His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 22

**Betrayal Births by Joseph King**

**Chapter 22**

**Claire**

I stumbled back, utterly taken aback. “What on earth are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” she retorted, her voice rising above the din of the crowd, sharp enough to cut through the chatter. “He’s been sulking for days, completely withdrawn, and now he manages to trip in the middle of a game? He looked straight at you before they whisked him away. Even if no one else caught it, I did.”

“Do you even hear how absurd you sound?” Naomi interjected, her gaze fierce as she glared at Jessica.

Jessica thrust a finger toward Naomi’s face, her expression venomous. “Back the hell off. I wasn’t addressing you.”

Her friends murmured their agreement, smirks plastered on their faces. One chimed in, “At this point, I’m convinced you’re carrying a curse around.” Another added, “More like she poisoned him.”

A rush of heat ignited my cheeks, and my chest constricted further, the anger bubbling up like a volcano ready to erupt. “That’s insane! I didn’t do anything to him! How could I from over here?!”

Jessica leaned in closer, her eyes ablaze with fury. “Stay away from him. If you ruin our season, I swear—”

Naomi shoved herself between us, her gaze locked onto Jessica with a fierce intensity. “Back off, Jessica. This isn’t her fault.”

Jessica scoffed, her lips curling into a disdainful sneer. “I love how you think you’re so high and mighty protecting this little piece of crap when—”

Smack.

A loud crack echoed in the air as my palm connected with her cheek.

I gasped, my hands flying to my mouth, eyes darting between Naomi and Jessica. Jessica stood there, stunned, clutching her face, while Naomi had her hands raised, as if ready to strike again.

Gasps rippled through the crowd of her friends.

“Naomi, that’s enough…” I managed to say weakly, stepping in to separate them.

“You’re pathetic, both of you,” Jessica spat, still nursing her cheek. She turned on her heel, her entourage trailing behind her like lost puppies.

I stood frozen, my chest tight, the noise of the crowd fading into a distant murmur, a static hum that matched my racing heart.

Naomi turned to me, her wolf-like intensity glowing in her eyes. “Are you okay?” she asked, her hands gripping my shoulders with a reassuring strength.

“Naomi, you didn’t have to do that…” I said, tears welling in my eyes. Until this moment, I had never fully grasped why she felt the need to defend me.

“She was picking on you, and honestly, she sounded ridiculous. I did what any good friend would do,” she replied, gently cupping my cheeks with her warm palm.

“Thank you…” I whispered, gazing deeply into her eyes. She pulled me into a comforting embrace, and I sniffled, allowing myself to melt into her warmth.

“It’s all good. Want to finish the game?”

I glanced down at the ice rink, shaking my head. “I mean, it’s pointless without Elijah on it, right?”

Naomi let out a nervous laugh, but then her expression shifted. “Oh my God, we should go check on him.”

Before I could respond, she grabbed my hand and pulled me across the stands, leading me out of the stadium. I chuckled softly, shaking my head. That was the Naomi I knew and loved.

Yet, as we walked towards the medic room, a pang of guilt twisted in my chest. Was Jessica right?

Did Elijah truly get distracted because of me?

No. That was utterly implausible.

So why had he looked at me?

“Claire! What happened?” A voice called out from the hallway, startling me. I turned to see my mom approaching, her face etched with concern.

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