Chapter 298
Cecilia’s pov
The room fell into stunned silence.
Maggie Locke stood frozen, her spine rod-straight, eyes narrowing with murderous intent as the truth hit her.
Her fingers twitched at her sides, like she was holding back the urge to lash out. Her carefully controlled expression cracked just enough to show the fury boiling underneath.
Cecilia burst into laughter, the kind that bubbles up when everything is just too ridiculous to take seriously. Her shoulders shook with amusement.
“Well, that didn’t go according to script,” she said between chuckles. “We might need a do-over p>
Maggie’s head whipped toward Sebastian. Her jaw clenched so tightly it looked like she might crack a molar.
Sebastian, however, didn’t flinch.
He stared back at her with the cool detachment of someone skimming a quarterly report.
“Sincerity is repeatable, isn’t it?” he said, voice calm and clinical.
Maggie’s polished act was slipping hard. Her smile faltered, her shoulders tensed.
Even the best manipulators can’t hold their masks forever, and hers was seconds from shattering.
Alpha Sebastian,” she said slowly, each syllable laced with venom. “Don’t test me p>
Her voice dropped into something low and dangerous, like a threat wrapped in silk.
The room seemed to shrink around her. Even the air felt heavier, tighter.
She took a single step forward, boots clicking like a warning shot.
Her eyes locked onto Sebastian’ s, and for a second, the temperature seemed to drop.
Across the room, no one spoke. Even the staff stood frozen, unsure whether to breathe or bolt.
Then Zaria’s voice cut through like a blade dipped in sunshine.
“Mrs. Locke, why so tense?” she asked brightly, with the kind of smile that said she knew exactly what she was doing. “I’ve been recording this whole thing p>
She held up her phone, screen glowing, her expression still sweet. But her eyes were flat, and her smile didn’t quite reach them.
The color drained from Maggie’s face, leaving her skin the shade of spoiled milk.
Sebastian gave a long, theatrical sigh.
“Still not quite hitting the sincerity mark,” he murmured, then gestured casually for security to escort Maggie and her family out.
Maggie stiffened, her face twisting in disbelief as the reality sank in.
Poppy stepped closer to Maggie, her posture stiff with disdain. “Losing to pups now? You really are slipping p>
Her voice dripped with venom, but her eyes stayed locked on Maggie’s every move, like she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or duck.
Maggie’s smile went ice-cold. “Poppy, darling,” she said in a purr that could freeze blood, “would you like a reminder of just how… effective I can still be p>
The threat in her voice wasn’t loud, but it was unmistakable.
For a second, Poppy looked unsure. Her shoulders stiffened, and her mouth opened slightly like she wanted to respond.But nothing came out.
Fear flashed across her face before she turned away, choosing silence over defiance.
“That was a bit much, Maggie,” Liora said, stepping forward, her voice uncertain. She blinked rapidly, clearly not picking up on the tension in the room.
The sound of the slap echoed like a gunshot.
Maggie had struck her without so much as a twitch in her smile.
It was fast, brutal, and surgical.
Liora staggered, clutching her cheek in disbelief as a red handprint bloomed across her skin.
Her eyes welled with tears, not just from the pain but from the sheer shock.
Maggie leaned in, voice low and chilling. “No need to rush. Play the poor victim for our mother. She already knows I crashed this little meeting. Now she’ll push harder to get what we want p>
Her gaze sharpened. “Don’t worry about Cecilia. I’ll clear that problem for you p>
She straightened, adjusting the cuff of her blazer like nothing had happened.
Liora stood there, stunned and silent, her hand still pressed to her burning cheek.
Maggie didn’t look back as she walked out of the room.
Her boots clicked sharply against the tile.
“What did she mean by that?” Liora asked, voice small.
She turned to Poppy like a child seeking comfort, but there was none to be found.
Poppy didn’t miss a beat. “Your peanut brain wouldn’t get it if I drew you a diagram,” she snapped, then swept out after her.
She didn’t even glance at Liora.
Liora’s already red face turned crimson with shame.
After the explosive confrontation, Sebastian wasn’t interested in dragging things out. He offered a curt goodbye and told the staff to escort everyone to the cable car station.
Xavier and Luna Dora quietly joined the departing group.
Cecilia didn’t even glance their way. She was emotionally fried. The last thing she needed was another awkward interaction.
Luna Regina, oddly enough, seemed unusually upbeat. Her gaze caught Luna Dora’s across the crowd.
The two women exchanged the kind of stiff nods that only happen when you’ve shared something traumatic but aren’t sure if you’re supposed to acknowledge it.
Yvonne, sensing a perfect opportunity for chaos, strolled up beside Luna Regina.
“You know,” she said with mock innocence, “doesn’t Luna Dora look familiar? Pretty sure you two have met before. Actually talked, even p>
Luna Regina blinked.
“How would you know that p>
The question grabbed a few ears nearby, though no one stopped walking. Dora drifted closer, curiosity piqued.
Yvonne tapped her own chest with a grin.
“I was the one in the pink dress. Harper wore blue. Cece had green. And you two? You were the crying messes who insisted on trailing us during that whole… incident p>
Recognition hit both women like a slap halfway through the recap.
They didn’t speak. Didn’t even pretend to smile.
“To be honest,” Yvonne went on, her tone chipper and cruel, “I didn’t even want to help you. Who stops for strangers in a situation like that? I told Cecilia no one gets rewarded for being the good guy p>
She tilted her head, smile sharp as glass.
“But she insisted. Made sure you got out first, remember? Funny how kindness never holds up next to bloodlines and politics. Doesn’t really count for much, does it p>
Her words hit like open-handed slaps wrapped in sugar.
Luna Regina’s face flushed deep red.