Chapter 145

Chapter 145:

Kade made it clear he didn’t want to discuss Ryder, and his silence only fed my growing sense of despair. I hated that my thoughts always seemed to drift back to Ryder. Every detail, every tiny reminder of him, felt like a thorn in my side, a wound I couldn’t heal.

Thankfully, my friend at work had been there to distract me. She talked to me about everything and anything, keeping me in the loop about the goings-on around the pack. Today, she mentioned something that stopped me cold.

“Did you hear about the upcoming ball?” she asked, her eyes alight with excitement. She started to chatter about her dress, about the preparations, about everything she was planning as the Alpha’s lady.

A ball? Since when was there a ball? I masked my surprise with a shrug, pretending it was just another detail I was mulling over. “I’m still deciding if I’ll go,” I lied smoothly, though my heart thudded painfully against my ribs. Ryder hadn’t told me a single thing. Not a word about any ball. Maybe he planned to go without me, a new hurt I wasn’t prepared to acknowledge.

The day wound to a close, and as I waited for Kade to show up, I found myself feeling more alone than ever. But when the time came, there was no sign of him. The store was empty, and I began to gather my things, ready to walk home on my own.

Just then, Isabelle and her little entourage swept into the gallery, their heels clicking against the tile like a pack of vultures circling their prey. I knew that look in her eyes. She was here to make trouble, and frankly, I was too tired to play along. My patience was hanging by a thread.

“Jasmine,” Isabelle sneered, eyeing me as if I were an insect she could squash with her heel. “I need an art piece for my room. Something refined, not that cheap junk you usually sell p>

“We’re closed, Isabelle,” I replied, gesturing toward the “Closed” sign on the door. “If you’re so desperate for something, come back during business hours p>

Her eyes narrowed, lips twisting into a mocking smile. “Closed, are you? How convenient. But I suppose that’s fitting since you’ll be out of a job soon enough p>

My jaw tightened. I’d dealt with her insults before, but today, they struck deeper. I held my ground, refusing to give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d gotten to me.

ɯoɔ.slǝʌou˥ɐƃ uo sǝɐsǝɹ lɐıɔıɟɟo

“Oh, don’t give me that look, Jasmine,” she purred. “It’s pathetic, really. But I guess you’re used to that by now. Ryder’s back where he belongs—back in my bed.” She leaned in, her words like venom dripping from her tongue. “And soon, you’ll be nothing more than a distant memory p>

A flash of heat surged through me, my imagination traitorously conjuring images of Ryder holding Isabelle, touching her the way he used to touch me. The thought alone made my skin crawl, but I clenched my fists, determined to keep my composure. Isabelle fed off reactions; that was her game. I wouldn’t give her the pleasure.

I took a step back, ready to walk away, but her voice rang out, sharp and taunting. “Oh, Jasmine! Don’t rush off so quickly. Didn’t you know? Ryder and I will be together at the ball, and you’ll be there too… as my little servant. You’ll get to watch me at his side, wearing everything you’ll never have p>

The words echoed in my mind, sinking in like icy shards. My throat tightened as I fought to keep my face neutral. All I wanted to do was leave, to escape her poisonous words, but I could feel my resolve slipping. Isabelle’s smug expression told me she knew it, too.

I glanced down, hoping the gesture would mask the storm brewing inside me. A strange calm washed over me, like the eye of a hurricane just before it unleashed chaos. I took a slow, deliberate breath and finally looked up, meeting her gaze with all the strength I could muster.

“You enjoy it while you can, Isabelle,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, laced with the steel edge of defiance. “Because you’ll never know what it’s like to be anything more than a placeholder p>

For a split second, the mask of superiority on her face faltered, and I saw something raw flash in her eyes. Rage. But I didn’t wait around to see her reaction. I turned on my heel and walked away, my pulse racing, my mind spinning with everything left unspoken. Ryder had never said he’d moved on, but Isabelle’s words still echoed in my head. Each step I took felt heavier, my heart a mix of hurt, anger, and fierce determination.