Chapter 87
Chapter 87:
With a single nod, he stepped back and let me go. I walked out the door, the weight of the red lipstick heavy in my hand — unaware that I was marching into a trap that had already been set.
The headquarters of S&D Design was a monolith of glass and steel that seemed to pierce the very sky. Standing at its base, clutching my portfolio to my chest, I felt like an ant preparing to scale a mountain.
I caught my reflection in the sliding glass doors. The navy dress was modest, blending into the corporate grayness — but my lips were a slash of defiant crimson. Red is the color of war, Dallas had said. I took a deep breath, channeled the memory of his heat and his strength, and stepped into the lobby.
The air inside was conditioned to a sterile chill. The lobby was cavernous, the polished marble floors echoing the click of my heels like gunshots. I approached the reception desk, where a woman with perfectly coiffed blonde hair was typing furiously.
“Name?” she asked without looking up.
“Adella Everett. I have an interview with Mr. Stout at ten p>
She paused, her manicured finger hovering over the mouse. She clicked a few times, her frown deepening. “I don’t see an Adella Everett on the schedule p>
My stomach dropped. “That can’t be right. I received the confirmation email two days ago p>
“Well, you aren’t here.” She finally looked up, her eyes scanning me with a mixture of boredom and pity. “Maybe you got the wrong day p>
“I didn’t,” I insisted, my voice rising slightly. “Please — can you check again p>
“There is no need to check again p>
𝘙𝗲a𝖽 𝘁𝘩𝖾 𝘭𝘢𝗍𝖾𝗌t t𝗿𝖾𝗻𝖽𝘴 𝗼𝘯
The voice came from behind me, oily and smug. I turned to see a man approaching — short, with thinning hair slicked back with too much gel, wearing a suit a shade too shiny. The scent of cloying, artificial musk rolled off him in waves.
Gavin Stout.
“Mr. Stout,” I said, forcing a polite smile. “I’m Adella. We spoke on the phone. There seems to be a mix-up with the schedule p>
“There is no mix-up, Ms. Everett,” Gavin said, his voice loud enough to carry across the quiet lobby. Heads turned. Employees paused near the elevators. He was performing. “We simply removed your appointment from the system p>
“Removed it? Why p>
He chuckled — a wet, dismissive sound. “S&D Design is a prestigious firm, Ms. Everett. We cater to the elite of the werewolf world. We cannot have our brand tarnished by association.” He looked me up and down, his lip curling. “Your public image is, frankly, a mess. The Hyde Pack disaster? The runaway wolfless bride p>
The blood drained from my face. The words hit me like a slap — not because they were true, but because they were such a twisted version of the truth. I had never run from any wedding. Braydon was the one who had rejected me in front of the entire Pack, chosen Katherine, and left me standing alone. But lies traveled faster than truth in this world, and Braydon had clearly been busy rewriting history.
The armor Dallas had given me felt suddenly thin, brittle.