Ava’s POV
I froze for a second and turned around, spotting a man in a black suit with a stiff, no-nonsense expression.
I recognized him right away.
Adrian Thorne’s Beta, the same guy I’d seen at the gate of the Crawford Manor.
He dipped his head politely, then held out a black card.
Right on cue, my phone buzzed.
Adrian.
“Hope my little arrangement didn’t interrupt anything,” his low voice rolled through the speaker, carrying that unmistakable, commanding edge that left no room for debate.
“Not at all. I just think you didn’t have to,” I started.
“It is necessary,” he cut in cleanly.
“As the pack’s Alpha, I refuse to let anyone think I’m too cheap to provide a dress for a date.
Besides, you’re my fiancee.”
Hearing him say “fiancee” in that low voice, another wave of heat flooded between my legs.
I swallowed hard.
Then I remembered what he’d said before, about making sure Damon wouldn’t object to his plan.
I figured I should get it out in the open.
“Adrian, last time you mentioned Damon wouldn’t object to your arrangement…”
“Money,” Adrian said firmly.
“After the gala, I’ll tell him I’m placing a large order with the Darkmoon Pack, and I’m specifically designating you as the sole contact for the project.
So I need to evaluate you carefully, see whether you’re up to the job.”
“I don’t want to tell him before the gala.
I really want to see his face when you show up.” Even through the phone, I could picture the sly smile on his lips.
I took a deep breath, forcing down the tangle of emotions.
“Thank you.
I don’t have any other questions.
Also, the dress is beautiful.
I love it.”
“In that case, I look forward to seeing my beautiful fiancee that night,” Adrian said, then hung up.
My heartbeat picked up again.
We were nothing but words on paper, but every time he used that gentle tone, I lost control.
No, Ava.
You need to calm down.
You can’t afford to trust any man again.
I stared at the dark phone screen.
Bottom line, I had to make a strong impression at the charity gala.
“Ava? What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be apologizing to Mrs. Elizabeth?”
Sylvia strutted in, her face full of surprise and disdain.
She was dressed to impress today, clearly here to hunt for the perfect gown for the banquet.
I didn’t bother acknowledging her and turned to walk away.
“Stop!” She rushed up, cutting me off.
“Don’t you feel embarrassed? Damon wants me to go with him tonight. Not you.”
I almost laughed.
It was that ridiculous.
“Sylvia, did you forget something? Even if Damon isn’t fond of me, I’m still his official Luna. And you? You don’t even have a title. As long as I don’t divorce him, you’re just the mistress he keeps out of sight. So tell me, who should really be embarrassed here?”
My words hit her like a slap, sharp and clean, and the color drained from her face in a flash.
“You… don’t get too full of yourself!” she screeched, totally losing it.
“You’ll be kicked out of this house soon enough!
Damon loves me!
The Luna title will be mine sooner or later!”
“Oh yeah?” I laughed, soft and almost lazy.
“Then go ask Damon if he dares to say that to my face.”
Sylvia’s lips trembled.
Not a single sound came out.
Of course she knew, so long as I was still useful, Damon would never risk tearing things apart with me.
Watching her stand there, furious but powerless, sent a wave of satisfaction through me.
I bypassed her and walked over to the stunned shop assistant, handing over the black card.
“Put everything this lady bought today on this card.”
Sylvia froze.
I turned back to her, looking down from above, my voice a mix of pity and mocking amusement.
“After all, you’re just a tutor. Oh wait, actually, calling you a servant might be more accurate. You don’t just teach Leo, you take care of his daily routines, and… take care of Damon’s needs too. A nanny… plus a prostitute, that combo sounds about right.”
I paused, taking a moment to admire how her face twisted with rage before I continued.
“With your status, you probably can’t afford anything in this place anyway.
Just think of it as me, the lady of the house, giving you an advance on your paycheck.”
“Ava!
You bitch!” Sylvia completely lost it, lunging at me.
Her companion quickly grabbed her, holding her back with all her strength.
I didn’t even bother to spare her another glance.
I simply turned around and walked out of the boutique.
The sunlight hit my skin, but I felt no warmth at all.
The moment I got into the car, my phone lit up with Damon’s call.
As soon as I answered, his voice burst through, filled with barely contained anger.
“Ava!
What the hell are you doing?
Do you know she was almost mugged by thugs outside?!”
“Oh?
Really?” I started the engine, calm as ever.
“Why didn’t you go?!” He was practically roaring.
“Oh, I forgot,” I said lightly.
“I suddenly remembered I’m meeting a very important client tomorrow, the one from the Crawford Pack. That cooperation with Adrian. As the representative of the Darkmoon Pack, I figured I should dress formally. Wouldn’t want to embarrass you. So I came out to pick a dress. Too much going on today, and it slipped my mind.”
The other end of the line went dead silent.
I could practically picture Damon’s face shifting from fury to excitement in a split second.
Sure enough, after a few seconds, his voice came back, no anger this time, only eagerness and flattery.
“What did you say?
Adrian??
Oh sweetheart, you always put the pack first.
I shouldn’t have blamed you.
Don’t worry about my mother, I’ll take care of her.”
“Alright.” I hung up and stepped on the gas, leaving everything behind.
The moment I stepped into the manor’s living room, Sylvia’s sobbing drifted down from the second floor, sharp and dramatic, like she needed the whole house to hear her.
“Damon…
look at what she did to me!
She disrespected your mother, and now she humiliated me in front of everyone!
She called me a maid!
She even said I was a whore!
I’ve given you so much, do I really deserve this?”
“Stop crying,” Damon said, his voice caught somewhere between helpless and coaxing.
“Just bear with it for the pack’s sake. Once this project is over, I swear, I’ll handle everything.”
I stood at the bottom of the stairs, listening to their little performance with a cold, almost bored expression.
Damon came down soon after.
The second he saw me, his face switched, like someone flipped a light.
Suddenly he was all soft smiles and gentle concern.
“Honey, you’re back.
Did you find a dress you like?
Is everything ready for tomorrow’s meeting?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, then met his eyes, my voice steady and colder than he expected.
“But Damon, I’ve been thinking… I shouldn’t be involved in the company’s affairs anymore.”
His smile froze instantly.
“After all, your mother and your sister seem convinced that my real talent is serving them tea and running errands, not working for the future of the Darkmoon Pack.” I watched the shock flicker in his eyes and kept going.
“So from today on, I’m stepping down from everything. You can arrange someone else to take over. The major projects I’ve been running, the cooperation with the Crawford Pack, the new proposal Adrian brought up… all of it stops right now.”