NovelBookChapter 0322
My eyes widened, and | turned, my mouth working uselessly.
“Especially now,” he continued, “with the pregnancy glow and having overcyour eating disorder.” His
fingers lingered on my cheek, then trailed down to pinch a strand of hair between his fingers. “And your hair... |
like that you're not bleaching it anymore. | always preferred your natural color. Strawberry blonde.”
| just stood there dumbly, stunned by his words and the tenderness in his touch. Was he...?
For a moment, | let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, there was still something between us.
Maybe this wasn’t beyond repair. Maybe he really was trying to be better, and maybe I... Maybe | needed
to be better, too.
But then a camera flashed, startling me. The party photographer had found us, capturing our intimate moment
for tomorrow morning's society article. Noah's hand dropped away, and the spell was broken.
Oh, | thought bitterly. Right; we had to be a happy couple for the cameras. Noah had likely seen the
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtphotographer approaching, and had given them what they wanted-just like the kiss. That was all this was.
“Thank you for the ginger ale,” | said, stepping back. “You can go back to the party if you want. I'll be fine
out here.”
Noah hesitated, then nodded. As he turned to leave, | blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.
Eventually, | made my way back into the ballroom, pasting on my signature smile as | mingled with the guests.
Everyone wanted to congratulate me, to ask about the baby, to give unsolicited advice. It was exhausting.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the mother-to-be,” a familiar voice drawled behind me.
| turned to see my cousin, Alvin, looking dashing as always in a perfectly tailored suit. His golden hair was
artfully tousled, and his blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he sauntered up to me. Even from here, | could smell
ladies’ perfon him-and if | squinted, | could make out a smudge of red lipstick peeking out from under his
collar.
“Alvin,” | greeted him, forcing a smile.
He grinned, raising his half-empty champagne glass in a toast. “Congratulations, cousin. Your child will one day
be the heir of Nightcrest, if it’s a boy... you must be proud.”
| shook my head. “Actually, Alvin, since both Noah and | possess the Alpha gene, our child will have it regardless
of gender.”
Alvin's eyebrows shot up. “Right... | almost forgot you had the Alpha gene too. You could have been the Alpha of
Silvermoon, if you wanted to. But you gave it up when you married Noah, didn’t you?”
| felt a twinge of regret at his words. “I suppose I did,” | admitted. “But you'll be taking over if my father
abdicates.”
Alvin's grin widened. “That's right. And rumor has it that might be sooner rather than later.”
We both paused, turning to observe my father, who was in the midst of a dance with my mother on the
dancefloor. Even now, my father’s movements were a bit stiff, and | could see him wince ever so slightly
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Chapter 0322
every the stepped on his right foot. The party was beginning to take its toll on his arthritis.
“He's sixty tonight, correct?” Alvin asked.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
| nodded, then turned, studying my cousin carefully. He was handsand charming, | would give him that.
But... “Do you feel prepared to run a pack responsibly, Alvin?” | blurted out. “It’s a big job.”
He merely shrugged, snagging another champagne flute from a passing waitress. His eyes lingered on her chest
as she walked away. “I'm sure I'll figure it out,” he said dismissively.
“Figure it out?” | hissed. “You should be prepared. You should-"
“Hannah. Hannah, Hannah.” Alvin turned to me, his lips curling up into a catlike smirk. “Don’t worry so much. It's
not good for the baby.”
With that, he turned on his heel and left.
| bit my tongue, fighting back the urge to say something cutting. But as | watched him walk away, | couldn't help
but worry about the future of Silvermoon.
If there was any doubt in my mind about divorcing Noah-any sliver ofthat was debating staying and working
on our marriage-that was gone now.
| needed to divorce Noah so | could take over my hpack. If | didn't...
Well, I wasn’t sure what would becof Silvermoon with an Alpha like Alvin. But | knew it wouldn't be good.
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