Chapter 785
Judy’s POV
For a heartbeat, the world stopped moving. The orchestra kept playing–violins humming, couples still spinning under the chandelier–but to me, everything had gone hollow. This was the reason we had come here… the moment of truth. I could practically hear her heart breaking before I looked at her face. All the color had drained from her, and she took an unsteady step back.
Everything happened so fast after that.
Irene’s glass slipped from her hand and shattered against the marble floor. The sound sliced through the music like thunder. Heads turned, and then the whispers followed.
Chuck, of course, noticed.
His head swiveled around, and when he caught sight of Irene, who was unable to pull her gaze from his, his eyes widened in shock. Clarissa stood by his side, her eyes also finding Irene, and I could see the confusion on her face even before her brows pinched together.
I wanted ot reach out to Irene and pull her into my arms. I wanted to tell her how sorry I was for Chuck being such a snake. But I was frozen… I knew that nothing I said could make anything better.
“What the actual fuck?” Gavin said through his teeth. “This better not be what it looks like.”
He was angry, and I couldn’t blame him for that. He was seeing his daughter mate with another woman, his hand possessively on the small of her back as if he had the right to touch another woman in that kind of way. Both of them still looked intimately close even after Chuck was just caught.
It was like he didn’t want Clarissa to know of his deception.
If what Tabby was saying was true, that meant Clarissa wasn’t the other woman… Irene was.
I felt sick to my stomach at the thought.
Chuck then turned towards Clarissa, who was still staring between the two with a furrowed crease between her
brows.
“Hey, babe, can you go get us some drinks?” he whispered. I knew he was trying to keep his voice low enough for her ears only, but I still heard him just the same, and Irene probably did too. Her senses were higher than a normal werewolf’s, considering she had Lycan blood running through her veins and all.
Clarissa’s forehead creased, and for a moment, I thought she was going to deny him, but then she let out a breath and nodded.
“Okay,” she whispered back before she stood on her toes, pressing a kiss to his lips.
Chuck tensed at the motion, and Irene let out a choked sob, closing her eyes as if the mere sight of them together brought her physical pain. Which I’m sure it did… her wolf was most likely in agony right now, and I hated that for her.
Clarissa took off in the midst of the crowd, and once she was out of sight, Chuck turned ot look at Irene. His
earlier fear was completely wiped, and now he just looked pathetic and panicked.
“Irene…” he started, stepping towards her, but she stepped back, needing that distance between the two. Gavin took a protective stance beside his daughter and let out a guttural growl of warning. Chuck flinched at the sound, but his eyes never left Irene’s. “I can explain… It’s not what you think.”
I wanted to laugh, “It’s not what you think?” Is that what all guys who were caught cheating say?
Irene had no words, and I knew from the way her eyes darted around that she was looking for a nearby exit. She wanted to leave, and I couldn’t blame her for that.
Chuck stepped closer as he said, “Please, let me explain. Let’s go somewhere and talk.”
Gavin stepped in front of Irene protectively, shielding her from Chuck.
I hadn’t noticed that the ball was starting to become quieter as more people noticed the stand–off.
Chuck’s focus switched to Gavin, and though it was clear he was terrified, he kept his back straight and his head held high.
“Please, Sir. This isn’t how it seemed. I had been with Clarissa for a couple of years, and I plan to end things so I can be with your daughter… I just hadn’t found the right moment yet and-”
A guttural growl came from somewhere other than Gavin, and I whipped around to see Erik stalking towards us. His eyes blazing with fury as he zeroed in on Chuck. Now most of the ball was paying attention to what was happening, and I felt my cheeks burning. I knew this wasn’t what Irene wanted, and I had to get her out of here.
“What is going on here?” Jeremy asked, walking towards us, his brows furrowed as he took in the scene.
“You fucking asshole!” Erik growled; he was having trouble containing his wolf, that much was clear. “You never deserved her!”
“Erik, that’s enough. We didn’t come here to fight,” Gavin said, his eyes never leaving Chuck. He was furious, but he was more in control and better at hiding it.
Sara is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.