Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Aria’s POV
Jace immediately let go of me.
“It’s nothing” he said quickly.
“That did not look like nothing! Delilah snapped, stepping into the room. “You were just holding her hand!”
My heart shot straight into my throat.
In that split second, I made a decision–if Delilah figured it out, if she realized what had once happened between me and Jace. I’d tell her the truth. I was done lying to her.
But instead, she said….
“Jace, are you giving Aria a hard time because of work stuff? That’s not fair–Grayson made that decision, not her. And she’s my friend now. I won’t let you bully her.”
1 let out a shaky breath. Relief washed over me… and a bit of disappointment too.
This thing between me and Jace–it was a ticking time bomb. The only question was when it would blow
Jace visibly relaxed too. He muttered something under his breath, probably “ridiculous,” and stormed past us, leaving the room.
Still in a bad mood.” Delilah huffed. “I guess it’s just the two of us enjoying this champagne.”
“Where are we going. Delilah?” I finally asked the one question that had been bothering me all day-
She just gave me a mysterious smile. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Two hours later, the plane finally landed. And I learned we were in a place called Silver Creek Pack, somewhere in Europe,
A sleek limo picked us up right on the runway and whisked us away to a hotel that looked more like a castle. Lined–up luxury cars sparkled at the entrance, and guests dressed in elegant designer outfits were slowly making their way inside.
“Oh, we’re right on time!” Delilah beamed, grabbing my hand and dragging me forward.
“Wait–we’re here for an event?”
“A ball! Don’t tell me you’ve never been to a ball before, Aria.”
She pulled me through an arched doorway into a massive ballroom. My jaw dropped. A golden domed ceiling, chandeliers dripping with crystal, glittering tableware, ladies in flowing gowns–it was like something out of a fairy tale. I couldn’t believe I was actually here.
“Champagne?” a server offered, stepping up to me with a silver tray.
I hesitated.
“Um.. how much is it?” I whispered.
At a place like this, I figured the price tag was gonna be insane. I wasn’t about to blow my entire paycheck on a glass of bubbly.
That’s when I heard laughter–loud, mocking laughter.
A group of young people pushed through the crowd and came straight toward us.
“Oh my God, Delilah, where’d you find this mega maid?” one of the girls sneered. “She looks so cheap she’s making you look tacky.”
“How much is it?” a guy mimicked me in a high–pitched voice. “That’s the most embarrassing thing I’ve heard all night. If she were my omega, I’d whip her.”
My face burned with shame.
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Chapter 20.
“Rack the hell off,” Delilah said coldly. “Aria’s not an omega. She’s my friend. Now get lost before I pour this whole tray of champagne. on your heads,”
The group scowled and made a few rude faces before finally walking off, laughing to themselves.
“Assholes,” Delilah muttered, then handed me a glass of champagne. “Here. And for the record, everything here is free.
But 1 already felt incredibly uncomfortable,
It reminded me of Jace’s wedding all over again–that feeling of not belonging. Like I was a pebble tossed into a pile of diamonds.
“Maybe you should stay.” I murmured to Delilah. “But if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to leave.”
She looked shocked. “Leave? We just got here! And you’re all dressed up! Come on, the ball’s about to start. We’re here to have fun.”
“I don’t know how to dance. I don’t think I’m gonna have much fun.”
“Oh, but you will. Trust me. Just stay a little longer–you’ll see. I’ve got a huge surprise planned for you.”
A… surprise?
frowned.
If there’s one thing I didn’t need tonight, it was surprises,
I just wanted peace and quiet.
“Thank you, Delilah, really. But I just want to find a quiet place to sit down.”
“But—”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, she’s a total buzzkill.” Jace’s gruff voice cut in as he stomped over. “Let her do whatever. Delilah, come on–we’re dancing.”
He grabbed her hand and dragged her off in the opposite direction. Delilah gave me a helpless look over her shoulder and mouthed, “Stay here.”
I sighed and looked around. Everyone else was chatting in little groups, sipping drinks, laughing. A few people were giving me not–so- subtle side glances.
I told myself I’d stay five more minutes. Then I’d get the hell out of here.
“Hey, were you kidnapped or something?” someone said beside me.
I turned. A tall guy with fiery red hair and icy blue eyes was standing there. He was ridiculously good–looking
“Something like that,” I uttered.
He shrugged. “Samne,”
Then he held out his hand. “Dance?”
“Uh, I don’t dance.”
“Pretty girls standing alone at balls look stiff, no
o matter how pretty they are,” he said sharply, then turned and walked off to another girl. She giggled and eagerly accepted.
I sighed.
This place.. the people… the atmosphere.. it all made my skin crawl.
Just as I was setting my glass down, ready to quietly slip away, the music changed. The ballroom lights dimmed.
All at once, conversations stopped. People turned, looking in one direction like something–someone–important had just entered.
I followed their gaze automatically.
A tall figure was walking into the ballroom.
Chapter 20
He wore a black tuxedo. His broad shoulders, lean frame, and calm confidence made him look like he owned the entire world. The crowd in the center parted wordlessly, bowing their heads and stepping aside without needing to be told.
Like he was royalty.
The chandeliers cast light into his gray eyes–eyes that looked like they held whole galaxies.
I inhaled sharply as the girls around me gasped in whispers:
“Oh my God… it’s Alpha Grayson!”
“What’s he doing here? I thought he never showed up to these kinds of events.”
“Do you think he’d dance with me if I asked?”
Grayson’s presence was electric.
Every woman in the room seemed to gravitate toward him like moths to flame.
He stood there for a moment, calmly adjusting his cuff. And then, suddenly, he lifted his gaze-
And our eyes locked across the ballroom.
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. He raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.
Then
He started to cross the dancefloor
“Oh my God, he’s coming over,” a girl next to me gasped breathlessly. “Is he… is he going to ask me to dance? I think I’m go
“Maybe it’s me,” her friend squealed.
No.
It wasn’t either of them.
His eyes never left mine. I knew exactly who he was walking toward
He was coming for me.
gonna faint.”
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