Chapter 29
The Laurent family estate sat alone at the top of a private hill, like it thought it was too good to share real estate with the rest of us. The only way up was a winding mountain road that made my stomach do backflips.[]
Lately, all anyone in Skyline could talk about was the elusive Laurent heir like he was the second coming of Gatsby with better hair.
I’d heard his name so many
times
it started to feel like subliminal messaging. At this point, I had to see what all the fuss was about.[]
Traffic on the way up was a nightmare–Skyline’s elite crawling up the mountain like glittery ants in black–tinted SUVs. We weren’t
even at the top when Yvaine told the driver to pull over.
r.0
She got out first. I followed, tugging my dress down an inch–not that it helped.[]
Technically, I should’ve arrived with Ashton to sell the whole engagement thing. But he’d texted to say he’d be running late.[]
Yvaine hooked her arm through mine as we headed up the rest of the way on foot.[]
Yvair
The dress she’d picked for me was… bold. A silver slip covered in enough rhinestone fringe to double as a disco ball. Definitely not my usual vibe, but tonight wasn’t about subtlety. The thing clung to me like a second skin, sparkling even in the patchy mountain moonlight.]
And the slit? Let’s just say one wrong move and I’d be charged with public indecency. I’d paired it with a pair of silver stilettos that made my calves look deadly and my ankles like they could cut glass.
With my hair pinned up and a pearl clip at the back, I almost passed for classy. Almost.
By the time we reached the Laurent gates, I was trying not to stare but–bloody hell. Even the door was smug. Giant wrought iron monstrosity with gold accents and enough marble to pave a Greek tragedy.
Now, the Carlisles weren’t exactly paupers. Yvaine’s family practically ran Skyline’s social scene, and her brother had been expanding the family empire like Monopoly was a blood sport. Still, even she raised an eyebrow at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.[]
‘Is that… a fountain inside the gate?‘ she whistled.[]
I nodded. ‘With flamingos. Real ones.‘
We’d barely stepped into the ballroom when the crowd turned.[]
Heads swivelled. Mouths parted. Champagne flutes paused mid–air.[]
Yvaine made quite the entrance. She was in a strapless red number that hugged her like it had stock in her waistline, and I figured I didn’t look too shabby, either.[]
I scanned the room for Ashton. No sign of him. Just a sea of manicured women and Botoxed men pretending they weren’t checking each other’s net worth. I wondered which ones were Ashton’s family.[]
He’d apparently decided this circus of a party was the perfect setting for me to meet his parents for the first time. Public enough that they wouldn’t throw drinks or start interrogating me in full CIA mode. Crowded enough that any ‘nice to meet you‘ would be short, polite, and over before I had a chance to trip over someone’s surname.[]
While Yvaine and I were busy scanning the crowd, the crowd was busy scanning us.]
Women looked like they were either about to compliment us or commit a hate crime. Men stared like they were seeing cleavage for the first time.
Three Moon Stones: 1 Shattered My Alpha Mate’s Empire
14.7%
Chapter 29
‘That’s Yvaine Carlisle–Carlisle family heiress,‘ someone whispered behind me. But the one next to her? Who is that?‘
‘Mirabelle Vance,‘ someone else chimed in, sounding way too smug about it. ‘She’s marrying Rhys Granger. Wedding’s coming up soon. No wonder she’s glowing.‘]
‘Pfft, glowing my arse. Everyone knows she’s just clinging to Rhys. He doesn’t even like her. Got someone else on the side, apparently.
‘Please. Mirabelle Vance is a nobody. Even her own family doesn’t back her. She’s just some barista, right? Latching onto Rhys is the only thing she’s got going for her.“]]
The ladies were whispering like we didn’t have ears. Low voices, but not low enough. Every word floated straight over to us like smoke from a bad barbecue.[]
Yvaine’s eyes snapped up. She took one look at the group and started striding over like she was about to stage a very well–dressed homicide.]
‘Yvie,‘ I grabbed her wrist. ‘Not here. It’s the Laurents‘ party. You deck someone in this ballroom, we’ll be blacklisted from every gala till we’re sixty.“]]
She huffed. “They’re the ones running their mouths. If this bloody dress weren’t so tight, I’d be over there turning cheeks into handprints.‘
Relatable.
But I wasn’t mad. Not really. Their gossip was so off–script it wasn’t even offensive–it was just outdated. The real social sharks would’ve already known Rhys and I were done.[]
Although… Rhys probably hadn’t told anyone. Definitely not Louisa. And definitely not the family friends who’d rat him out to her.
Because if there was one thing Rhys Granger couldn’t stomach, it was the idea that I walked away first.]
‘Are you just going to let them get away with it?‘ Yvaine seethed.]
‘Nope.‘
I used to swallow that crap. Every side–eye, every whisper, every woman who told me I’d never be enough for him. I swallowed it because I thought Rhys was worth it.]
Newsflash: he wasn’t.
So I picked up a glass of juice from the drinks table–cranberry, pretty and dangerous–looking–and strolled over to the cackling hens.[]
The one who’d been flapping her gums the most stood dead centre, swaddled in a lavender tulle monstrosity. Pearls everywhere. Big ones. Like she’d raided her grandma’s jewellery box.
