Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 25

**Healing Slowly But Surely**
**By R. Joseph**

**A Party Or A Funeral?**

Leilani.

The sound of wine glasses chiming together resonated through the room, mingling with the hushed conversations and bursts of laughter that floated intermittently in the air. It was a festive atmosphere, yet I felt like an outsider, an uninvited guest at a celebration that felt more like a funeral to me.

As the crowd gathered around Caelum, who was regaling everyone with tales of our company’s remarkable growth over the past year, my gaze remained glued to a small family seated at the far end of the room. They watched me with sharp, scrutinizing eyes, their expressions mirroring the chill that enveloped my own heart.

It was my family.

A wave of conflicting emotions crashed over me as I took in their cold demeanor after all these years. Fear, anger, and an overwhelming sense of isolation swirled within me, emotions I thought I had buried deep.

For months, I had immersed myself in therapy, convinced that I could escape the shadows of fear instilled in me by my father. I had believed, for a time, that I had finally broken free from his grip. But now, as his piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, I felt like prey, exposed and vulnerable, waiting for the moment he would pounce on my insecurities.

I shivered involuntarily.

In the center of their small group, Chalice sat with an air of regal authority, a queen surrounded by her loyal subjects. The intensity of their glares directed at me suggested that they viewed me as a threat to their monarch.

It was almost comical.

“Do you want to escape this godforsaken place now?” Jarek’s voice broke through my reverie, and I turned to find him observing me with a warmth that felt comforting yet unsettling at the same time.

His gaze had a way of tightening my stomach into knots, but I forced a smile, trying to mask my turmoil. “Are you enjoying yourself?” I asked, genuinely curious. He shook his head with a slight frown.

“Not at all. But Alpha Landry has been shadowing me like a hawk. He’s been going on about potential partnerships—”

“Did you know that Landry Corp is behind one of the leading programming languages in Pennsylvania?” I interjected, noticing the transformation in Jarek’s expression as his interest piqued.

His eyes widened, and I couldn’t tell if his excitement was directed at the Landrys or my knowledge of them.

“Really?” he whispered, a spark of enthusiasm igniting in his voice.

“Yes!” I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement. “They even developed CONNA! I know you’ve been eager to get your hands on that.”

Jarek’s face lit up, his smile radiating warmth that made all the lights in the room seem dim in comparison. He took my hand, leading me toward Alpha Robert Landry, the young Alpha whose technological prowess had earned him much respect. As we approached, Landry’s face broke into a wide grin.

“Alpha Frostclaw!” he greeted, his voice booming with enthusiasm.

“Alpha Landry!” Jarek responded, matching his energy. “I see you haven’t met my lady yet,” he said playfully, causing a blush to creep up my cheeks as Landry raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Sometimes, I found myself torn between loving and resenting Jarek for the way he twisted our relationship into something more than mere business partners.

I managed a smile. “He’s my boss.”

“Oh, so you work at Frostclaw, Inc.?” Landry inquired, and I nodded, feeling the heat of his gaze travel slowly up my body.

Jarek must have sensed the shift because he stepped closer, positioning himself protectively beside me. When Landry extended his hand for a handshake, Jarek intercepted, grasping Landry’s hand instead.

“Yes, she’s one of our core engineers,” he stated with a tight smile, his demeanor shifting to one of guarded protectiveness. Then, turning to me, he added, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to show her around.”

With that, he guided me away from a visibly frustrated Robert Landry, leading me to a quieter corner of the room.

“We’re not working with him,” Jarek declared flatly, and I felt my eyes widen in disbelief.

“What? Why not?”

“Didn’t you see the way he was looking at you? Like he wanted to devour you whole? If I hadn’t been there, who knows what he would have done or said. I don’t want creeps like that around you.”

“We’re… we’re related. I guess I was just so excited to see her and stumbled!” she exclaimed softly, turning to me with feigned affection as she clutched my arm. “Right, Leilani?”

But I couldn’t ignore the glint of triumph in her eyes or the way her lips curled into a smirk as she glanced at my ruined dress.

“Miss Blackthorne…” I murmured, attempting to loosen her grip on my arm, but she clung tighter, her eyes glistening with faux tears.

“Leilani…” she persisted, her voice regaining its familiar bite, her hold on me tightening as she glared pointedly at Jarek. “Tell him we’re sisters… twins.”

“I believe that’s impossible, considering Leilani bears a different last name than you. You’re a Blackthorne. She’s a Sinclair,” Jarek replied, then turned to me with a teasing glint in his eye. “Do you know this crazy lady?”

At that moment, I couldn’t suppress the smile that crept onto my face. I shook my head slowly, feigning surprise.

“I’ve never seen her before.”

Chalice froze, her expression shifting from shock to disbelief.

“This party feels strange. A lot of people here have been acting oddly around me, and I can’t quite figure out why.” I turned to Jarek, my smile widening. “Or is it a Pennsylvania thing?”

Jarek chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh, I assure you, Sweetcakes, it’s not. There’s probably something in the wine.” With that, he gently pulled my arm away from Chalice’s grasp.

A frown tugged at my lips as I glanced down at my now-drenched dress, and wanting to drive the point home, I remarked, “This dress was custom-made, Miss Blackthorne, so I think you owe me for ruining it.”

Her face flushed crimson, a hue that could rival a beetroot.

But I didn’t linger on her reaction as I stormed away, Jarek trailing behind me like a loyal puppy, though in truth, I was the one feeling lost.

He was the one guiding me back to solid ground.