CHAPTER 83
SOPHIA
I sat at the edge of the room, my eyes glued to Axel and Alethea as they moved through the crowd together. Each smile they exchanged, every touch, felt like a punch to my gut. It wasn’t just jealousy burning inside me; it was a deep, gnawing sense of injustice. Why should Alethea get to be Luna? I had always been better, smarter, more deserving. Yet here I was, watching her take the position that should have been mine.
Clarissa, my best friend, leaned in close. “Sophia, you’ve got to calm down,” she whispered, trying to sound soothing but only adding to my irritation. “People are starting to notice.”
I huffed and crossed my arms. “I don’t care, Clarissa. It’s not fair. I’ve done everything right, and still, she’s the one who gets to stand by Axel’s side.”
Clarissa g
