Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 28

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

28 Priceless.

Leilani.

As Jarek and I crossed the threshold into the quaint restaurant where we planned to have lunch, my attention was immediately drawn to a couple nestled in a distant corner. They were wrapped around each other, their faces so close that anyone observing would have assumed they were on the brink of sharing a kiss. A wave of discomfort washed over me, and my eyebrows shot up in surprise. I turned to Jarek, who leaned in and whispered, “Do you want to leave?”

But the gnawing hunger in my stomach was insistent, and I couldn’t bear the thought of abandoning our plans. Just then, my stomach growled audibly, a sound that elicited a small, amused smile from Jarek. “We can ignore them,” I muttered, my gaze shifting away from him as I pointed toward a table that was as far away from the couple as possible.

We made our way through the dimly lit restaurant, the soft ambiance wrapping around us like a warm blanket. As I settled into the chair Jarek had pulled out for me, I became acutely aware of two pairs of eyes locking onto us from across the room.

Ignore them.

Ignore them.

Ignore them.

I repeated the mantra in my head, trying to will myself to look away. Yet, the glint in Chalice’s eyes sent a chill down my spine. There was no way she would let me go unnoticed; I could see it in the way her lips curled into a smirk and how she waved at me with an all-too-familiar casualness.

“Ma’am, what would you like to have?” A sharp, clipped voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I looked up to find a young waitress staring down at me with an expression that could only be described as hostile.

I was momentarily taken aback, my mind racing as I tried to comprehend why her demeanor was so unfriendly.

Is this how everyone is around here?

Jarek leaned in closer, his hand enveloping mine in a comforting grip. “The menu, Sweetcakes. What would you like?” he murmured softly, his voice a balm against my rising anxiety.

At that moment, I couldn’t tell if it was my imagination playing tricks on me, but the moment Jarek held my hand, the waitress’s glare seemed to intensify.

I cleared my throat, forcing myself to focus. “I’ll have a Wagyu beef cheeseburger topped with caramelized onions, cheddar, smoked bacon, and truffle aioli on a brioche bun,” I ordered, my voice steady despite the tension swirling around us.

“Is that all?” Jarek asked, his tone casual yet probing. I shook my head, adding, “And some parmesan-truffle fries on the side. Oh, and a glass of iced tea, please.”

“Okay.” The waitress nodded curtly before turning her attention to Jarek, her smile brightening unnaturally as she asked, “Gentleman, what would you like?”

“Same thing as the lady,” he replied without a moment’s hesitation, dismissing her with a wave as she stood there, momentarily stunned by his lack of interest.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her expression as she stomped away, but my amusement was short-lived. In the next moment, I spotted Chalice and her partner, Kael, striding toward us, their smiles wide but devoid of warmth—smiles that even a blind man could see were insincere.

My heart sank. Jarek noticed immediately, his brow furrowing with concern. “What is it?” he asked, his voice low.

Before I could respond, Chalice’s saccharine voice cut through the air. “Leilani… Alpha Frostclaw, it’s so lovely to see you both here! Are you also here for lunch?”

“Of course!” Jarek muttered under his breath, but I heard him, and I was certain Chalice did too. She tilted her head, her smile widening as she directed a blinding beam at Jarek. “I can assure you this is just a coincidence!”

I frowned, choosing silence as I busied myself with my phone, trying to ignore the way Kael’s piercing gaze seemed to bore into me.

“Yes, we’re here for lunch,” Jarek replied coolly, dismissing her irrelevant chatter. He then looked up at Kael and offered a curt nod. “Alpha Stormborn, fancy meeting you here.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Kael responded, his enthusiasm a stark contrast to Jarek’s. “How has Pennsylvania been treating you?”

“Fine,” Jarek replied nonchalantly. “Very fine, thank you.”

Chalice interjected, “You see, yesterday was quite eventful; my brothers and I hardly had enough time to get to know you as much as we’d wanted to. There’s something I would love to discuss with you.”

“Oh?” Jarek’s interest piqued, though I could hear the edge in his voice. “And what might that be?”

Her face blanched, and I nearly laughed when her cheeks flushed a vibrant red. “I didn’t… I do not… we’ve not—”

“That’s because we’re not siblings, Jay,” I interjected quickly, ignoring the embarrassment radiating from her and the way Kael’s expression hardened with disdain. “…we’re not related. I don’t even know her.”

“But Leilani—”

“It is Ms. Sinclair to you now,” I snapped, injecting as much steel into my voice as I could muster. Chalice’s relentless pestering had completely extinguished my appetite.

With a clatter, I set my cutlery down on the table and rose slowly, my gaze locking onto Chalice’s as I said firmly, “We’re not family, Ms. Blackthorne, and I would appreciate it if you ceased spreading that narrative.”

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and as usual, they began to spill over. “I know you’re mad at me for everything that happened in the past. But it’s been four years—”

“Four years since I stopped being a Blackthorne,” I spat, cutting her off. “Now, if you don’t stop parading your two-faced self everywhere I go, I’ll have no choice but to pursue legal action.”

Chalice gasped, and Kael stared at me as if I were a stranger.

Well, I felt like one too.

Seething, I grabbed my phone and turned to Jarek. “I’ll be leaving now, Jay,” I said softly, “…thank you for the food.”

But just as I took a step away, a crucial thought struck me. I pivoted back to Chalice. “Also, you haven’t reimbursed me for ruining my dress last night, so I’ll have my lawyer reach out to discuss the details.”

Her jaw dropped, and the expressions on both her and Kael’s faces were utterly… priceless!

Jarek, unable to suppress his grin any longer, quickly stood up. Without uttering a word, he placed cash on the table, approached me, and slipped his arm around mine, whispering, “I should drop you off.”

“Okay.”