Betrayed by My Ex, Marked by His Alpha Emperor Brother novel Chapter 218

Chapter 218: Chapter 218

Elara’s POV

I stabbed at the chicken on my plate. The fork scraped porcelain. A harsh, small sound lost in the cafeteria’s roar.

Sylvia Vance will obviously be Empress.

Sophie’s recent words still rattled around inside my skull like a stone in an empty jar. I couldn’t shake them. Couldn’t reason them away. Every time I tried, they came back louder.

I wasn’t hungry. The chicken was dry. The vegetables beside it had gone limp and cold. I pushed a carrot from one side of the plate to the other. Back again.

"You’re doing that thing again," Jessica said from across the table.

I looked up. "What thing?"

"The thing where you murder your food with your eyes instead of eating it." She gestured with her own fork. "It’s disturbing."

"I’m eating."

"You’re rearranging."

I forced a piece of chicken into my mouth. Chewed. Swallowed. It sat in my stomach like a rock.

Jessica watched me for a beat too long. Her eyes narrowed slightly—that look she got when she was cataloguing something for later. Then she shrugged and went back to her own plate.

I should’ve felt relieved. I didn’t.

Because the cafeteria doors swung open. And every head turned.

Sylvia Vance walked in like she owned the building.

No—like she owned the entire compound. The training grounds. The barracks. All of it. Every inch of stone and every person sitting within these walls.

She wore a dress the color of champagne. Fitted at the waist, flowing at the hem. Not a wrinkle. Not a thread out of place. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in perfect waves—dark, glossy, catching the overhead light like she’d brought her own personal sun. Her makeup was flawless. Lips a soft coral. Eyes lined just enough to look effortless while being anything but.

In her hands, she carried a massive basket. Overflowing. Wrapped candies. Bags of dried fruit. Small boxes tied with ribbon.

"Hello, everyone!" Her voice rang out—bright, musical, pitched perfectly to carry without shouting. "I hope I’m not interrupting dinner."

She was absolutely interrupting dinner. And she knew it.

Sophie shot to her feet so fast her chair screeched backward. "Lady Vance!"

"Sophie!" Sylvia beamed. Warmth radiating from every pore. "How are you, darling? How’s the shoulder? I heard you took a nasty hit during sparring."

Sophie’s face flushed with pleasure. "It’s fine! Almost healed. Thank you so much for asking—"

"Good. Good." Sylvia set the basket on the nearest table with a practiced flourish. "His Majesty and I wanted to bring something for all of you. You’ve been working so hard. You deserve a treat."

His Majesty and I.

The words landed in my chest like a fist.

Trainees were already moving. Clustering around the basket. Reaching for the wrapped packages. Voices rising—excited, grateful, adoring.

"Are those your chocolate chip cookies?" Maya appeared at Sylvia’s elbow, eyes wide and hopeful.

Sylvia laughed. Light. Practiced. "I baked them myself. There should be enough for everyone."

"You’re an angel," Maya declared.

"Oh, stop." Sylvia waved a hand. But she didn’t stop smiling. Didn’t stop glowing.

I sat frozen in my seat. Fork still in hand. Watching.

A trainee slid into the empty chair beside me. Riley, a girl I’d spoken to maybe twice, leaned in.

The cafeteria had gone quiet around us. Not completely—there was still noise, still movement—but enough people were watching. Enough eyes had found me. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

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