Our Wedding Was Ruined and I Found a Husband 24

My throat tightened. Too dangerous. “I don’t think so. Just one of those faces, I guess.” 

But her gaze didn’t waver. 

“Brittany,” Jason’s voice cut like steel wrapped in silk. “You are making our partner feel welcome, aren’t you?” 

The rebuke was subtle, but the flush beneath Brittany’s makeup wasn’t. 

“Of course,” she said tightly. “I was simply curious about Vanessa’s… background. After all, wolves who live outside their pack are either too weak for pack life or…” She let the pause stretch, savoring it. “…rogues without homes.” 

The insult landed like a crack of thunder. Conversations around us stuttered into silence. 

Sarah’s tone dropped to arctic chill. “Vanessa is an accomplished businesswoman and now a partner to this pack. She deserves respect.” 

Even Brittany’s entourage faltered under that icy authority. 

But Brittany recovered fast. “I’m sure she’s very resourceful,” she said sweetly. “Managing everything without pack support must be… exhausting.” 

I forced a cool smile. “Unlike some, I’ve learned to stand on my own.” 

Her eyes narrowed, but before she could strike again, my phone buzzed. 

Ava: Mama, I miss you. When are you coming back? 

The words hollowed me out. My baby was lying in a hospital bed while I stood here playing games with wolves who would happily eat me alive. 

“I should be going,” I said, checking my watch. “Early day tomorrow.” 

“Oh, but you can’t leave without champagne,” Brittany crooned, sliding into place beside me. She pressed a crystal flute into my hand. “Jason insisted on only the finest vintage tonight.” 

The liquid glowed gold under the chandeliers, bubbles rising like captured fireflies. 

My instincts screamed don’t drink it. But refusing in front of dozens of watching eyes would look strange. Suspicious. Dangerous. 

“To new partnerships,” Brittany said, her smile all predator and no warmth. 

I touched my glass to hers, let the crystal ring sing sharp in the air, and drank. 

The champagne was perfect. Crisp. Expensive. 

And wrong. 

Something bitter lingered on my tongue. Something metallic. Something that made Brittany’s eyes gleam with satisfaction. 

1/3 

Chapter 24 

“Wonderful,” she murmured. “I’m so glad we could clear the air.” 

I handed her the empty flute with steady fingers I didn’t feel. “Indeed.” 

Then I slipped away, every nerve alight with warning. 

+25 Bonus 

My sedan waited outside, its glossy black surface gleaming beneath the streetlights. Relief pricked at me- home, hospital, Ava. 

But when the driver turned, it wasn’t my usual driver, James, who was behind the wheel. 

This man was larger, older, face carved with hard edges. His eyes in the rearview mirror were cold, calculating. 

“Where’s James?” I asked, sliding into the back seat. 

“Called in sick, ma’am,” he replied in a gravelly voice. “I’m covering tonight.” 

Reasonable. Logical. Yet every nerve in my body screamed lie. 

“Mercy General Hospital,” I said. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

The leather seat pressed cool against my back. I tried to steady my breathing, to dismiss the unease curling through my veins. But the champagne’s bitter aftertaste clung stubbornly, coating my tongue. My head felt… strange. Heavy. 

The city slid past the windows in streaks of neon and shadow. Except… not the right streets. 

We weren’t heading toward the hospital. 

We were veering toward the industrial district. Empty lots. Warehouses with shattered windows. Places where rogues thrived and no one asked questions. 

“Excuse me,” I said, my voice coming out thick, slurred. “You’re going the wrong way.” 

The dizziness hit hard, a tidal wave that blurred the lights into ribbons. My hands felt like stone, clumsy and disconnected. 

The champagne. Brittany’s smile. 

Oh God. 

“You need to stop this car,” I tried, but the words tangled on my tongue. “Now.” 

The driver’s eyes caught mine in the mirror. Ice. Flat. Merciless. 

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, ma’am.” 

The sedan surged faster, pulling me deeper into the dark heart of the city. Away from safety. Away from Ava. 

The trap had been set perfectly. And I had walked right into it.