Our Wedding Was Ruined and I Found a Husband 23

Laila’s POV 

The invitation arrived like an unwanted notice for jury duty. 

Jacob set the heavy cream envelope on my desk with the same precision he used for contracts and quarterly reports. 

“Alpha Bradshaw is hosting a business summit with one of the pack’s major partners,” he explained, his tone neutral, but his eyes wary. “As a newly signed partner, your presence is… expected.” 

Expected. Not requested. Expected. 

The embossed letterhead gleamed under the fluorescent light–Moon Ridge Pack Business Summit. Gold script. Black tie. Tonight. 

I stared at it until the words blurred. Every instinct in me screamed run. Make an excuse. Claim Ava needed me. Pretend to be sick. Anything to avoid setting foot into Jason Bradshaw’s territory again. 

But excuses would raise questions. Questions I couldn’t afford. Not with Ava’s surgery looming. Not with our fragile partnership still fresh ink on paper. 

“I’ll be there,” I said, my voice steady even as dread clawed at my stomach. 

*** 

The Moon Ridge Grand Ballroom pulsed with energy the way only wolves could radiate. Alphas from neighboring packs mingled with human CEOS, their conversations layered with politics, power, and the subtle hum of dominance. Crystal chandeliers spilled gold light over the crowd, reflecting in sequined gowns and sharp tuxedos. 

I’d dressed with deliberate care—a sleek navy gown, minimal jewelry, hair pinned back in a no–nonsense twist. It was meant to project professionalism, competence, distance. Armor, not allure. 

But the armor nearly cracked the moment I crossed the threshold. 

Brittany. 

She stood near the head table like royalty presiding over her court. Her silver gown shimmered with every calculated movement, her diamonds throwing shards of light across the room. She was luminous, practiced, and confident in her throne. She didn’t just stand at the head table–she reigned. 

Or so she thought. 

I had barely been in the room for a few minutes before I noticed the hushed whispers and pointed glances directed in Brittany’s direction. 

“That’s Brittany? Jason’s fated mate? She’s not what I was expecting.” 

“They’ve been together so long, but still aren’t married… odd, isn’t it?” 

“Six years and no ceremony. Makes you wonder…” 

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Chapter 23 

+25 Bonus 

I couldn’t help but frown at what they were saying. I had forgotten how quickly gossip could spread throughout the pack, and how painful it was to be the target of rumors. Even Brittany didn’t deserve that. 

I kept walking, shoulders square, chin high. But then Brittany’s gaze found mine across the ballroom. Her lips curved into a smile sharp enough to draw blood, and any misplaced sympathy I had been feeling for her quickly evaporated. 

“Well, if it isn’t our newest business partner,” she called, voice pitched just right to draw eyes. 

She moved toward me in a graceful glide, her entourage of perfectly groomed pack wives trailing like satellites. Their perfume clung thick in the air, sweet and suffocating. 

“Vanessa,” Brittany said, my name rolling off her tongue like something distasteful. “How… brave of you to come tonight.” 

Her eyes skimmed over my gown with slow, deliberate contempt. “That’s an… interesting choice. Did you find it at one of those discount designer outlets?” 

The laughter from her followers was a dagger dressed in velvet. 

Heat crept up my neck, but I forced my voice level, clipped. “It’s a custom Delacroix. But refinement isn’t something you can buy, is it?” 

Her smile faltered, just for a heartbeat. I caught it. 

“Custom?” she echoed, voice sharper now. “How unique….” 

“Ladies.” 

The warm, commanding voice slid between us like a shield. Jason. 

He appeared at my side, tailored suit cut to perfection, his presence undeniable. And beside him–Elder Luna Sarah Bradshaw. His mother. 

Her hand touched my arm gently, and for a split second, my carefully constructed walls trembled. Sarah had always been kind. She had once brushed my hair and told me stories when the nightmares wouldn’t stop. 

“I’m so glad you came, Vanessa,” she said warmly. But her eyes lingered. Too long. Searching. “You look… familiar. Have we met before?” 

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