As soon as they saw me, they shut up. Blinked. Smiled like they weren’t just slandering me.[]
I smiled too and held out the glass to Miss Lavender. ‘I would’ve offered you soap, but since I don’t carry that in my clutch, you’ll have to make do with cranberry juice.‘]
She didn’t take it. Just stared at the glass like it was about to bite her.[]
I didn’t move. Just stood there, hand extended. Waiting.
Silence stretched,
14.9%
Three Moon Stones: I Shattered My Alpha Mate’s Empire
Chapte
A few people turned to watch.
I didn’t move a muscle.
Whatever was on my face must’ve told her that this wasn’t a bluff.[]
If she didn’t take the juice, I’d pour it over her blowout without blinking.
♡ (0)
Chapter 30
Chapter 30
The woman stared at me, then snatched the juice. ‘Thanks, Miss Vance.‘]
‘No worries,‘ I said, smirking as I grabbed Yvaine’s arm and pulled her away.
Behind us, the chatter died.[]
Yvaine hissed, ‘Your stare just turned her skin fifty shades darker.‘]
I chuckled. ‘I know their type. Keen to yap behind your back, yet freeze solid when you look them in the eye–especially in public.]
We drifted towards the dessert tables–two twenty–metre feasts of cakes and champagne. With no immediate threat of juice assassination, I snagged a mini éclair and shoved it in my mouth.[]
The gossiping ladies hovered nearby, eyes flicking between us and their empty glasses. Wisely, they switched targets and moved on to the Laurent family’s heir.
‘A few years back, the Laurents didn’t even acknowledge that grandson of theirs. Didn’t give him a single share. Nada.‘]
‘And yet he went off overseas and built his own company. Bigger than Laurent Global Holdings, from what I’ve heard.‘]
‘Yeah, and I heard Edouard Laurent got seriously ill some years back, and LGH started tanking. No one in the family had the chops to save it, so suddenly the prodigal grandson wasn’t so useless anymore.‘]]
‘They dragged him back thinking he’d work for free. Do them a favour. What they didn’t expect was for the young Mr Laurent to quietly take control of the whole damn thing.‘“]]
‘My husband tells me he’s now the actual boss of LGH.
‘Not that he needs it. His own company makes LGH look like a roadside lemonade stand.‘]
‘Maybe that’s what the family’s worried about, that he doesn’t need them. Hence the party.[]
‘What do you mean?‘]]
‘Haven’t you heard? This party is the Laurents‘ way of making it clear that he’s family now. Make it official, you know. So people will stop calling him a bastard child.‘]
I gave Yvaine a questioning look.
As expected, she knew more than Gossip Ladies and dished the dirt.[]
‘Young Mr Laurent wasn’t always a Laurent. Rumour has it he was sort of cast aside as a kid. His mum died when he was a teen. Dad remarried. The rest of the clan treated him like trash, sent him off with a suitcase and a pat on the back. But now they need him to
bail out their company. Hence all the
pomp.
I snagged a lemon tart. His backstory hit close to home. ‘He must’ve been ruthless to claw his way to the top.‘[]
Yvaine nodded. ‘Must be. Though I haven’t met him yet. That’s what everybody’s here for.
We made for a corner sofa.
Laughter froze me mid–stride.]
35 24
Chapter 30
A ring of young women crowded around a familiar face–Violet Lin.[]
She hadn’t spotted me.]
‘I swear,‘ Violet was crowing, ‘that necklace sold out weeks ago. You’d need an advance on your inheritance to score one now.‘]
‘Is it really the same necklace Eliza Black flaunted on the red carpet?‘ one girl murmured.[]
‘It’s sooo nice! And only thirty grand,‘ another cooed. I’d kill for one.‘[]
Violet lofted her chin, soaking up the praise.[]
I stared at the necklace she was wearing.[]
Just yesterday, she’d sniffed at this piece. Now she was parading it like the crown jewels.[]
I’ve been flat–out at Nyx Collective, Violet fake–complained. ‘Thank god my boss gave me leave for this party.“[]
Someone perked up. You work there? Then you know who designed this?’]
Violet’s grin flickered, then went full Cheshire. ‘Yes, I’m a designer at Nyx.‘]
‘So you made this?‘ the girl pressed, eyes glittering.[]
Violet hesitated, then nodded.]
They crowded in, desperate for a closer peek at the ‘must–have‘ accessory.[]
‘Bullshit! That’s Mira’s design,‘ Yvaine snapped. ‘You had zero to do with it.‘[]
Silence snapped across the marble hall. Everyone’s jaws hit the floor. Heads swivelled.
When she saw me, Violet blanched so hard her mascara threatened to drip.
Her smug smile shrivelled. She jabbed a manicured finger at me. ‘Mirabelle Vance, this isn’t your crowd. How’d you get in here? Did you sneak in or fake an invite?“[]
Before I could launch my own barb, Yvaine yanked two crisp envelopes from her clutch and slapped them onto Violet’s palm.[]
‘Official Laurent invite,‘ she said. ‘Addressed to Mira and me. Where’s yours?‘
‘My what?‘ Violet kept staring at me.
‘Your invite,‘
‘It’s… in my purse.‘
‘Care to show it?‘
‘Why?‘
‘Just humour me.‘ Yvaine shrugged. ‘Unless you don’t have one.[]
‘I…‘ Violet reached inside her purse, but her hand stayed there.[]
15.4%
Three Moon Stones: 1 Shattered My Alpha Male’s Empire
