Chapter 195

Yenick’s hand had barely lowered when the sound of that slap echoed through the hall. It was sharp. Clean. Final.

For a brief second, my mind felt strangely clear like cold wind sweeping through a suffocating room.

No one paid attention to me. All eyes were glued to the storm at the altar.

I reached for a glass of wine.

Before it touched my lips, a long, familiar hand intercepted it.

“Elena p>

Lewis’s voice was calm, but there was that quiet Alpha firmness beneath it.

He patted my head lightly. “Be good. Drink at home p>

He replaced the wine with a glass of orange juice.

“Drink this p>

I sighed dramatically. “Fine p>

He didn’t stop there. A small pile of sunflower seeds appeared in my palm.

“For entertainment,” he murmured.

I couldn’t help laughing.

Even in chaos, he knew exactly what I needed. A front-row seat and snacks.

While we shared that small, peaceful moment, the other side of the hall turned into a battlefield.

Yenick’s composure shattered completely.

I had sensed his unstable temper before. He always masked it under polite smiles and calculated charm. Lincy had once been the reason he kept it under control.

But now?

The mask was gone.

Two more heavy slaps landed on Camilla’s face. The sound made a few guests flinch.

Camilla stumbled back, blood instantly blooming beneath her nose.

Silas moved instinctively, stepping forward.

Then he stopped.

If he interfered, he would expose himself.

His jaw tightened. His fists clenched at his sides. He watched as the woman he risked everything for was struck in front of the entire pack.

The Morrigans reacted quickly.

Greg and Jake rushed in to pull Yenick back. Malcom dragged Camilla aside.

Kate wasn’t here today. Probably locked away from public view.

They couldn’t afford to lose the child Camilla carried. Not with a Grantion-dollar alliance hanging in the balance.

“Yenick, calm down!” Greg shouted. “It’s just a video. It could be fabricated. Anyone can create convincing footage now. You’re hitting her without solid proof p>

The Hudson elders looked uneasy.

If Camilla had been caught with someone powerful, someone charming or high-ranking, it might have made sense.

But Silas?

Other than being tall and broad-shouldered, he had no visible status. No influence. No charm that matched Camilla’s ambition.

Suspicion began to creep in.

AI editing. Deepfakes. Manipulation.

Without catching her in the act, how could anyone confirm anything?

Camilla wiped blood from her mouth.

Tears mixed with red streaks on her cheeks, making her look fragile almost pitiful.

But I knew better.

She turned to Lincy, eyes sharp despite the injury.

“Ms. Ashbourne,” Camilla asked coldly, “did you record that video p>

“Of course I did!” Lincy snapped back.

Camilla tilted her head slightly.

“When?” she pressed. “Where p>

Lincy hesitated.

Just for a heartbeat.

Camilla saw it.

Only I had prepared for this. When I sent the evidence, I made sure the date and location were clear.

Lincy swallowed and answered quickly, “December 28th. Ashbourne Fun Fair p>

Camilla smiled.

“On the night of December 28th,” she said slowly, “I was at the hospital visiting my grandmother with my family. The surveillance cameras can confirm it. How could I be at the Fun Fair at the same time p>

The Morrigans immediately backed her.

“Yes, we were all there,” Greg insisted. “We visited our mother that night. Ms. Ashbourne, fabricating lies like this is disgraceful p>

Murmurs spread again.

The energy shifted.

Lincy’s confidence cracked.

She wasn’t built for long battles. She fought with emotion, not strategy.

Camilla regained control quickly.

She straightened her back despite the swelling on her face.

“Ms. Ashbourne,” she continued smoothly, “if you’re going to accuse me, at least choose a believable story p>

The crowd’s instinct began turning again.

But I stayed still.

Lincy was brave, but she was walking straight into Camilla’s snare.

I calmly set my orange juice down and spoke in an easy tone, as if I were only making conversation.

“That’s true,” I said. “On the 28th, the Morrigan family had a car accident. Mr. Morrigan surely remembers that. Lincy, don’t make careless accusations that could ruin Ms. Morrigan’s bond p>

My words were light, but they carried just enough weight to shift the air.

Lincy blinked, then suddenly seemed to wake up.

“Right!” she shouted. “But Camilla wasn’t with the Morrigan family the whole time during that accident. Can you prove she stayed with you the entire night p>

She turned sharply to Yenick.

“Yenick, do you even remember what time she came home that night p>

Yenick froze.

Of course he didn’t.

He had been out chasing his own pleasures, moving like a careless Beta who thought he was untouchable. That was exactly why Camilla had dared to slip away that night.

The room went quiet.

Lincy was pushing, but she was also getting closer to Camilla’s escape route. If someone from Camilla’s side stepped forward and swore she had been there all night, the whole thing could collapse.

Before the tension thickened further, Lewis’s voice cut through the hall.

“It’s simple,” he said. “Whether the video is edited or real, we can check the Fun Fair’s surveillance footage p>

The words settled like law.

No one argued.

Fiona quickly nodded. “Yes. That’s the most reasonable solution. Mr. Lewis, we’ll have to trouble you p>

“It’s no trouble,” Lewis replied smoothly. “Given the seriousness of the accusation, I wouldn’t want Ms. Morrigan’s reputation stained unfairly. It’s a small matter p>

His tone was neutral, but I felt the shift in the room.

When Lewis spoke, people listened.

Theo stepped forward and pretended to make calls, tapping on his phone with professional focus.

I almost smiled.

He probably had the footage ready long before today. He had just been waiting for the right moment to let the pack see the truth.

And then

The big screen flickered again.

This time, no blurry angles. No questionable edits.

Clear surveillance footage.

Under bright carnival lights, Camilla and Silas walked side by side through the Fun Fair. Laughing. Close. Too close.

Minutes later, they were seen getting into the same car.

Together.

The hall fell into a stunned silence.

Then the murmurs began.

“So it was real p>

“She looked so innocent p>

“She rejected the Hudson heir for a servant? What is she even thinking p>

“If I were Mr. Hudson, I’d lose my mind p>

The whispers spread like a winter storm across the pack.

I watched Camilla’s face carefully.

For a second, just a second, I saw it.

Fear.

It reminded me of my own wedding day.

When Julian ran.

When I stood alone while the crowd stared at me.

Some pitied me. Some questioned me. Some wondered what I had done wrong to lose my mate.

The judgment felt like claws scraping across my skin. Every stare. Every whisper.

It had been suffocating.

Now, the same storm circled Camilla.

Only this time, it was colder. Sharper.

Did she feel even a fraction of what I felt back then?

Yenick’s eyes turned red. His jaw tightened, muscles straining beneath his suit.

He looked ready to explode.

But before he could move, Lincy spoke again.

“Yenick,” she said slowly, almost cruelly calm. “If you think that’s bad, don’t lose control yet. You might faint when you hear the rest p>

Yenick shot her a furious look. “Do you think this is funny p>

Lincy shook her head.

“No. It’s not funny. It’s disgusting p>

She pointed at Camilla.

“Her cheating is nothing compared to the lie about the baby p>

The entire hall went silent again.

Even the air seemed to stop moving.

“She lied to all of you,” Lincy continued, her voice steady now. “The child in her stomach is already three months along p>

Yenick stiffened.

“And it’s not yours p>