair and burst out laughing.

“I told you he talks too much, didn’t I?” Ken said.

“She couldn’t even sit up,” he said, shaking his head. “Just wandering around half-naked like a lunatic.”

Arianna dropped her fork with a clatter and quickly fastened two buttons on her shirt.

Lyn glanced at her and smirked. “I didn’t even know those buttons worked.”

Arianna shot to her feet. “I hope you’re not talking about me!”

Brooklyn raised a brow. “Oh, am I? I just don’t get how you’re comfortable walking around here half-naked.”

“It’s my…”

“Your body… Nobody’s arguing with you about that,” Skylar cut in.

He dabbed his mouth with a napkin and looked at Lyn.

“Brooklyn didn’t mention your name. Did you, Lyn?”

“Nope.” Lyn smiled sweetly.

Skylar shrugged and went back to his food.

Arianna slowly sat down again. Her grip tightened around the edge of the table.

“She has no self-control and zero common sense,” Skylar said, rubbing a hand over his face. “Otherwise, she wouldn’t have packed her bags and moved in without an invitation.”

“She…”

“When are you going to see your father?” Ken asked, cutting him off.

Skylar glanced at him, a slow grin spreading across his face.

“When the uninvited guest finally goes home, I’ll go see him.”

Ken immediately reached for his drink and took a long swallow.

“Brooklyn,” Arianna burst out, pointing at Skylar, “he’s a playpup and a bully. He flirts with she-wolves, sleeps with them, and dumps them right after. He says whatever comes into his head and doesn’t care who gets hurt. He’s arrogant, annoying, and completely full of himself!”

Brooklyn turned to Skylar and studied him for a moment.

“Interesting,” she said.

“She’s right,” Skylar said, laughing. “But that doesn’t change the fact that Ken attracts the most useless she-wolf.”

Arianna shot to her feet.

“Ken is a hundred times better than you, you pup of a bitch!”

Skylar leaned back in his chair and raised a brow.

“Oh, he is now?” He smirked. “Because the last time I was fúcking you crazily in my bed, you were screaming my name and saying I was better than Ken.”

Ken and Lyn exchanged a look.

Lyn pressed her lips together and rested her head against Ken’s shoulder, trying not to laugh.

Ken folded his arms across his chest. His jaw tightened.

Arianna pointed a finger at Skylar.

“I never said you were better than him, you bloody liar! Ken has always been better than you! He’s your cousin, but you’re nothing alike. He would never stand here and say something like that. Ken respects she-wolves, and he tells the truth!”

Skylar’s smile vanished.

“You just named one thing we have in common.”

Arianna scoffed.

“We both tell the truth,” Skylar said. “The difference is why we do it. Ken tells the truth because he cares about people. I tell the truth because I don’t see any reason to lie.”

He shrugged.

“That’s still a similarity, whether you like it or not.”

“Skylar, you slept with her too?” Ken asked.

Skylar groaned and rubbed a hand over his face.

“Don’t remind me. It was a terrible experience.” He pointed at Ken. “Dude, I don’t know how you survived six winters with her.”

“You idiot!” Arianna screamed.

She snatched up a fork and hurled it at him.

Skylar jerked his head aside.

The fork flew past him and stuck into the wall.

Arianna grabbed a dirty plate.

Lyn caught her wrist before she could throw it.

“Easy,” Lyn said, pulling the plate from her hand.

Skylar stretched comfortably in his chair.

“If I were you, I’d spend less time yelling and more time figuring out why nobody wants to keep you around.”

Arianna’s face turned red.

“Ken! Say something to your cousin!”

Ken’s fingers drummed once against the table.

“Will you shut that filthy mouth of yours?” he snapped at Arianna. “Have you no shame at all? You slept with my cousin!”

Arianna lifted her chin. “No. Your cousin came after me. He’s the one who slept with me.”

“Get out of my house. Now.”

The chamber fell silent.

Ken was already on his feet.

Skylar glanced at him, then pointed toward the door.

“Well, you heard him.” He jerked his head toward the door, then looked back at Arianna. “Time to leave, uninvited guest.”

“Hey, Skylar, shut up. I’ll deal with you later,” Ken said through clenched teeth.

Before Skylar could answer, Ken seized Arianna’s arm and pulled her out of the feeding chamber. She resisted the entire way, twisting back toward Skylar and hurling insults over her shoulder while Ken dragged her down the hallway.

For a few moments, the feeding chamber fell quiet.

Then a loud thud echoed through the house.

Lyn looked up from her seat.

Another thud followed, then another.

Her eyebrows rose. She hadn’t realized Arianna had arrived with so much luggage.

“She really came prepared to stay,” she murmured.

Skylar leaned back in his chair and smirked. “Apparently.”

A few minutes later, Ken’s voice thundered from somewhere near the entrance.

“Get out!”

The next second, Arianna burst back into the feeding chamber. Her hair was disheveled, her face flushed with rage, and her finger shot straight toward Skylar.

“Skylar, I swear to the Goddess, I’m going to deal with you! My father is…”

“Hold on.” Skylar lifted a hand and cut her off before she could finish. “I don’t care who your father is. You, your father, and anyone else you want to bring into this can all go to hell.”

Arianna’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

“We’ll see about that.